Playing with the remnants of a cold?

[Digidog]

I was bed-bound for almost a week in the beginning of this month, but as the title says:

I have three gigs coming up this weekend, and a teaching assignment for a student on friday morning - but though I'm technically fit and healthy, the symptoms of my latest bout of cold still linger: Rough, frequent coughing, clogged and/or running nose on and off, severly rasped voice and sudden, surprising sneezes and - d@mn it very much!! - it doesn't let up!

What do you guys do in situations like this? I have never had cold symptoms persistent like these before, so I guess this is the first time in all my years of playing that I feel my symptoms are affecting and obstructing my playing. How do you deal with cold symptoms when having to perform?

Are there any magic trombonist tricks I could use? There are still a couple of days left, so I could hope for the best and sleep and rest if off, but if that don't work I'll be the source of many interfering sounds of sniffling, coughing, sneezing and trying to breathe through a clogged and running nose.

Aaahhhhrrrrggg!

[Doug Elliott]

You need to breathe deeply to clear out your lungs. Just enough exercise to start breathing harder, and playing enough to need to breathe more.

I think the reason symptoms tend to linger is that when you're sick and inactive, you breathe less and less deeply. Get things moving, and it will start to clear out.

That's been my experience.

[Digidog]

You need to breathe deeply to clear out your lungs. Just enough exercise to start breathing harder, and playing enough to need to breathe more.

I think the reason symptoms tend to linger is that when you're sick and inactive, you breathe less and less deeply. Get things moving, and it will start to clear out.

That's been my experience.

Thanks, Doug!

Due to your advice, I took a semi-long walk (like 45 mins, but slow) in the very nice, actually warming, sunny autumn weather we have today in Stockholm. It cleared up some and made me feel well enough to do some real warming up before rehearsal this afternoon, though I get really coughy from time to time.

Now, that pesky both clogged and running nose is still a nuisance I can't handle well.

[chouston3]

When this happens to me, I try to keep my trombone extra clean. As a minimum, I spray rubbing alcohol on my mouthpiece before and after I play. After the cold clears up, I do a full cleaning of my trombone in the bath with some dish detergent. I don't want to re infect myself playing trombone.

I also throw away my toothbrush and get a new one.

[tbdana]

I drug myself up with OTC remedies to alleviate symptoms as much as possible so I don't annoy my fellow musicians, and most importantly I drink a ton of water and tea starting 24 hours ahead of time. I drink until I'm peeing every hour or two and it is clear. Being well-hydrated loosens up the gunk, reduces swelling in the small airways, and enables better breathing.

[Digidog]

Thank you all for your input, and food for thought!

Somehow I pulled through; I took 30-45 minutes walks - though slow - did short practise sessions with breaks in between, got some prescription free "medicines" to remedy as much of the coughing as possible and unclogging my nose, and I brought a large water bottle to my chair. The only musical thing I took preemptive steps with, was to trade away all arbitrary solos; only playing what was strictly necessary.

....but I was tired afterwards, and all the play-counteracting symptoms took away much of the fun from the playing and the events, and I was not a very peppy musician to neither the audiences nor my colleagues.

After four and a half weeks of tough and rough coughing, it is only today - finally - that I really feel the cough subside in frequency and abate in depth and force.