DISTURBED Frontman Says He Fell Ill After Medication Overdose

DISTURBED had to cancel two weeks of U.S. dates earlier this fall when singer David Draiman was stricken with was reported to be a "throat infection." The band just completed a tour of Europe and Draiman revealed the exact reason behind cancelation — he was given an overdose of allergy medication. The frontman told Metal Hammer magazine, "I'd been having allergy shot therapy, and in the middle of the touring cycle an injection that was supposed to be administered at 0.05 of a particular concentration was injected at 0.5 — 10 times more than I was supposed to get.

"I had severe anaphylactic shock. Airwaves constricted, blood pressure plummeting. I was on oxygen for hours and still my blood pressure was way, way low. This was the day before we were supposed to play three shows in a row and the residual inflammation that came from the allergic reaction meant that I couldn't heal from it in the middle of the touring cycle.

"My vocal cords were pretty beaten up: seeing them on a stroboscope was pretty scary. They told me if I sang I'd be risking permanent damage."

Draiman in 2006 underwent successful surgery to fix a deviated septum which was making breathing difficult and affecting his vocal abilities on stage.

DISTURBED will return to the stage in the U.S. in January with its fifth "Music As A Weapon" tour.

The band will be joined by KORN, SEVENDUST and IN THIS MOMENT. Just one date has been revealed so far, in Rochester, New York on January 19, but a full schedule is expected soon.

DISTURBED is touring behind its fifth album, "Asylum", and has released a video for its latest single, "The Animal".