Prescription Medication Ads on TV

I am sorta disturbed about the proliferation of prescription drug ads on Television. Heck, I am outraged! As a singer I never took drugs of any kind, and as a teacher, I never advocate medications. For one thing, all medications have an adverse effect on one's vocal cords, the breathing muscle, and the body in general. (Just listen to the long list of side effects the Madison Avenue guys HAVE to mention in their ads.) Over the counter drugs seem harmless enough when a person is actually sick, and I am not sitting here telling you to BE SICK and NOT take something to feel better. I am just letting you know that the drying agents in many medications are extremely harmful to vocal tissue.

For example, Antihistamines have a drying effect on mucous membranes that may cause hoarseness, sore throat, voice changes or laryngitis. In addition to irritation, dry vocal folds may be more prone to injuries, such as nodules.

The use of sedatives may produce an uninhibited or diminished drive to sing. Symptoms of dysarthria (slow, slurred and uncoordinated speech movements) may also be linked to sedative use.

Antidepressants may affect coordination, including the speech production system. Slow or slurred speech may be observed. They also have a drying effect on vocal fold tissues, which can lead to hoarseness, soreness, voice changes or laryngitis. Some antidepressants even cause increased cough and gastroesophageal reflux, both of which can adversely affect the voice.

Even nasal sprays or Inhaled antiasthmatic medications sometimes dry or irritate tissues in the mouth and throat.

Patients using inhaled steroids sometimes experience significant voice changes (including complete loss of voice). The onset of symptoms and severity of symptoms is highly variable among patients. Studies show that discontinuation of inhaled steroids restores the voice in most patients, but symptoms may not resolve immediately.

Narcotics deplete the body of the energy it requires to sing. PERIOD!

But what am I most upset about? (As if all that isn't enough.) It's the mythical idea that if a person is shy, (to take one example), he/she can take a pill and not be shy any more. Of course this ad I speak of, the one for Paxil, is couched in a way that appears to free the individual of all sorts of emotional upsets and give him a new perspective on Life. After taking one of these pills, he is no longer worried about anything, he becomes more communicative with his friends and family, his irritability vanishes, like magic! THIS IS BUNK! As performers, we should be very skeptical about these kinds of ads. For myself, without my angsts, (is that a word?) my performances would be flat as pancakes. It is precisely the upheavals and emotional roller coasters of my life that give LIFE to my performances. Why else perform if not to exfolliate our inner conflicts? Isn't it the Singing that gives us the opportunity to express ourselves in ways we may find difficult in every day life?

Early on in my career, I always felt more comfortable singing to 10,000, than simply conversing with one other human, but it was through my performing that I discovered who I was and what I had to offer, and so the act of performing put me in touch with the real me and from there, I became more social and more confident. I didn't have to take a pill and have a false sense of well-being. I actually grew as a person from conquering my social afflictions so-to-speak.

So, what am I saying here? Simply that if you are nervous and get butterflies before a performance or even in having to talk to some club owner about giving you a job, staring down that fear and doing it anyway can be the very victory that takes you to the next level in your quest, whatever that may be. And let me tell you that butterflies ARE necessary. They provide the intensity that is needed to give your performance a certain edge and reality!

Singing isn't just about getting applause, making a lot of money and being famous! It's about finding yourself in the process. So try toughing it out, singers! Go herbal!

For a complete table of prescription meds and their affect on the voice READ THIS!!

Related article - What about your medication? A MUST READ!!