Laryngitis! And I have to sing!?

I came down with laryngitis a couple of days ago. Luckily, I am on vacation this week, so I have been able to rest my voice. Unfortunately, tonight is opening night of a musical that I am in and I have two duets. I usually have enough in my tank (combined with adrenaline) to get me through them, but I'm worried about it setting me back. I've done every possible treatment. Do you think my laryngitis will last longer as I am singing each night? Any tips?

You should avoid singing until the laryngitis is totally gone. If that's not possible don't talk at all and only use your voice when you sing to save it and make sure you don't strain yourself.

Laryngitis is sometimes treated with antibiotics, have you seen a MD? Your vocal cords are inflamed and need to rest, any undo strain will cause more inflammation. Good luck, but if this is your profession, seek medical advice.

If you must sing, keep yourself hydrated- especially if you take anything to try to reduce the swelling (ibuprofen, antibiotics, decongestants). Also, only use your voice for the performance. You shouldn't stress the system anymore than necessary- especially if you're a professional voice user. You'll probably have to cancel some later performances.
For future reference to prevent laryngitis from vocal abuse, see a speech language pathologist specializing in voice. You can find one @ www.asha.org