> It seems ridiculous to me, and not to mention a
> little over neurotic to not
> take the pill because you're worried about the side
> effects that will occur.
The ENT who has a regular column in Classical Singer
magazine is constantly warning singers against taking
the pill. He says that the differences are dramatic
for some, and for others are so subtle that singers
may not notice the detrimental effects until they
stop. He also, recently, stresses that for many
people, according to the most recent research, the
effects are permanent, and the voice does not return
to the way it was before.
If you belong to the magazine, his archives are online
at http://www.classicalsinger.com/ .
On the other hand, this university website (a fabulous
one, by the way, about all medications) says that the
effects of the pill are normally temporary, and also
cites that only 5% of women are adversely affected
(although I would bet that statistic is from a study
of all women, not just singers, since we would notice
the changes more than the average talker -- Sudafed
doesn't list dryness as a side effect, for example,
because it's a statistically negligeable complaint;
however, every singer I know who has taken lots of
Sudafed has experienced dryness). This page also
says:
"Hormone medications may cause substantial changes in
voice quality due to alterations in fluid content, or
to structural changes. Structural alterations in
laryngeal architecture seldom occur as the result of
pharmacologic influences, but androgens are an
exception. They may produce permanent lowering of the
fundamental frequencies, especially in females, and
coarsening of the voice [footnote] 15-20. Androgenic
agents are frequently used in the treatment of
endometriosis and as part of chemotherapy regimens for
breast cancer. Professional voice users especially
should be informed of potential voice changes before
these medications are employed, and their use should
be avoided whenever possible. Birth control pills
with relatively high progesterone content are most
likely to produce androgen-like changes in the voice."
from http://www.upmc.edu/UPMCVoice/SataloffMed.htm
Information is always good; I don't consider it
paranoia.
Isabelle B.
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Isabelle Bracamonte
San Francisco, CA
ibracamonte@y...
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