HELP FOR DRY MOUTH/SORE LIP

[DR_DIRT_MAN]

I'm a mouth breather. As a 48 year old comeback player I'm having issues with waking up in the morning with the inside of my lips dry and leathery. Some mornings are not that bad, some are very bad. I have what I think is scar tissue on my upper lip that corresponds to the area where the rim of the mouthpiece presses on my lip, on both sides of the rim. That area is sore and stiff on the very bad mornings and sometimes remains that way throughout the day. On those days I just have to lay off the horn entirely or play just a few notes. Any suggestions? This has been a literal pain and makes it very frustrating to try to have a consistant practice schedule and make progress in my playing.

[shastastan]

Even though I'm not very qualified, I'll take a stab at your question....

I don't think that your dry/lips mouth problem and sore lip maybe the same problem--although they could be. I'm not a medico so I can't tell you why you have a dry mouth. If your lip is sore AND you think that it's from playing, you might want to lay off the horn for 5 days or so and see if the soreness goes away. I do know from personal experience that over-playing can make your lip sore. Sorry, if this doesn't help in your answer search.

Stan

[murph66]

I use Burt's Bees Lip Balm. It seems to help keep the lips in good shape and I can also use it while playing. As for the dry mouth, I have no suggestions except maybe sipping some liquid. Also, some ice on the lips may help reduce any swelling if there is any, as well as maybe helping the dry mouth.

[chopissimo]

Annoying problem, or problems as noted above.
I am no doctor either but there might be an allergy or infection issue regarding the upper lip problem. Make sure you thoroughly clean your mouthpiece after every use.

For the dry lip problem, do you use any lip balm before going to sleep?
I use natural lip balm like Burt's Bees products to keep my lips healthy especially during winter time.

Last September my lower lip split while over-doing upper-register exercises, I had to wait about 3 weeks before going back to the horn...
Take it easy
_________________
Fran�ois
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'48 Conn 22B New York Symphony
'68 Conn Director (still going strong!)

Playing "bop" is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
-- Duke Ellington

[Mr. Semman]

My best advice to you is to see a doctor before your condition worsens. The dry mouth in the morning may be a condition in which you are breathing through your mouth while you sleep. The soreness in your lip may be a combination of both the dryness and the need to heal.

To have a body hydrated, you should drink at least six glasses of water per day. Also drink at least three glasses of milk per day, as the milk helps repair injured muscles. I would also recommend that you use a lip balm of some sort to keep the moisture in your lips.

Hope this helps.

Gary Lapine
_________________
ZeuS Olympus ZTR1000
ZeuS Guarenius ZTR 900
Aegis F2
Bach 5C
Bach 3C
BAA Bugler
________________________________________
"Let your words be soft and sweet. You never know when you will have to eat them!"

[LittleRusty]

Also, while I am far from an expert, and I don't teach trumpet, you shouldn't be using so much pressure that you end up with scar tissue.

[JackS]

I use Burts Bees as well. If you use it before you go to bed, it could help.

[jazzr69]

also, try using a humidifier at night while you sleep. this helps my lips, lungs and sinuses to feel much better in the morning especially in the cold, dry winter months.

i found a cheap honeywell at target for $25; one of the warm mist models. i picked one up a couple weeks ago and it was definitely money well spent.

[85schilkeb3]

I have found that when I dont drink enough water I end up with dry mouth.

You may try a humidifier as suggested above. I know from experiance that when I run DEhumidifier in my room I have all kinds of problems in the morning.

I also put DCT on my lips every night without exception. It always leaves my lips feeling refreshed in and soft in the morning.

Best of luck.

Vince
_________________
Equipment
Schilke B3
Curry 1.5C
Monette B2

[chopissimo]

If you do some internet research on the subject of dry lips you will find various references to possible infections or diet-related issues.

See a doctor!
_________________
Fran�ois
----------
'48 Conn 22B New York Symphony
'68 Conn Director (still going strong!)

Playing "bop" is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
-- Duke Ellington

[mmccourt]

You guys need to try ChopSaver for any of your lip issues. Chapped lips, sore lips, split lips etc. I have been using it for over a year now and I will never look back. www.chopsaver.com

Mike M

[Concertjazz]

I am a comeback player after laying off about 20 years. I was having problems with pain and noticeable swelling after a 2 hr rehearsal. Also I tend to get carried away and practice for 2 hrs nonstop with nowhere near the rest breaks I should be taking. My fix:

- Blistex Lip Medex (In the little blue jar.) Use immediately after a long practice, gig, or rehearsal, or at least before you go to bed. This stuff really works; I am as good as new the next day.

- I found that mouthpieces with a sharp inner edge (alpha curve) leave a semi-circle dent on my upper lip. So I now use an MP with a smooth inner edge.

- I also found that my MP rims were too narrow (I have thin lips) and that moving to a Schilke #4 rim solved my pain problem caused by the narrower rims on my Bach MP's.

I also found that I was noticing a dry mouth on occasion. For me, that was simply a result of too much sodium in my diet and not enough water intake. I now take a bottle of water to all rehearsals and gigs.
_________________
Schilke S33 HD

Bob Reeves 42S 962