Originally Posted by rowuk

Brian,
lip swelling is actually normal and is a safety function of most body parts after being beat up. Most of us really never notice this ourselves, my wife comments from time to time after a gig that my lips are very red and swollen - I tell her that is because she deserves a bigger kiss for all that she puts up with concerning my trumpet.

A proper embouchure involves compression of the lip tissue. Normally swelling is just compressed away until the muscles give out. If this is not the case, your breathing may be off and "force" could be sneaking into your method of tone production.

There are a couple of things to look at:
Do you just get tired, or does your sound cut off? Do the lips give out before the facial muscles?
Do you start playing with (considerably)more pressure when playing high and loud?
Does your breathing get out of sync when you notice the swelling?
Does the swelling occur in the same way when practicing at home?
Have you changed anything like horn or mouthpiece?
Do you play wet or dry?

From the nature of my questions, you can see that many factors can be involved. Figuring out what is going on is detective work. When trying to analyse the problem it is useful to reduce the variables. I would suggest the following:

1) try a 45 minute practice session with the mouthpiece alone. Play the same repertory that causes the swelling. Play loudly! No IBU before or after please!
2) next day: try the same session with the horn but focus on deep, relaxed breathing and low pressure. Take enough time to breath even if the musical line says differently. We are trying to figure out if you are adding force instead of support when the going gets a bit tougher!
3) after (or even during) a playing session repeatedly licking your lips (could be a nervous "tick") can change a bit of irritation to a lot. Get a good lip balsom like chop saver and apply it IMMEDIATELY after playing - do not lick your lips.
4) Hydration can be a big cause of stress. Most people do not drink enough (non-carbonated water) when playing. If the lips get dry, they are subject to damage (yes, I know that there are some exceptions!). Keep a bottle of water for rehearsals and take a sip between playing passages. The cool water will also inhibit swelling.

This may be a good opportunity to get a "check-up" by a professional player. Tell them what is going on and that you would like an hour of tough excerpts or duets with analysis afterwards. Them looking at your face in times of trouble could be a positive turning point for you!

Irritation can also come from your valve oil. If you are using a petroleum based product like Al Cass, switch to a synthetic type they are more "inert".

If you bathe your horn on a regular basis, change the brand of liquid soap that you use and RINSE, RINSE, RINSE before reassembling.

Disinfecting your mouthpiece before and after playing (do not get this alcohol on your chops) could also help.

IBU or aspirin are band-aids and I feel if you can function without them, it is better than becoming dependent.