# public speaking pills



## sonic cat (Sep 12, 2007)

Like many people on this board I dread giving speeches/presentations in my classes! Something as small as giving an answer in class sends my heart rate soaring and my speech to become quivery. So far in my program I've been lucky enough to only have to give 1 small presentation but towards the end of this semester I have to give two 5-7 minute presentations and I'm freaking out. They are weeks away and yet they are all I can think about! I made an appointment with my general doctor to refill some unrelated prescriptions and I was thinking about asking him for some medication to make giving speeches easier. My symptoms are purely physical in that my hands shake very noticeably, my voice quivers and I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack. No matter how well I know the information I'm presenting or how much I've practiced, I get the same result. My question is, what kind of response would I be likely to get? Is there a medication that can help these symptoms? I don't really know much about medications so I figure this might be a good place to ask. Thanks for reading.

B

p.s. Any tips on giving presentations would also be greatly appreciated!


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## DMT (Oct 18, 2008)

Know the material in and out so you can recite it forwards and backwards, with a blindfold on and hands tied behind your back... Also, many artists use Beta Blockers before a performance, something else you might want to check out...

You have enough time to get really familiar with your speech and keep practicing it in front of the mirror and also around friends and/or family members. You might have performance anxiety, as opposed to social, maybe.. I would check out Beta Blockers.

Good Luck!

Edit:

"Some people, particularly musicians, use beta blockers to avoid stage fright and tremor during public performance and auditions. The physiological symptoms of the fight/flight response associated with performance anxiety and panic (pounding heart, cold/clammy hands, increased respiration, sweating, etc.) are significantly reduced, thus enabling anxious individuals to concentrate on the task at hand. Officially, beta blockers are not approved for anxiolytic use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [10]

Since they lower heart rate and reduce tremor, beta blockers have been used by some Olympic marksmen to enhance performance, though beta blockers are banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[11] Although they have no recognisable benefit to most sports, it is acknowledged that they are beneficial to sports such as archery and shooting. A recent, high-profile transgression taking place in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where 50m Pistol silver medallist, and 10m Air-pistol bronze medallist Kim Jong-su tested positive for the Beta-blocker, Propranolol."


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

No meds I've ever taken have made public speaking easy


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## Lateralus (Oct 28, 2007)

As DMT mentioned, beta blockers, or propranolol (Inderal) in particular, are helpful with this. It binds with (and thus blocks) adrenaline receptors so that when you get the huge adrenaline rush, nothing happens as a result, i.e. no racing heart and excess shakiness. Of course you have to take a high enough dose, and you take it about an hour before the presentation.

But like Noca said, it won't make it _easy_. It will make it _easier_ since you don't have the physical symptoms constantly in your mind and making you feel even more nervous.


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## Seeking_Zen (Aug 10, 2008)

I used to be terrified of public speaking. Faked many sickness throughout my schooling to get out of it. The low point came before I had to give a speech infront of a lecture room of maybe 100 or so students. My professor knew I got freaked out by them and told this to the room. I think he thought he was doing me a favour, it just made it worse.

A few months later I did the unthinkable, I gave a public speech without being nervous. I kinda didnt have much material, because I was so overworked on other stuff that I faked my way thought it. I planted questions in the audience, asking friends to ask me questions during my speech. This helped me heaps because it broke up my actual speech. Im also a big fan of visual aids during presentations, graphics, video clips and stuff, because it breaks it up and takes the attention off me.

I always try to remind myself when I have to give a speech, that no one is going to remember it. it will all be forgotten as soon as we leave the room anyway.

Another thing I try to do, (it might sound silly) when I practice a speech at home I try to imagine and visualise myself being confident, when Ive worked myself up into a confident state, I press my middle and index thing together. So that the feeling of the fingers pressed together, triggers that confident state. So when I give a speech, as I wait for my turn, I try to trigger that confident state. I know it sounds silly, but it kind of works. Its from a Paul McKenna book


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## sonic cat (Sep 12, 2007)

I actually have a prescription of Propanolol sitting around that I was prescribed last year. I tried taking one just to see how it would affect me and I didn't notice any difference. Perhaps my dosage was too low. Beta-blockers sound great but I read somewhere that they shouldn't be prescribed to people with asthma because they relax the bronchial muscle and unfortunately I have asthma! I guess I'll just have to see what my doctor recommends. 

Thank you for all of the great speech tips! I'm really going to work at making these presentations good.

B


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## Judith (Sep 27, 2008)

Few shots of tequila help me.


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## charlieparker (Feb 26, 2009)

Some good advice given here. I have to present as part of my job and have never found it easy. A combination of Inderal LA (80mg) - I sometimes take 2 - and lots of practice works a treat. You have to remember that no-one is naturally good at presentations, even the people who seem to deliver naturally. They have just had the experience and are well prepared.


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## Sami67 (Mar 23, 2009)

*Look no further*

I had a horrible public speaking fear, learning from this great forum, I took 40 mlg Inderal and 0.5 mg Ativan an hour and half before one of the major presentastion I had to conduct with no slide nor papers. Things went 95% fine and I did a fair speech . You might do the same, it is near to miracle


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## Futurebeats (Feb 11, 2009)

Propanolol is great stuff.. non-addictive, fine for long term. doesn't interfere with mental processes so you can still relearn and recondition your anxiety.

While you might still feel a nervous wreck in your head, without the physical response you will appear conpletely at ease to everyone else. Just knowing that should eliminate the worry, and even if you do still worry, no-one will notice so who cares. (thinking that other people will notice my anxiety has always played a big part in my problems)

It's been brilliant for my driving, it was put to the test the other day when another car almost crashed into me.. And I handled it (i do dangerous maneuovers when i panic in the car, when i can't feel the panic i'm safe)

Definetely don't take with asthma though, seems to be the main warning surrounding it. Maybe there's another beta/alpha blocker that can be used with athsma?


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## LALoner (Dec 3, 2008)

If your nervous about public speaking don't try to be funny. Nothing kills your confidence worse than making a joke no one laughs at.


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