TrumpetMaster - View Single Post

brianwhitehead · 01-23-2008, 05:09 AM

I posted this over on trumpetherald, and thought I'd post it here to see if anyone can help. Any advice gratefully received.

---

I have been playing trumpet for over 25 years, and currently play principal trumpet in a local amateur symphony orchestra. Over the past couple of years, I have found that my lips swell when playing, particularly in high and loud passages. This is causing me problems with endurance, and also can lead to irritation of the lips for several days after playing.

The problem first came on two years ago when I was doing extra practice for a performance diploma, but now my practice time has returned to normal, the problem is still there. I tried stopping playing for a couple of months, and then eased back into it, but the problem came back. I have been to see a dermatologist, who tested me for allergies, which gave a negative result. In any case, I have had my mouthpiece gold-plated, just in case, but it hasn't made any difference.

I find that taking ibuprofen reduces the worst of the swelling, but doesn't eliminate it. Has anyone else experienced lip swelling suddenly becoming a problem after years of playing? If so, do you have any advice on how to tackle it?

Many thanks.

01-23-2008, 05:09 AM	#1 (permalink)
brianwhitehead New Friend Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: West Yorkshire, UK Posts: 21	lips swelling when playing I posted this over on trumpetherald, and thought I'd post it here to see if anyone can help. Any advice gratefully received. --- I have been playing trumpet for over 25 years, and currently play principal trumpet in a local amateur symphony orchestra. Over the past couple of years, I have found that my lips swell when playing, particularly in high and loud passages. This is causing me problems with endurance, and also can lead to irritation of the lips for several days after playing. The problem first came on two years ago when I was doing extra practice for a performance diploma, but now my practice time has returned to normal, the problem is still there. I tried stopping playing for a couple of months, and then eased back into it, but the problem came back. I have been to see a dermatologist, who tested me for allergies, which gave a negative result. In any case, I have had my mouthpiece gold-plated, just in case, but it hasn't made any difference. I find that taking ibuprofen reduces the worst of the swelling, but doesn't eliminate it. Has anyone else experienced lip swelling suddenly becoming a problem after years of playing? If so, do you have any advice on how to tackle it? Many thanks.