Mum has a frog!

steffie60

Registered User
Jan 22, 2013
232
0
Hampshire
Mum has had a warble in her voice for about 8 weeks now, she says she has a frog and coughing does not clear it. She has had a chest x-ray which showed clear. She has also recently had blood test because of serious weight loss in a short period of time. Her appetite is poor although by comparison she has done well today, lightly roasted breast of chicken with mashed swede and carrot and cauliflower with some cream mashed potatoes. Blood tests came back within the norm for someone of her age (89).

Mum is going into respite on the 15th of this month, it is the first time into a care home so I am nervous but I am so tired and so much in need of some "me" time I know it is the right thing to do.


I am full of mixed emotions with all the variations that present as VD in Mum that I cannot even begin to express myself.

I am not really sure what I am asking here, I think it is whether anyone else has experienced failing voice levels in such a way as the croaky voice or whether I am having an emotional melt down tonight. Hey ho tomorrow is another day!
thank you all for listening
tonight I am yours truly confused.
 

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
3,510
0
Has this been checked by a ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist? Persistent changes in voice such as hoarseness can be a cause for concern espescially in someone elderly. It would usually prompt a GP to make a referral to a specialist and tests unless the cause is immediately obvious. The "frog" sounds rather like a feeling that there is something stuck in the throat that will not clear, again, this can be a cause for concern. Particularly in combination with unexplained weight loss.

However, weight loss and poor appetite are both common in the very elderly and those with dementia, so could be unconnected.

I would ask for an assessment by a doctor.

It could even be psychological, some people develop habitual coughs as a sort of nervous tic, with a feeling of obstruction if they fail to do a throat-clearing or cough. Similarly, some people develop strictures in the throat or food pipe, which are psychological in nature or which are benign but unexplained.

The most definitive test is an endoscopy, where a doctor directly examines the throat and vocal chords etc using a camera. This can be unpleasant but not painful, and is often done with sedation (using a drug that makes the person very relaxed and largely unaware of what is happening, but not actually asleep).
 

rajahh

Registered User
Aug 29, 2008
2,790
0
Hertfordshire
My husbands voice has changed over the past few months, he also has weight loss.

My own hearing is not brilliant, and now he sort of " rumbles" and I struggle to understand him.

I would not think about having investigation though as it would be difficult to explain to him and would cause him distress too. so I am one of those who just leaves things .

My husband is 10 years younger than your mother, but he is also terminally ill with prostate cancer, so I have a different outlook to many other members

Jeannette
 

Canadian Joanne

Registered User
Apr 8, 2005
17,710
0
70
Toronto, Canada
It could even be psychological, some people develop habitual coughs as a sort of nervous tic, with a feeling of obstruction if they fail to do a throat-clearing or cough. Similarly, some people develop strictures in the throat or food pipe, which are psychological in nature or which are benign but unexplained.

At one point, my mother cleared her throat every couple of minutes for months on end. It drove me mad, mostly because my dreaded aunt kept harping on it and wanting all sorts of tests to be done. We did have a couple of swabs taken and there were never any reasons they could find for the throat-clearing. I think in my mother's case it was a psychological tic.

I personally would not allow very intrusive tests to be done but a swab is very quick and at least can allay any suspicions of an infection.
 

steffie60

Registered User
Jan 22, 2013
232
0
Hampshire
Thank you for your responses. I have a telephone appointment with GP tomorrow to ask about changing tablets as Mum finding capsules difficult to swallow. Mum as already seen the GP with this problem and after one month we are waiting for a scan for a different problem.
Will see what happens.
 

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