Training & Nutrition - Ibuprofen & Water retention

So after my accident, I was off the bike for a few days but have since started riding again. Volume & intensity is back to normal. But I am still gaining weight. A lot. I've gone from 140 on the day of the accident to 146 this morning. It hit me this morning that I've been feeling puffy & bloated and that the ibuprofen is likely to blame. Anyone else have similar experience?

Peripheral oedema is one of the listed less common side effects of Ibuprophen. Do you have kidney problems?

Peripheral oedema is one of the listed less common side effects of Ibuprophen. Do you have kidney problems?

Kidney Problems? No. Water retention is generally listed as a common side-effect. I was also taking a high (doctor recommended) dose.

Edit: I wasn't sure what Peripheral Oedema was so I looked it up.


Soft tissue swelling due to the accumulation of interstitial fluid. Interstitial fluid consists of the extracellular fluid excluding plasma, and includes lymph, CSF, eye, synovial fluid, serous fluid, and secretions of the gastrointestinal tract. A 70kg adult male has 12 litres of interstitial fluid (30% of total body water), and it is generally considered a 15% increase in body weight (2 litres of fluid) is required for clinical oedema.

It should be noted that my weight increase was less than 5%.

It should be noted that my weight increase was less than 5%.

Exactly, don't worry about it.

You were probably a little dehydrated and glycogen depleted the day of your accident.

Exactly, don't worry about it.

You were probably a little dehydrated and glycogen depleted the day of your accident.

138-141 is my typical weight. I'm not worried about it. Just found it interesting, and curious if anyone else noticed anything similar. I find the bloated feeling annoying though.

138-141 is my typical weight. I'm not worried about it. Just found it interesting, and curious if anyone else noticed anything similar. I find the bloated feeling annoying though.

I weigh the exact same. I am pretty strict with my diet on weekdays, but on weekends I loosen it up (why not? I ride more, so it works out, right). Anyway, I eat out most of the weekend and dine on some really salty foods, and its surprising how much water can actually be retained. In fact, I sometimes gain 4 pounds in water weight. It takes about a day to loose it.

Back to the point, its connected. Once you get off the Ibuprofen, you'll see how quickly that water will leave you. Good Luck with your recovery!

Back to the point, its connected. Once you get off the Ibuprofen, you'll see how quickly that water will leave you. Good Luck with your recovery!

I haven't taken any since yesterday morning and was back down to 142 this morning, and the bloated/puffy feeling has dimished. I also feel like it was limiting my performance, so it will be interesting to see how it goes off it entirely. I am healing nicely and I feel better today without it than I did yesterday with it.

I was in a car accident in July and taking a lot of Ibuprofen, I did feel bloated all the time. Didn't think much of it, just thought it was since I was off the bike for a little. I guess it was the Ibuprofen.

I haven't taken any since yesterday morning and was back down to 142 this morning, and the bloated/puffy feeling has dimished. I also feel like it was limiting my performance, so it will be interesting to see how it goes off it entirely. I am healing nicely and I feel better today without it than I did yesterday with it.

Thats great! Yeah, on days where I've got three pounds of water on my asss it feels like someone just put a weight on my rear wheel. Huge difference.

Thats great! Yeah, on days where I've got three pounds of water on my asss it feels like someone just put a weight on my rear wheel. Huge difference.

to be clear, I meant that the effects of the drug was limiting my performance, not the weight. I was in a break on my tuesday lunchtime ride and had trouble maintaining a power level that should not have been a problem. I still had an ok top end but no stamina... I felt like I was going to explode and had to sit out a few rotations, and would have been dropped (by the break) if they hadn't held up for me.

Today, off the ibuprofen entirely the ribs bothered me a little on my ride to work but I hardly noticed while climbing at lunch. Out of the saddle climbing was ok too. I wasn't going for any big power but was able to hold a decent climbing effort for 20 min or so. The only issue was that my hr and rpe were higher than they should have been relative to the power.