My throat is messed up

[citygerbal]

For the past year my voice has been unpredictable and unreliable.  I am a proffesional actor, and my career has gone down the tubes since my voice startd failing, leading to severe depression.   There is  constant dull ache, and speaking takes more effort than it should.  My upper register is not existent, and when i try to squeak or hit a falsetto note, there is no phonation and i feel as though i am choking.  I've been diagnosed with mtd as well as reflux disorder, and have been seeing a speech pathologist.  Nothing is helping.  I don't know what to do, and find this extremely debilitating.  Does anyone have any advice or a similar story.  I feel so alone in dealing with this.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

OtoHNS_MD has great suggestions, i'd try them

good luck with voice therapy

get a second opinion with an ENT that specialises in treating the professional speaker

[OtoHNS_MD]

You have a difficult problem.  1st, the laryngeal reflux.  Are you getting treatment?  Do you drink?  Do you smoke?  Do you eat or drink within 4 hours of going to bed?  Medications can be very helpful, but you might also improve with modifications to your lifestyle.  Typically medications would be something like Prevacid, Nexium, etc (prescription only) and may need to taken 2x/day.  Ideally they are taken 30 minutes prior to eating.  

The muscle tension dysphonia is the more difficult part and takes a long course of voice therapy.  There is no quick fix and you have to really work hard with your speech pathologist.  

I assume you have seen an Otolaryngologist since you were diagnosed with MTD.  You could also consider seeing one that specializes in treating the professional voice if you haven't yet.