Dry mouth during shows

[Jd83]

When I was in the Phantom Regiment, we fought dry mouth by biting down on lemon quarters before going on the field. It worked for us.

[Shadow_7]

I t is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine only has a diuretic effect if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (or 4 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available. a little research and this a bit of what I found.

Chances are that if you're drinking caffeinated drinks, you're probably drinking exclusively caffeinated drinks. Do you really have a choice? $1 off a happy meal if you get water? Or something? I generally drink at least 3 cups per meal. So 9 cups per day. And diuretic means that it comes out the brown faucet. Plus sugary water is generally harder to absorb, than straight water. So even without the caffeine, a soda will be more likely to dehydrate than hydrate. Factor in physical exertion (drumcorps). Factor in that preshow setups are generally 2 hours of Not having access to water or facilities before taking the field. So there's not much that can be done in the hydration department, that you haven't already done hours and/or days before the gig.

[Scatfish]

A chap I march with mentioned something about soaking your gloves in lemon juice, and if your suffering with a dry mouth in the show to suck on your glove. Of course you'd need to do this in the most discreet manner possible.

[JohnZ]

all good ideas.

Bossop, yes some heart meds will dehydrate - reducing the workload on the pump by lowering the amount of water in the 'pool'. Your age has a lot to do with it too. Double whammy you have to deal on top of the usual performance nerves.

You may talk with your doctor, but one thing you can try is Biotene, I do believe it is over the counter. comes in a spray, mouthwash, liquid, and even toothpaste.

This year I used the Biotene gum at prelims and finals - no dry mouth at all.

[KeithHall]

I did! I tried Pedialyte, Gatorade, Water and gum...didn't work! I started a show chewing gum and by the end of the first tune it had nothing left so I spit it out on the sidelines.

I was wondering if anyone out there suffers from the same problem I get while performing on the field- dry mouth. It seems that during field shows, where the brass plays one song after another, my mouth gets so dry, it's like trying to play when your mouth is full of saltines. We are an exhibition alumni corps and do a limited drill, and it happens both while moving and while parking and blowing. I can't play at all at these times when it happens. I always thought that it was because my adreneline is pumping, and this dries me out, but I've found out that my hypertension medicine (I take six different things now that I've had 4 cardiac stents- I'm 65 years old) can have the side effect of creating dry mouth.

Does anyone bring water onto the field with them? What is the least distractive way of accessing water? Should I just give it up and join the honor guard? It really bothers me to not be able to play my best during the important shows. It doesn't seem to happen during parades because we have a break in between songs where I can rejuice up.

I'd be real interested in hearing if others suffer from the same thing.

[Bossop]

I did! I tried Pedialyte, Gatorade, Water and gum...didn't work! I started a show chewing gum and by the end of the first tune it had nothing left so I spit it out on the sidelines.

My solution! And it worked perfectly in Rochester.

Many of you had excellent ideas to conquer my dry mouth problem. I was convinced it wasn't simply nerves, because it happened during our third show, when I wasn'r excessively nervous. And usually if I am nervous, it happens on the very first song. At Mission Drums, I got dry on the third and again on the last song, when I was more relaxed and confident. I am convinced my medication had a lot to do with it.

I've often used lemons pre-show, but that only helped temporarily, unless I kept one in the palm of my glove to take a lick during a show dry spell. But it made for an awkward grip on the horn Extra hydration didn't seem to help at all. I tried sour gummy candy on my mouth piece, but it took more than a quick lick to dissolve the sugar and get to the sour stuff. Plus, my mouth piece got sticky, and I didn't like that .

This is what I did! I bought a small plastic bottle on E bay. Ironically, it was designed for Holy Water, and I am Jewish. I drilled a hole in the flip top spout to accomodate a small cocktail straw that didn't quite fit in the original opening. Then I covered the bottle with aluminum tape, and also taped it to the horn tubing, with the straw only about an inch from my lips. The aluminum tape makes the bottle almost match the horn. In corps pictures, you can't even tell. The 2 or 3 little sips of water I took during the show made all the difference in my playing, and I am sure no one in the stands could see what I did. It worked to perfection. My friends said I should patten the device. Probably use a small aluminum or chrome plated bottle, with a clip that is used to hold tools onto a work bench backing, instead of messy tape. Anyway, my crude set up worked well for me.

Bossop

[Kevan Ahlquist]

Whatever happened to the pre-show lemons/lemon juice that every hornline HAD to have in the mid-80s?

MBI still does lemon slices as we walk onto the field.

[Bossop]

My solution! And it worked perfectly in Rochester.

Many of you had excellent ideas to conquer my dry mouth problem. I was convinced it wasn't simply nerves, because it happened during our third show, when I wasn'r excessively nervous. And usually if I am nervous, it happens on the very first song. At Mission Drums, I got dry on the third and again on the last song, when I was more relaxed and confident. I am convinced my medication had a lot to do with it.

I've often used lemons pre-show, but that only helped temporarily, unless I kept one in the palm of my glove to take a lick during a show dry spell. But it made for an awkward grip on the horn Extra hydration didn't seem to help at all. I tried sour gummy candy on my mouth piece, but it took more than a quick lick to dissolve the sugar and get to the sour stuff. Plus, my mouth piece got sticky, and I didn't like that .

This is what I did! I bought a small plastic bottle on E bay. Ironically, it was designed for Holy Water, and I am Jewish. I drilled a hole in the flip top spout to accomodate a small cocktail straw that didn't quite fit in the original opening. Then I covered the bottle with aluminum tape, and also taped it to the horn tubing, with the straw only about an inch from my lips. The aluminum tape makes the bottle almost match the horn. In corps pictures, you can't even tell. The 2 or 3 little sips of water I took during the show made all the difference in my playing, and I am sure no one in the stands could see what I did. It worked to perfection. My friends said I should patten the device. Probably use a small aluminum or chrome plated bottle, with a clip that is used to hold tools onto a work bench backing, instead of messy tape. Anyway, my crude set up worked well for me.

Bossop

Almost a year has gone by, and now I've refined my water contraption. Instead of the 4 oz bottle covered with aluminum tape (which left a sticky deposit in the horn) I've found smaller, aluminum 2 oz bottles, and bought a hose clamp which tightens with a screw and holds the bottle to the horn. It's very neat and is hardly noticeable. Kids in competing corps probably wouldn't need one, but would this be legal under rules of competition?

[GeneralTsoChicken]

Biotene makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and gum now. If you are hydrated and use all three of those problems and STILL have dry mouth... it is time to see the doctor. THEN, if that doesn't work, it is time to see a psychologist/psychiatrist. It is an anxiety symptom.

[Bossop]

Biotene makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and gum now. If you are hydrated and use all three of those problems and STILL have dry mouth... it is time to see the doctor. THEN, if that doesn't work, it is time to see a psychologist/psychiatrist. It is an anxiety symptom.

My wife is a dental hygienist and gave me free samples of Biotene. Didn't work. I know the problem is only partly nerves but medication is a factor. Often it's during the easiest song later in the routine. If it were only nerves it would be at the beginning or on more challenging stuff. In the CYO Nationals Tribute show a few weeks ago, I only needed 2 little sips and played the best I have done in a long time.