Options for performance anxiety | People’s Pharmacy

Q: I love acting, but I suffer from stage fright. My doctor prescribed propranolol to ease my anxiety during a play.

Fortunately, I experimented during the final days of rehearsal. The first night, I couldnt remember where I put my clothes during a scene change. The second night, I couldnt recall my lines. It was a very strange and frightening experience.

Instead, I took Benadryl an hour before going on stage, and it took the edge off my anxiety.

A: Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is not an ideal solution for stage fright. This antihistamine can be very sedating and might interfere with your best performance.

Propranolol (Inderal) and other beta blocker heart medicines like atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Toprol) have been used for years by professional golfers and musicians to steady their nerves and hands. The PGA banned beta blockers in 2008 as part of its anti-doping policy.

Another option for performance anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy. Readers of this column also report the herb valerian can be quite helpful.

Q: I am 69, and my sister is 71. We dont remember ever having chickenpox. I have asked two doctors if you can get shingles if you never had chickenpox. I got two different answers. The same thing happened with two pharmacists. Please break the tie. Were trying to decide if we should take the shot or not.

A: If you really never had chickenpox as children, you cant get shingles as adults. The virus that causes chickenpox (Varicella zoster) lingers in the body and can crop up later in life as painful blisters called shingles.

Although its rare, adults can catch chickenpox, either from an infected child or directly from skin contact with someone who has shingles blisters.

Even for people who are susceptible to shingles, the vaccine (Zostavax) is not foolproof. Studies show that it reduces the risk by about 55 percent (Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 12, 2011).

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Options for performance anxiety | People’s Pharmacy