rsbob 

I’m not talking about controlled substances, but drugs like Tylenol, Ibuprofen or aspirin. When I used to do double centuries, I quickly learned that taking a couple of Ibuprofen after mile 150 when the aches and pains started, made the rest of the ride much more agreeable.

Yesterday I did a series of intervals over an hour. Today, I did a 30 miler at endurance pace and with a headwind on the returning trip, with 5 miles to go, my legs really started really aching. (Well don’t do that dumb @$$)…

and I thought, wow, if I only had some pain reliever, life would be better. Chances are with 5 miles to go, the pain reliever wouldn’t have had time to take effect, but it was wishful thinking at the time.

Which begs the question; do others on this board indulge in pain relievers to reduce suffering in the saddle? Perhaps not the stoic manly, “cycling is suffering”, but I prefer to experience pain - like going anaerobic, on my terms. (I bet some would like to take aspirin when reading my posts too)

seypat

That's getting into Frank Booth territory.

PeteHski

No I don’t take any pain relievers when riding. If I get any aches or pains I figure my body is trying to tell me something.

cyclomath

When I go on multi-day tours, for the first two to three days I take a small dose of aspirin when going to bed, at the end of the day. It prevents muscle pain, inflammation, cramps and promotes world peace (no it doesn't). Other than that nope, just eat lots of fruit, veggies and nuts.

BTinNYC 

I occasionally pre-game with ibuprofen before a big ride, maybe once a month. It helps a little with the litany of 4 hour aches; feet, butt, legs, hands, etc.

choddo

This. Never even considered it.

MoAlpha

It's likely that recruitment of some inflammatory pathways by exercise is important to some aspects of adaptation. It's obviously not harmful to use NSAIDs once in a while to deal with pain, but this is something to bear in mind. Acetaminophen shouldn't have this issue.

elcruxio

I'm married to a doctor so I've been drilled to learn that while meds are great, they're not pickmeups and should only be used when really needed. Especially ibuprofen and paracetamol can cause organ damage when used carelessly, too frequently and/or in too high quantities. Ibuprofen breaks the kidneys while paracetamol breaks the liver.

Exercise induced dehydration can raise medication serum levels and especially the kidneys can take a hit when there's too little fluid and too much ibuprofen coming through.

So no, I don't use pain meds for rides if I can help it. If I'm too sore to ride, I don't. If the distance is too far to ride "comfortably" I won't. If I'm on tour it sometimes can't be helped.

MoAlpha

My wife is married to a doctor and yes, dehydration and NSAIDs do not mix!

Fredo76

My kidney doctor has forbidden ibuprofen for me. If I take Tylenol too often, it loses its effectiveness, so I just don't. I have a very few more powerful painkillers left over from old prescriptions, that I hoard for an emergency, and a Tramadol prescription, which helps a little if my back gets really bad, but I don't take them regularly, either.

I'm not against drugs; I take a lot of them, but I try to avoid even low-key pain meds as an ordinary solution, because of tolerance, and if things get bad, credibility. Ever try convincing a cancer nurse that your dental pain is every bit as excruciating? It can be extremely difficult, let me tell you.

On a longer ride, like three hours instead of 1-2, I'll take along one Tylenol and one Tramadol if I remember. If I actually need them, stoicism loses out.

RB1-luvr

sometimes when I do my weekend camp/tour trips on gravel I take ibuprofen mid-day for my shoulder. Gravel bothers my shoulder, tarmac does not.

bargainguy

When it comes to anti-inflammatories / NSAIDs, I keep something in mind.

If you're taking these meds orally, that means you are using them systemically (whole body), and that you have to achieve a fairly high level to get relief in any particular muscle or joint.

If you're taking these meds topically (Diclofenac/Voltaren), you only have to apply as much to achieve a local effect, and that amount generally will not affect you systemically unless you really slather it on.

I like taking topical NSAIDs before oral, and only saving the oral if the topical doesn't work or work well enough.

This way, I avoid the typical overuse scenarios where people burn out their liver or kidneys from sustained high does of any anti-inflammatory.

Iride01 

I have taken Aleve or naproxen sodium for joint pain I had prior to getting on the bike. But even that is fairly rare that I take anything for joint pain. I've never thought to take anything for pain I get while on the bike. So interesting question.

indyfabz

I’ll take “Vitamin I” while touring, but only when necessary.

Funny story: A few years ago, I stopped for lunch during a week long tour and grabbed what I thought was a bottle of normal Ibuprofen after really hurting my back the night before. Was about to down some but thought they looked odd. Turned out to be the PM version. That could have ended badly.

Mojo31

My doctors have forbidden me from taking any of the NSAIDs due to a loss of kidney function from taking high doses of Ibuprofen while afflicted with Chikungunya. Fortunately, my pain tolerance is high for an old fart.

BTinNYC 

My body says remember; the broken wrist, that rotator cuff, the broken metatarsal, the weak legs, and also property taxes are due.

terrymorse 

Yes, I've read that inflammation is important for inducing improvement.

But this brings up the idea of "not all exercise induced inflammation good". I'm thinking of cardiac scarring that might induce atrial fibrillation, something on the minds of us chronic, older exercisers. After a long and hard race where I'm at the limit, I might be tempted to pop some NSAIDs to get the old ticker back to a "safe" condition.

indyfabz

Did you catch that from a Dubai call girl?

MoAlpha

I think you're probably right that not all exercise-induced inflammation is good, but I don't think those heart changes are inflammatory in origin. Have you read that somewhere?

genejockey 

In my case, it's mostly saying, "You're old!"

JohnDThompson 

At 69 years old, I have fairly severe arthritis in my hands, shoulders, neck, and back. If I don't premedicate with ibuprofen before I ride, I only last about an hour before things get too miserable to continue.

Mojo31

Too much rum in Antigua.

terrymorse 

I read about the possible link between inflammation and AF in Zinn: The Haywire Heart, which led me to this review article:

Guo et al, Inflammation in Atrial Fibrillation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2012

Lots of technical stuff that's beyond me, but here are few quotes in plain English:

"There is plausible evidence linking inflammation to the initiation and perpetuation of AF and AF-related thrombosis."

"Several prospective epidemiological studies confirmed that inflammation may confer an increased risk of AF."

"Whether AF is the cause or the consequence of inflammation cannot be safely answered on the basis of the available evidence. It is likely that both statements are true. Inflammation seems to represent a potent trigger of AF, whereas AF seems to create and sustain an inflammatory and prothrombotic environment."

So no definitive answer, but a lot of suggestions that inflammation is involved with AF.

Thoughts?

MoAlpha

Yeah, that's actually familiar and makes sense. I seem to remember the explanations I've seen centering on the response of the contractile and conduction systems of the heart to mechanical stresses. However, many distinctions like this ultimately turn out to be meaningless.

Sy Reene

1x Excedrin + 1x Ibuprofen