Beta blockers okay to reduce the effects of stage fright?

[Demonamol]

Hi everyone, wasn't sure f this question belongs in 'music' or 'science' but here it goes.

I've been a performer for over 10 years now and am currently studying a degree in music. For roughly the past 5 years I've suffered from very bad stage fright to the extent where I have to stop playing - which is a huge no-no in performance. I have my final performance coming up next week and was wandering if beta blockers are available from a GP to be prescribed solely for this performance?
I've literally exhausted every other avenue. I've put so much time into nerve practice, anxiety workshops, taken 'performance anxiety' modules at uni, tried various techniques such as CBT, NLP, meditation etc and have even put hundreds of pounds into it but when it comes down to actually performing I just can't stop shaking! Nothing has seemed to dull the effects :S

Any help and suggestions would be extremely helpful!

Thanks :)

[Buenchico]

Music? Science? Well, I'd have put it in 'Body & Soul' but I can't see that it matters anyway.

You're quite prepared to mention your problem to strangers here on AB, so why don't you simply go to your GP and explain your problem? I suggest that you shouldn't go seeking any specific remedy, such as beta-blockers. (Doctors tend to get p!ssed off with people who turn up demanding specific drugs, rather than trusting to their expertise). Just explain your problem and ask if the doctor can help. (I'd guess that he'd prescribe Diazepam, aka Valium, or one of its successor drugs, rather than beta-blockers, but you should be guided by his/her knowledge and experience).

Chris

PS:
I've entered, and won, public speaking competitions. I've also been interviewed on national radio and presented programmes on local radio. For me, the key to overcoming nerves was simply to tell myself that I was going to enjoy myself. If I remembered that others might be assessing my performance I would simply have frozen. So I just thought "Let's have fun!" (If you don't really enjoy playing music, why the hell are you doing it anyway? Have fun!)

[Demonamol]

Hi Chris

Thanks ever so much for your reply.
Just throught I'd let you know how things went -
I rang the docs to make an appointment but they didnt have anything free so I ended up playing without any 'help'. I asked to go first in the exam so I didn't have to wait around for ages before playing, that's usually the worst part! I can honestly say that was the least nervous I've been in so so long. There were a few shakes when playing but not to the usual extent where it completely ruins my performance!
All in all a success I believe!
I can't say nerves aren't going to affect me in future but it was a great feeling being able to enjoy performing as opposed to it being a chore :D I just have no idea what happened - perhaps it's because I applied the NLP technique of positive thinking and it actually worked that time, let's hope it's not a one-off...

Cheers,

Tash