Beta Blockers

[amanfang]

Do very many people take beta blockers to relieve performance anxiety?  I was reading about one on the "how do you conquer nerves" thread.  Sometimes I feel like I need the extra "edge" for an exciting performance.  However, I actually have a heart condition and take anti-arrhythmia drugs to stay "normal" and it works most of the time, but the stress of performances usually makes my heart condition worsen and not respond as well to the drugs.  So my doctor prescribed 20 mg of the short lasting beta-blockers to try in addition to my normal drugs.  Does it make you sleepy?  I haven't tried them yet.  The stuff I'm on already makes me a little sleepy. 

[steve jones]

Beta blockers are chill out drugs for people suffering from anxiety. Side effects can include drowsiness, and also a wheezy chest so dont take them if you have any aesthmatic tendencies.

Probably the worst side effect though would be the fact that when you're doped, you  couldnt care less whether you play well or not! Id prefer to kean and sharp, even if it does come with a certain amount of anxiety. Or just take a stiff drink before the performance to calm the nerves.

But you mentioned that you have a heart condition, so its probably best to follow the doc's orders to the letter. For all I know, my advice could kill you, so probably best to take it with a pinch of salt  (actually dont, salt is bad for you!). If the doc has given you a particular beta blocker, then Id guess this is the one that has the best benefit : side effect profile for you.

Also note that the side effects can be worst the first time you take these drugs. With time I believe the effects mellow. So if you try one and it pans you out, it probably wont be half as bad when you're used to them.

Good luck and be sure to keep us posted!

[drjames]

I've been on beta blockers (atenolol) for years and recently had digoxin added as well to also control a rythm problem.  Works great for the heart but hasn't helped my piano playing one bit.  I remember back in medical school people commented on the use of beta blockers to calm the nerves before speeches and similar situations.  It might help if used on an occasional basis but when taken every day it really doesn't help keep you calm as something like, say, valium would.  Certainly sleepiness would not be a desirable side effect for a pianist trying to give a performance.  Jim.

[amanfang]

The beta blockers are for occasional use.  I'm on something else all the time.

[mattm]

Probably the worst side effect though would be the fact that when you're doped, you  couldnt care less whether you play well or not! Id prefer to kean and sharp, even if it does come with a certain amount of anxiety. Or just take a stiff drink before the performance to calm the nerves.

Yes, this happened to me in a jury a few weeks ago.  I took all these beta blockers and bananas and stuff that were supposed to calm me down.  The thing is is that they worked too well, and I ended up being so relaxed and loose that I lost my focus and hit a few wrong notes.  (This may not work for everybody) But, you should use your fear/anxiety/apprehension or whatever to your advantage, your body creates these feelings for a helpful reason.  If your body did not need them, then it probably would not produce them.  Anyhow, like I said, that attitude is not for everybody, (especially for people who do have medical conditions), but most do not.  At the most, like the poster above mentioned, a stiff drink may be all that is necessary, if that.

i suppose in the end it shouldnt matter whether or not youre freaking out your head from anxiety, or completley plastered off a fifth of vodka, or whatever, you should be able to nail your pieces in any state.  it all comes from within.

[ada]

Xanax (alprazolam) is also prescribed to treat anxiety.

But they are benzos (same class as valium) and pretty heavy duty,  usually prescribed for panic disorder or severe anxiety rather than performance nerves.
 
You'd need to talk to your doctor if your performance anxiety is absolutely insurmountable but I reckon they'd actually kill a performance. And they are highly addictive and can cause lethal seizures if withdrawal isn't properly monitored.

good luck

[whynot]

Since your doctor wants you to take it anyway, you will be an excellent subject for the rest of us to study!  Set up a few mini-performances:  small group of people and not too much music, but still a performance situation, and see how you feel and play on your new meds. 

Interestingly, most of my friends are performers--well, that's not the interesting part--and most of them are on beta-blockers when performing (only one has a medical reason for use).  I should clarify, it seems to be the instrumentalists I know who use it, rarely the singers.  Some use it for every performance, and others only for what they perceive to be higher-pressure situations.  I have never tried it, nor have my spouse or teacher, and we three are definitely in the minority among people we know.  I mentioned it casually to my teacher once when I had something coming up that I was pretty anxious about, and it was as though a bomb went off in the room.  Oh, he was upset.  I don't think he's against everyone using it, but he was certainly took a stand with me.  So I didn't!  But that's not to discourage you, because I know many very gifted people who would possibly not perform at all without this drug.  They have a lot to give, and making this chemical adjustment seems to allow them to give it.  You might have a great experience with this!

[amanfang]

Ok, I'll let you know my experience with it.  First use is going to be Sunday night.  I'm playing in church - one piece, in front of probably around 300.  So we'll see what happens. 

[Bob]

Like anything, if you perform with it you should practice with it.  You don't want any surprises on the performance. 

[pizno]

Hello
I was one of the people that suggested beta blockers on the  'nerves' thread.  I certainly don't feel doped up when I take 20 mgs.  I can tell my heart is pounding LESS than when I don't take them, but it is still faster than normal (after the performance, when I am calm, but still have the bb in my system, I've noticed that it is slower than normal).  What I have noticed, with the bb is that I don't have:
Sweaty hands
shaking leg
shaking hands
racing mind
perfect playing

I still make mistakes, but I can deal with them and collect myself and move on.
I actually enjoy the whole performing experience more, for the most part, and am more with the moment.  They might make me just a little sleepy, but the adrenalin is still high enough to keep me alert.

I'm not sure if I make fewer mistakes, those just happen, it seems.  In my last performance, I just started playing too fast, which was a common pre-bb thing.  So it really doesn't take care of all the problems, just some.  But they help me get into my own personal little space.

I would definitely try it first when you don't have to perform, just to see how they make you feel.

My teacher thought I should be able to play without them, which I did up until a year ago. However, he took them, so what does that say!

[amanfang]

Has anyone heard that using beta blockers causes higher risk for performance injuries?  My teacher mentioned that he had heard this.  Why would that be?

[amanfang]

I tried my beta blockers for the first time tonight.  Wow.  It made a huge difference.  There was hardly any heart rate increase, which is a VERY good thing for my heart condition.  I only played one short piece, so I didn't have the time to get into the "zone" and play long term, and it was nothing very big.  Overall I felt MUCH more relaxed and unstressed than normal.  I did have a slight druggy foggy brain feeling, but that may have been the beta blockers mixing with my other medication.  Not a huge deal; I can get over it.  I will definitely continue using them. 

[pizno]

I'm glad you're experience was good.  Let us know if they continue to help you in your performances.  I think it is kind of a magical thing.  It has changed performance for me.  Now, I actually can enjoy it!  The other thing, of course, is being over-prepared.  The combination of the two can be a beautiful thing.