pearcem

i'm battling some tendonitits and i wanted to know what does everyone think the best over the counter anti-inflamatory is? thanks

Patriot

Motrin, and ice. Lots of ice.

Sessamoid

In general, they're all pretty much the same. They all have nearly identical mechanisms of action. Find one that works for you and stick with it.

pearcem

are alieve and advil anti-inflamatories? sorry, can't find the bottle right now. i am icing; any other tips on getting rid of ptelar tendonitis? thanks

Phatman

advil is the one that works the best for me...but it gives me the *****s if I use it for more then 4-5 doses in a row. advil=motrin. the active ingredient is motrin

alieve works ok, but not as good as advil, but it lasts longer, I've found. however, theres some research now saying that aleive is bad for your heart...or something. active ingredient is naproxen sodium.

tylenol works the worst of the three, the active ingredient is acetometophen (sp?). It'll still work a little bit though, and its easy on your stomach, at least in my experience. If I'm taking inflammitories for more then a day or two, I'll alternate Advil and tylenol.

I've never used asprin...but its supposed to be hard on the stomach, and bad for people 15 and under...I've only been over 15 for 3 years...so its not really on my usual anti-inflammatories list.

and icing is good too.

caloso

Generic ibuprofen. You could buy Motrin, but the stuff in the RiteAid or SavOn bottles is exactly the same stuff.

Sessamoid

The are both anti-inflammatories, and they should theoretically have the same effect in equivalent doses. However, everybody is different, so one may work better than the other for you. Tylenol isn't really much of an anti-inflammatory, so not really the best thing for this kind of pain.

talyrath

This is trite and quaint, but deserves to be said.

The best anti-inflammatory is rest.

As far as drugs go, Orudis KT is pretty strong. So is Aleve. Be warned though, with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) the more powerful they are, the more likely they are to tear up your stomach.

berny

Be careful taking DRUGS! Your body has all the necessary mechanisms to heal these types of injuries and to try for an instant fix using drugs is courting danger.
If you continually try to circumvent the natural process, eventually you become totally dependant on the drug companies to keep you well. Not a good scenario.

yonderboy

Tendonitis is a symptom of overtraining. Take a week off and rest, then come back with an easier week than you'd normally do. Don't forget to warm up and stretch, or you'll just make it worse.

pearcem

i've been going easy and taking time off, icing, stretching, and avoiding big gears. my tendonitits is almost gone, but i had a training race today that i felt i was ready for, just wanted to have a little extra help just in case. thanks

triggersd

Caution COX-2's!!!! There are many, many articles out there regarding NSAIDS lately. COX-2 inhibitors are a group of drugs under the NSAID umbrella. They include: Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra, and Aleve. It looks like these drugs are dangerous for some people as they increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. If you're at an increased risk for cardiovascular events anyway, you should probably talk to your doc before you take any of them. I'm not sure how cyclists or other endurance athletes are affected by these risks. If you do decide to take Aleve, don't take it for extened periods of time...that's what appears to lead to problems.

otoman

ALEVE IS NOT A SELECTIVE COX-2 INHIBITOR! Sorry for the shouting, but I had to be heard above the clamoring on the previous post
Aleve also inhibits COX-1, just like ibuprofen. It is a straightforward NSAID.
In most people, the risks are far outweighed by the benefits but, as mentioned in the previous post, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking these meds. They are prescription, so you'll have to talk with your doctor to get the ones that are still on the market.

triggersd

Naxproxen is different than a COX -2 inhibitor, but they're both still NSAIDs.

I didn't indicate in my other post the difference between naproxin and COX-2 inhibitors as they are all drugs that are NSAID's. The only reason I bothered including aleve in this post was because I read an article about aleve being linked to heart attacks. The article I'm referring to reviewed a trial of 2,500 alzheimers patients who took aleve. This group of patients had a 50% increased risk of experiencing a heart attack while taking aleve. Does this really apply to people in this forum? Doubtful. I don't think anyone should take Aleve for more than 10 days.

Anyone else pay attention to the vioxx fiasco lately? Next up...Celebrex? Bextra?

berny

I can only repeat.

And as I've said previously, GP's are, IMHO just a bit (or a lot) too eager to prescribe bloody drugs so there needs to be caution there too, i.e. just because a doc gives you a script it doesn't mean it's safe to take the drugs. Do it ONLY AS A LAST RESORT! Not as a quick fix.

otoman

When you go to a physician, however, there is a mutual understanding that you are asking him/her for help. As a patient, you have to understand that many times (NOT always) the remedy will involve medication, whether short or long term. As a patient, it is your responsibility to know this and, if you do seek a physician's help, to relay your concern over medications.

TysonB

Tendonitis is tough to get rid of. Rest the effected area!

Aspirin works well for me as an anti-inflamatory. It works differently than the other non-steroidal anti-inflamatories. If it doesn't upset your stomach, you may find it works well for you. Others find it no more than effective than a placebo.

