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RE: SPOT! HELP! FAST!

HI, Laura!

It sounds to me(I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV ;-) )  like you
have contracted the Herpes Simplex virus,  likely contracted from playing a
mouthpiece belonging to someone similarly infected.  Did the sores appear at
first as a cluster of tiny blisters, which are filled with a clear watery
liquid?  If so, I am quite sure that Herpes is what you have.  This liquid
is HIGHLY contagious, as it contains the free viruses (viri) and they are
looking for a new home.  Don't kiss anyone, and don't let anyone borrow your
mouthpiece, without sterilization of the mouthpiece.  Don't touch your lip
with your fingers without washing them thoroughly before touching anything
else!

The bad news is that there is no "cure", and you will have it for the rest
of your life.  I, too caught it while in high school (before I had a
girlfriend, so it had to have been from the mouthpieces ;-) ).  I find that
the sores often appear just before a big concert or competition, when one is
the most stressed out.  This is not just coincidence.  Herpes virus live in
the nerves, and when the body is stressed, they are stimulated to reproduce.
They also seem to form primarily where my mouthpiece rests, either due to
the mechanical stress of the pressure of the mouthpiece, or that is their
entry point to my nervous system.  In fact, the frequency at which I
contracted these sores was a large factor in my NOT pursuing music as a
career (well... sufficient talent (or lack of it) had something to do with
it as well... ;-) )

The good news (if there is any) is  that I have had SOME luck treating these
sores with a prescription drug called Acyclovir.  The trick is to ALWAYS
have a supply of the drug with you at ALL times.  As soon as one starts to
feel the initial symptoms of an incipient sore, one needs to begin a
treatment regimen.  A couple of hours  delay can make the difference between
an inconsequential sore and a full blown sore.   I have the capsules stashed
in my trumpet cases, my cornet case, and my briefcase at work, as well as in
the medicine cabinet at home.  If I am traveling, I make sure I have a full
regimen's worth of the drug with me at all times.  Minimal delay of
initiation of treatment appears to be the key.

I've been fighting these things for over 30 years now, and in the last three
years, I've been using the Acyclovir method, and this SEEMS to be fairly
effective for me.

Oh, yes, for the pain, you might try some of the pain relieving ointments
that you can get over the counter.  I have used the antibiotic ointments
that conatain benzocain or some other numbing agent.  Some anti-itch
ointiments also contain a numbing agent.  The liquid that is sold for
tooth-ache and infant teething pain (Ambesol in the USA) also can be
effective, but you run the risk of numbing you tongue, which can possibly
interfere with your playing.

Of course you need to see a doctor about this condition. You may also have
some other unrelated condition such as a bacterial infection or a
sensitivity to the mouthpiece material, but the symptoms you described sound
very much like my own.

Good luck with your sores, and may I be wrong in thinking that they are
Herpetic!

Guy Clark
Solo cornet, Illinois Brass Band

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