Anybody on Ritalin? Neurofeedback?

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

After reading several news articles about college students taking ritalin to ace tests, it came to mind that there must be some pickers that have tried it.

God knows we've collectively shovelled enough crosstops down over the years... Let alone those old timers and their "Turnarounds" and "Black Beauties"..

In an interesting article Neurofeedback was mentioned as being more effective, but Im not sure if the webpage it came from was some sort of cult...

Seriously now.

I've read studies where some 70 percent of musicians use some kind of mind altering drug to enhance their performance, including but not limited to ALCOHOL, Prozac, Beta blockers, meth, caffeine, pot, etc. The studies I read tonite were done on professional orchestra musicians, and were heavy toward beta blockers, prozac, valium, and ALCOHOL of course...

Being drug tested regulary at work and not drinking for 26 years, I miss smoking a bowl every now and then. Haven't even done that for 15 years..

I never had any luck with crosstops or other stimulants. I just made mistakes faster,(though it made driving 24+hours between county fairs and casinos easier during a couple of my "professional years"...)

I notice when I've had Vicodin for tooth pain and have played, that things flowed easier, and I've noticed that minimal Ibuprofen seems to quicken my reflexes, and at least makes my poor old hands feel much less encumbered.

I know with Iburofen, your hearing is affected, and I notice theat taking more than one small dosage makes my ears ring and of course Oxycontin can by itself cause deafness.

And of course as Dave Grafe pointed out, ALCOHOL immediately nearly paralyzes the tiny muscles that work as attenuators for your eardrums, thereby taking away natural protection from noise damage.

I drink Monster Energy Drinks from time to time, but I know B6 can build up, so I don't overdo..

Actually it's an interesting subject, and I'd like to know more about others' experiences. Especially away from the old traditional Booze, Pot and Crank....

EJL

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I like the trace minerals in seaweed.

Fortunately you can get that at any 7/11 here.

Ibuprofen in small goes to cut the arthitus, pain,
but not affect the ears.

And Alkaline balancing suppliments to sharped and balance the body chemistry.

Been there done that for many other "things", but I don't miss them much.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 11 March 2006 at 03:24 AM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

When I first started back in the 'early '60s, it was pink-hearts (semi-legal benzedrine) and a few were even doing "plastic bullets", those little Vicks nasal inhalers were also full of pure benzedrine! Guys would break open the plastic capsule, and cut the cotton wad in half, and then put that in a cup of coffee or a Coke. Truckers could drive for 3 days, and musicians could jam for 5 with that kind of stimulant cocktail!

'Course, it's not only musicians, but everybody - every single one of us, that's "hooked". Everyone gets high on something, be it alky, coffee, drugs, sex, exercise, steroids, cigs, pain killers, religion, food, info, money, power, and so on and so on...ad infinitum. Inspiration, it seems, comes from deep inside us, but some "key", some external motivator, always has to be used to unlock the door so that we can access it.

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

Interesting subject. It makes me think of The Beatles and what it took to come up with tunes like The Walrus and those lyrics were really wild. In the 70's I played 6 nights a week and some matinees as well because it was my living. At night I took 3 doobies with me, every night. One for on the way, one for on the break and one for on the way home. Sound familiar to anyone? Also there was a lot of coffee and cigarettes. I didn't realize that in my teens I was a caffiene freak then by drinking over a dozen 16 ounce pepsis a day and did that through the 80's. It's just a habit period. I never had sleeping problems until the last ten years but have fought with it ever since. As for pills and all the other stuff, I never indulged in that. I did take some white crosses while driving back from Myrtle Beach once. I had a bunch of them in my watch pocket in my jeans and they got all crushed up so when I started dozing they were just powder by then. I just poured some of it in coffee and took off. It was a 600 hundred mile trip back to Nashville and when I got in town I drove up to the bar and got out and set it all up right there and started practicing! I was flying low that day. As for Ibuprofen and stuff like that I carry a variety of Alka Seltzer, aspirins, and whatever I may happen to need while I drive. Until last October, I was driving over 100,000 miles a year in a van doing deliveries day and night so when I needed something I didn't have to stop. These days when I have a weekend gig to play, I try to get a two hour nap before I leave and always take coffee with me. I never drink at a gig anymore and the pot days are over. I could smoke that stuff when I played the drums but I can't think and concentrate at all if I do that stuff and attempt to play steel guitar. The last time I remember doing that I had a fill in guitar player riding with me to the gig and he fired one up on the way and I drove past the exit to get off and then when I realized where I was and got turned around I went right past the club! I couldn't hit a bull in the a$$ with a bass fiddle that night. I did try some Focus Factor a year or so ago and it did help just a little with my focus some. These days I drink coffee in the mornings and the rest of the day it's water so hopefully by night I can sleep. Caffiene has been the one vise I don't want to part with.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I think of Vicoden as basicly heroin and ritalin as basicly speed. Nice new packages for our old friends. I have nothing against them and they do have some great legit uses. I try not to mess with any of that stuff no matter who is selling it though.

I do love my coffee in the morning and I like a beer after the gig . My playing goes downhill after an hour or so if I have a beer durring the set.

------------------
Bob
upcoming gigs
My Website

[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 11 March 2006 at 06:49 AM.]

Grant Johnson · From: Nashville TN

My doctor just prescribed a mild Beta Blocker to deal with a slightly high blood pressure condition that was not getting better on its own. It has a very minimal relaxing effect. I played my first gig since taking them and found that i was more relaxed and felt like I played harder passages better during the show. I definitely noticed a difference. I was kind of like having one or two beers before a show without the loss of coordination...

Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

Suffered from a couple dozen kidney stones about 5 yrs. back, had to Vicadin up for a solid month, every 4 hrs,every day-5 or 6 a day! It didnt help my playing at all. The CD I had posted here last year had 10 or 11 songs, I had to redo every guitar solo except one!
Nowadays it's Atacand(BP), Nexium(stomach),Crestor(cholesterol), and some nasty powder I have to take because my gall bladder was removed, none of those drugs have effected my playing. JP

Karlis Abolins · From: (near) Seattle, WA, USA

Eric, This is a very interesting topic and one that I have been wondering about for a while. I have been without outside "stimulants" for about 20 years and have to admit that I can't reach my muse. When I sit down to play, it is mechanical. It reflects all the anxiety and stress that I live with in my life. Back in earlier days when I was carefree and single and took "stimulants" I very often felt the music flow even though mechanically it was often not perfect. I can remember several times being one with the music and those are some of my favorite memories. I would like to recapture that without going back to "stimulants". I now drink rarely and recently gave up caffeine.
I would be interested in natural ways of contacting my muse. Have any of you tried yoga or transcendental meditiation (I don't mean the hokey stuff from the 60's)?

Karlis

Brandin · From: Newport Beach CA. USA

Sometimes I'll take a Nodoze with a can
of Red-Bull. I've also been taking alot
'Saw Palmetto', but that's for something else.

GB

[This message was edited by Brandin on 11 March 2006 at 09:16 AM.]

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

For me it's always been pot, but due to a medical conditionn I've had to stop smoking it.

The problem is not pot per se, but the tar that is found in all smoke. The medication I'm taking for the condition interacts with the tar to form a carcnogen.

The doctor told me I could make brownies and eat it, make tea and drink it, or put it in a suppository if I chose, but I can not smoke it, or anything else, or even be near people who are smoking.

I've reluctantly joined the ranks of the clean and sober.

------------------
My web site

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