I get light-headed when I play.

[tubeast]

tubafreaks wrote:

I've been playing for 23 years.

Now that´s strange. From what you told us in the original post, I´d have guessed you were suffering from hyperventilation. I experienced that when I switched from flugelhorn to tuba. I got drowsy in no time because of all that air. It won´t happen any more with "normal" playing since I may make better use of air or may have gotten used to that surplus of oxigen. It still comes up when I play pieces by composers who think a tuba comes with a compressor to be hooked to the tubist´s nose. (like you described)

What helps me instantly in this case: get rid of all that oxigen. EXhale, hold your breath with your lungs empty, take shallow breaths, repeat until the drowsy feeling is relieved, resume playing.

Since you are an experienced player (one should be after 23 years) I´m sure I´m not telling you anything new.
BUT I´d guess you must have experienced that phenomenon throughout your career. If that´s not the case (as you write) I´d take it more seriously and would follow previous posters´ advice.

[tubeast]

There´s tons of different exercises, I guess.
Provided your cardiologist´s consent, I´d suggest this:
If your problem actually IS based on a sudden increase in required air volume, it´s a matter of getting used to that extra oxigen in your blood. Try walking as cardiovascular exercise, but concentrate on very deep, slow breathing. Once you feel comfortable, gradually increase breathing frequency until you inhale WAY more air than you´d need.
Don´t mind people staring at you, though.
It looks funny to see somebody walk around sounding like a whale.

[MikeMason]

in my experience new players and old players who have taken a long break from playing experience this sensation when they start back up. it goes away by itself after a week or so.with a medical condition,however, all bets are off....

[Wes Krygsman]

Something that might help the dizziness is rebreathing your air back in through the horn. In other words, when you breathe in, take it all in (slowly) with your lips still sealed on the mouthpiece, no outside air. You might want to clean your horn out before this too, or at least your leadpipe, that air can actually taste bad. I've done this when I felt dizzy and it goes along with Jacob's rebreathing your own air, not hyperventilating. It seems to work for me, give it a try, see if it helps at all.

[rascaljim]

To quote Patrick Sheridan from the Breathing Gym:

"Embrace it! It's cheaper than the alternative!"