I have been told that in some symphony orchestras in the US, Beta
blockers are routinely passed out backstage before concerts by some
members who have had them prescribed by a physician, and that they are
being taken almost like breath mints by people who have no idea what a
correct dosage for them might be. Is it true that a person who asks a
physician for a prescription for Beta blockers will be given test dosages
at various levels in order to establish the correct amount for that
individual?
I admit that I am among those who feel that it is dangerous
psychologically to attempt to get success in music or success in life
from a pill or a bottle or any other kind of extraneous substance
introduced into the body which is not absolutely necessary. I try to
inculcate that value into my students, also, and it is sometimes
difficult when some individuals are singing the praises of the latest
drug, sometimes "cult" or "fad" drug, in causing them to have such
previously unknown success. But, naturally, I defer to your knowledge as
a physician as to the relative benefits and risks of this particular drug.
Edwin Lacy
University of Evansville