Fifty Plus (50+) - Voltaren and riding?

I've had a lower back/ruptured disc issue (don't ask me which one..) for about 3 years. Comes around about once a year and then goes away. This time it's staying...enough that I'm having an MRI on tuesday. As I've read here< one of the only things that makes it feel better is being in the aero position of riding my bike...everything but a hint of the sciatic goes away. Doc prescribed Voltaren (big anti inflammatory) till we figure out what to do. Just wondered if anyone has had any experience with this drug and riding...I'm off of work for awhile and I want to pick up the riding a bit.

I have arthritic ankles and have been taking the generic form of Voltaren for the past few years. I had one of my ankles fused last December so I should say, a arthritic ankle. I usually take one 75 mg pill a day and sometimes will take two if the pain gets louder. I can't say if it effects my riding one way or the other. The pain relief is when I'm off the bike and the pills do work.

Generic form of cream and it works for me on the lower back pain. Like you- The main cure is to stretch out over the bike so a new bike is on the cards for you. Longer top tube and lower the bars by another 2".

Newcomers to riding and then back pain will not take the step of getting longer and lower but it works for too many of us to be ignored. When I first started on road bikes after MTB's- I got a frame that would give me a position similar to the MTB on the flats. Then raised the bars to be level with the saddle and back pain came in at about 20 miles. Not serious but it was there. Next bike and the shop built it up. Longer top tube and bars 4" below the saddle. Test ride proved they were right and 3 years later they are still right.

Attachments are of the two bikes so the difference can be seen.

171214 171215

But onto that back- I also do some stretching exercises to keep it mobile and I make certain that when some heavy lifting is about to take place- I am not there.

Two things, one in general and one specific.

NSAIDs as a class are tough on the kidneys. If you use them when you ride, make every effort to stay hydrated and have your PCP check your kidney function from time to time.

I used to use Voltaren and never had any problem with it. However, there have been some scary reports of liver failure caused by the stuff. Admittedly, it's probably an extremely small fraction of the people who use the stuff, but it was enough to scare me away. So now I use ibuprofen.

Back stretching and doing light stomach crunches will help keep core strength up which will in turn help keep your back in alignment. You may have been through this already, I don't know, but it worked wonders for me. I haven't had a problem in over 10 years.