Can Medications Cause Speech Problems?
Medications are essential for treating a variety of physical and mental health issues. They offer relief from pain, help manage chronic conditions, and treat a variety of illnesses and disorders.
Unfortunately, medications also come with an array of side effects - some of which affect speech. 66% of adults in the United States use prescription medications, and it's essential to know the potential impacts.
What medications cause speech problems?
Antihistamines - Antihistamines are commonly used to treat allergy symptoms. They can sometimes cause problems with speech due to the drying effect that they have on the vocal cords, making speech hoarse and hard to understand.
Painkillers and Opioids - Painkillers and opioids can affect the muscles required for speech. This can lead to speech being slow, slurred (dysarthria), and difficult to understand.
Muscle Relaxants - Muscle relaxants used to treat muscle spasms may also relax the muscles responsible for speech, causing speech to be difficult to understand or slurred.
Psychiatric Medications - Psychiatric medications used to treat mental health conditions have been associated with speech fluency issues, word-finding difficulties, as well as slurred speech. This is due to the way that they influence brain chemistry, affecting both cognitive and motor functions related to speech.
Anticonvulsants - Anticonvulsants used to treat seizure disorders, such as epilepsy, can cause speech difficulties that worsen over time, including word-finding problems and slurred speech.
Corticosteroids and Inhaled Steroids - Corticosteroids and inhaled steroids are medications mainly used to treat respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They may irritate the vocal cords, leading to hoarseness or a raspy voice. They can also cause irritation and dryness to the mouth and throat, impacting speech clarity.
Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy, most often used to treat cancer, uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in the body. It has been linked to aphasia (difficulty in both speech production and comprehension).
Effects of Medications on Voice
In addition to impacting speech fluency, medications can also have a direct effect on the voice’s tone, pitch, and overall quality. These effects may range from mild irritation to more severe conditions, depending on the medication and its side effects.
Dry Mouth and Throat - Medications such as antihistamines, antidepressants, and opioids commonly cause dry mouth and throat. This leads to difficulty in producing saliva necessary for smooth speech, resulting in a dry, uncomfortable, raspy voice. Dry mouth and throat can also contribute to vocal fatigue over time.
Hoarseness and Vocal Fatigue - Certain medications, such as corticosteroids, are known to cause throat irritation and vocal cord damage. This can lead to voice changes and hoarseness. Medications such as diuretics can cause dehydration, drying out the vocal cords, and affect their ability to produce clear, strong sounds.
Vocal Cord Damage - Medications such as inhaled corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs can damage the vocal cords over time, leading to permanent changes in voice quality. They may cause the vocal cords to become less flexible, thinner, or scarred, resulting in long-term issues with clarity, volume, and voice pitch.
What to Do if You Experience Speech Problems from Medication
It is important to research the side effects when starting a new medication. If you notice speech or voice changes after starting a new medication, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider. They may adjust your medication or suggest an alternative treatment. For individuals on long-term medications, regular check-ups are essential to monitor any changes in speech or voice and address potential problems early on.
Staying hydrated is especially important if your medication causes dry mouth. The Mayo Clinic suggests that men should consume about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day, while women should drink 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day. Ensuring proper hydration can help improve voice quality and prevent long-term damage.
If medications affect the vocal cords, resting your voice may be necessary to prevent further irritation or damage. This would involve limiting speaking as well as avoiding voice strain caused by shouting or whispering.
Speech therapy is often essential to help manage and improve speech and voice problems. A speech therapist will assess your needs and goals and can help you learn exercises and tools to manage and even correct problems brought on by medications.
Great Speech offers virtual speech therapy that is convenient for any schedule. If you or someone you love is dealing with speech difficulty, schedule your free introductory call today!