I had achillies tendonitis in college where I played on an NCAA D-1 soccer team. It took prescription drugs to finally overcome it. Just the slightest effort inflammed it until the drugs were prescribed. The specialist told me that at some point the inflamation was actually causing the problem rather than being the result of another problem. He must have been right, because the inflammation passed in about the 7th day of the drug therapy and I have not had problems since. (30 years) (My problem was initially caused by constant taping of the ankle, a common situation. Unfortunately, once existing, NOT taping the ankle didn't cure it!)

Good luck and a speedy recovery.

Tyson

berny

Yes I do understand that and I never accept a possible remedy involving drugs/medications or invasive procedures without first questioning the absolute necessity of those meds./procedures. I've also only ever been in a position to enjoy that privilege during consultations, thank God.
My more anxious concern is a physician's propensity to commit one to a remedial process for what might be considered less than completely ethical reasons whether the motivation be conscious or subconscious. Physicians are only human after all and subject to all the same motivational pressures as are the rest of us and only as capable in resisting temptation.

talyrath

I have to disagree with this slightly. When you go to a physician, there's an unspoken expectation (on the doctor's part) that you're there for a prescription. Most people, if they go to the doctor and don't leave with some sort of prescription, consider the visit to be a 'waste.' That's why doctors overprescribe antibiotics and nsaids so much -- the patient expects something, and the doctor obliges.

My guess is that 75% of the time, a doctor should probably send you home with no prescription -- just instructions to get rest, fluids, et cetera.

Roody

I just saw a TV news report on a controlled study showing that Omega-3--Fish Oil Capsules--were safer and more effective than NSAIDs (like ibuprofen, alleve, etc.) for joint pain and tendonitis.

Did anyone catch the details on this? I know that fish oil prevents heart disease for sure, and possiblly some cancers and even Alzheimer's.

JasonS

There is a risk and benefit to taking every medication. NSAIDs have gotten a whole lot of press lately but all in all have a very safe history. So much so that most people feel the risk benefit ratio is in favor of taking an NSAID even for a headache. The whole thing with COX2's right now is a real fiasco. Alot of misinformation is out there, mostly because these drugs are pretty new on the market and we don't know alot about their long term side effect profiles. But they have been pretty safe overall. I think soon you will see Vioxx back on the market. But right now if you have heart disease or cerebral vascular disease, all of our information right now says to avoid these drugs. Anyway, it is just really hard to get drugs by the FDA these days. Could you imagine trying to get aspirin through the FDA in todays world? No way. Just know that all drugs have risks, but so do the herbals and the fish oils and such (they are not regulated so who knows what or how much is really in them). I don't really think there is any good literature placing fish oil above NSAIDs in efficacy or proven radomized controlled blinded studies showing fish oil prevents heart disease, cancer and Alzheimers.

That said, my vote is for Motrin...great drug.

pearcem

my knees have always been finicky and given me tendon and cartlidge problems. i have recently been thinking about taking a joint supplement. any ideas about this? good idea or not? i have recently started taking flaxseed capsules, which are said to have similar benefits to fish oil, but it has not been long enough to see any results.

Bruce Lowekamp

Be very careful here. There have been no formal studies of long-term safety of *any* NSAIDs. People (including doctors) have just been assuming that they were safe because they have almost no short-term affects. Although Vioxx is probably more dangerous long-term than others, the recent naproxen study showing risks is worth thinking about, and there aren't any similar studies with ibuprofen.

This isn't an attempt to spread panic, but people also should not simply assume that something has been proven safe for all uses just because it's on the shelf or doctors prescribe it that way.

As cyclists, however, I think the more interesting question is raised by the studies that suggest that NSAIDs might actually prevent tendons from strengthening---not what you want if you're riding a bike. But my impression is that those results are very preliminary, and maybe not worth reacting to.

Bruce

JasonS

Contrary to this threads opinion, doctors do not just assume things are safe and go aimlessly prescribing things because the drug companies say so. Most doctors prescribe based on the best evidence we have available, but we do not watch the news for our next information. You can find plenty of studies that say anything you want, but when critically analyzed have several major flaws that invalidate them. The newer COX-2's are young and the full jury is still out on them. But they are effective antiinflammatories that aloow people who otherwise couldn't to get up and be active and live their lives. THe other NSAIDs have been around for a while and are safe enough to be available to the public to decide when they want to use it. Aspirin has been around for a while and has a very safe profile. Does it have problems, especially in high doses? Yes.

Anyway, don't believe everything in the media, they jump on things that get viewers to watch them. Ask your doctor, most are not drug company slaves or feel the need to prescribe you something just because you expect it. If you feel your doctor is wrong, ask another. If you can't critically analyze a study to see if it is done right and is truly valid, take it to your doctor. I know we dont have the same respect as we used to, but we are still the best place to go for advice.

acrafton

Beer.