Klarinet Archive - Posting 000224.txt from 2001/06

From: "Jim Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] pop a pill
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 22:43:51 -0400

>From: stewart kiritz <kiritz@-----.net>
>
>There are reasonably reliable statistics showing that about 20% of
>performers use beta blockers for performance anxiety.

I'm interested in why one would take beta blockers for performance anxiety.
Since my first (of 2) heart attacks, I've taken some different drugs that
are beta blockers. After the second, the doctors (GP & cardiac specialist)
settled on 25 mg of Lopressor, twice a day. (There are, of course, a
variety of other medications, but no others classified as beta blockers.)
This seems to keep my blood pressure under control about 98 percent of the
time. But I have never experienced any -- what? -- calming effect, at least
that I could notice. Perhaps the dose isn't high enough, although they had
it significantly higher, as well as trying a couple of others, before
deciding on this one at this dose.

My (probably incomplete) understanding of what Lopressor was for was to keep
the smooth muscle of the heart relaxed, thus beating regularly, as well as
the blood pressure function. I suppose having written that, I can see that
if someone has performance anxiety and their heart is beating too fast, that
might work. (I agree, it seems a dangerous reason to take a heart drug.)

(Neil: I took your message concerning Ives harmonies the way you intended:
as a joke. He's not the only composer who I have wondered if they're still
living back in the sixties and are getting over a "bad trip". <g>)

Jim Hobby

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