lip swelling mystery possibly solved

[danny45635]

So over the last few months, I've had a problem with my upper lip swelling, and I could not seem to figure out why it happens; even when I don't play a lot it's still swells up. Before I go to school everyday, I practice for about 20-30 minutes, and my lips feel great almost always. But after lunch when I go to band, my lip is swollen when I haven't done any playing. At first I thought "maybe something in my morning warm up is causing this", and since taking lessons with very many reputable trumpet players, I have learned how to warm up efficiently and without hurting myself. Despite this my lip would swell, and I wouldn't know why, cause I wasn't doing any kind of forceful playing whatsoever. Strangely on weekends, I can play for hours on end without any issue, which confused me when I would play for little to no time at all and have lip swelling.

I was doing some research yesterday, and I read that certain foods may cause an allergic reaction of some sort or also acidic foods can cause lip swelling. Even though it makes a lot of sense, it never even thought it could be the issue. I thought about what I eat, and the dressing I have on my salad every day at school (balsamic vinegar) is very acidic. And today, I didn't have the dressing, and my lip is fine. Of course I'll get light swelling from heavy rehearsals, but this was constant despite how light I would make my playing days. Just wanted to put this out there if anyone else had a similar problem. I never considered my lip could be swelling due to lunch.

I typed this on my phone so sorry if there are any errors.
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1965 Bach 37, Bach 236 D, Bach Artisan C, Schilke P5-4

[TKSop]

It's a very interesting point - diet does make a difference.



Spicy food before playing isn't ideal either... nor is taking in too much caffeine or not enough water, etc.
To say nothing of alcohol and tobacco...


I think you'd have to be pretty dedicated to tailor your diet entirely to your playing, but it's worth bearing in mind certainly.

[danny45635]

[TKSop]

[1jazzyalex]

It could also be an interaction between acidic food like vinegar, and the metal in your mouthpiece, which I'm assuming is silver plated but may have other trace metals in the silver ... you could try a gold-plated mouthpiece which doesn't cost that much more.
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Yamaha 8335LA with Blessing 3C, 5C, Schilke 11A4A

[danny45635]

[JVL]

Hello Danny,
I had for years this kind of problem, nobody helped me with it, til i started to study nutrition,sciences etc, and found the right doctor
A lot of food and wines have NATURALLY present some sulfites. But what is problematic are the sulfites added in most food and wines, and other conservators etc.
Most of the balsamic vinegars have sulfites, and conservators such as E151c that causes a lot of problems in some people (and anyway in long term to everybody), among those, lip swelling.
So avoid it, prefer organic food without all these additives.
Good luck !

[danny45635]

[PhxHorn]

Put the mouthpiece pressure on your lower lip. That will solve a majority of the swelling problem. Don't eat salty foods right before playing.

[John Mohan]

Just posted the following in your recent "Brass Poisoning" thread, and figure it might be good info for some people who might miss the other thread:

[John Mohan]

Just had a thought: It's possible you do have a metal allergy, but not from the mouthpiece but rather from the relatively cheap flatware (knives, forks and spoons) provided by your school's cafeteria.

[Robert P]

[Robert P]

[Andy Del]

[JVL]

We must all eat food in their natural form, that we eat raw or cook ourselves, with only natural things such as olive oil, natural sea salt, pepper, integral sugar, etc. organic most of the time, and not these food full with sh.t additives and toxics.
Of course, this natural food can, in certain circumstances induce allergy. If so, take care of your guts.
Otherwise, our body, with the years, start to be full of toxic garbage. It can LOOK ok for some time, but at one moment, the "glass" is full and the blood carries only poison to all the organs.
There's enough poison in the air, the water, etc. that we can't avoid, not to keep on filling the body with rubbish.
Emergency is emergency, but there are mid & long term measures, and life hygien to adopt (number of meals a day, enough time between these to digest.. ) It'll be good for your trumpet playing, your career, but mostly your life.

[John Mohan]

[Dale Proctor]

I have a very rare condition called Gleich's Syndrome. I used to have severe periodic swelling, mostly in my face and lips (but sometimes feet or hands), and after a few trips to the emergency room, went to an allergist. After a battery of tests, his diagnosis was this syndrome. Although I would take a Zyrtec when the symptoms first began to appear (recommended by my regular doctor at the time), it didn't seem to help much. The swelling would be mostly gone after about 24 hours with or without the Zyrtec. The allergist prescribed Singulair, saying that it worked as a different type of inhibitor, and it did the trick. Now when I feel the first tingle of swelling, I take a Singulair and the swelling subsides in about 15 minutes, never progressing enough for anyone to even notice.

Before the Singulair, you can imagine the fear of accepting gigs and wondering if I would have an episode on the gig. Luckily, it only happened once, but within about 30 minutes, I couldn't play a note. I used to have an episode about the same time every month, but sometimes it would skip a month. Now with the Singulair, it seems to be even less frequent. This syndrome appeared out of the blue about 15 years ago, and I'm hoping it will go away just as mysteriously as it came. At least now, it doesn't disrupt my life any more.
_________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[JVL]

Things appear, and disappear...A name for each symptom or syndrom...ok.
Now, which treatment? efficient and healthy treatment?
Talking about food, during the 30', 1 million of tons of pesticides have been spread on the whole earth.
In 2000, 4 milliards of tons...

If we add the new material for cloths, nanoparticuls, drugs etc., that are now everywhere, in every single thing or place, our only possible fight must be about the choices we make daily.
Science and conscience.

[John Mohan]