Be sure to visit our sister site……
for all of your solo, ensemble and study material needs.
______________________________________
After being diagnosed as having a bad case of Poison Ivy, I was given a steroid shot to solve the problem. The second day after the shot, I was surprised to find that my high range had jumped from an F# above high C to double high C! The F# had been my best for many weeks and to have that much, and sudden increase made me wonder if the shot had anything to do with the range change.
I decided to inquire through some of the networks I communicate with and received many suggestions.
As always my words are in Bold type and the responses are in regular type.
This is my original message…………
“I have never been a high note player and the best I can be assured of is one note higher than I am expected to play at the time.
But..
After visiting my physician for a bad case of poison ivy, he gave me a steroid shot to help cure it.
In the past two weeks I have been stuck on F# above High C but this morning I went right up to a double “C”.
Coincident or not, that is the question.
Has anyone else had the same results after a steroid shot”?
_________________________________________________________________
No, not I; However as a physician, steroids do reduce swelling and inflammation. Maybe, your lips were inflamed and swollen from excessive pressure when playing. The effects will only be temporary, then, you’ll be back to your normal, unless, you learn to use less pressure. OTC Cortaid, would have a similar effect, but should not be used long term due to the fact that steroids are an imunosupressant and can cause a yeast infection to occur.
_________________________________________________________________________
So for when I want to play higher, I should get some poison ivy and rub it on the rim of my mouthpiece? Or better yet, rub it on other’s people’s before an audition/chair placement?
Excellent….
_________________________________________________________________________
This is a very scarey thread …. and kids are just foolish enough to try it ..
I believe steroid usuage can cause cancer of the liver.
_________________________________________________________________________
Of course, if the steriod is working, you might hit very high notes,.. but you’d never be allowed to play at the Olympics.
Did you have a conscious thought that the steriods might have an impact before you started practicing? Psychosomatic possibly?
Whatever, now that you know that you can physically do it, just keep practiing (without the stimulation).
_________________________________________________________________________
This explanation seems the most likely and I encourage you to read it in full.
What your doctor gave you was a corti-costeroid shot wihich is used to stop acute inflammatory responses to all sorts of things, including allergic reactions like yours to poison ivy, and asthma attacks and arthritic joints. It was not an anabolic steroid, which is what certain home run hitters and fastballers, not to mention one former governor of California were getting injected because they stimulate production of muscle mass. If you’re high note reaction was not placebo effect, it could have been due to the fact that a corticosteroid will have –for want of a better term –“relaxing” effect on your lungs. This is why people with chronic asthma take inhaled steroids from a small canister wherever they go. I think your response might have been the effect of the injected steroid on your lung tissue. If you had any residual inflammation in your lungs, it would have been wiped out by the injection. Question: do you have any seasonal allergies or are you an asthmatic? Do you get shortness of breath during aerobic exercise (exercise induced asthma) that is not the result of being out of shape? It could have a real clinical improvement in your ability to fill your lungs, or a placebo effect, as has already been suggested, or a combination of both.
I spent 20+ years working for a big pharmaceutical company as inside counsel. And, I have exercise induced asthma, two kids with allergies and one with allergies and asthma. I know a lot about steroids; my former company invented most of them, and I was in charge of managing the litigation concerning them for many years. You should ask you doc if an albuterol inhaler (such as Proventil or Ventolin–both available generically) would be a good idea. I use one about 20 minutes before I practice every day because I started to get mild asthma symptoms while playing. It’s a pretty mild treatment and has very few side effects; some people get a feeling of their heart racing, but that goes away quickly. It’s an adrenalin-type drug, no steroid side effects at all. It works by dilating the bronchial tubes and allowing more air to flow into the lungs. but, it only makes a difference if you have vaso-constriction in your lungs from asthma or allergies in the first place. If there’s nothing going on in your lungs, it does nothing. Stay away from that over the counter crap like primatene mist, etc. It irritates the throat and it creates dependency. You should try asking your doctor to try a spirometry test to see what your lung capacity is without medicine, then you can take a puff of the inhaler and see if it improves. That’s how I got diagnosed. Your long tones could get a lot longer if you’re not currently able to fill your lungs up!!!
I would like to thank those that sent me their thoughts on this experience and would like to say that the use of drugs as an enhancement is not recommended and my only reason for asking this question was to find out if the temporary change could have been caused from the shot. The last suggestion was what I was looking for and to the contributor; I thank you very much for your expertise and information.
The bottom line is this- “The only way to success is through hard work and practice.
“I HAVE NEVER USED RECREATIONAL MEDICATION. I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO USE DRUGS AND AT MY AGE, I NEVER INTEND TO USE RECREATIONAL DRUGS”
PS
By the second day, my range returned to the F#.
