any one use pain relief pills?
 

I read in a cycling book that it was ok to pop a IBU or other pain reliever on days you felt you needed to.

Ive been commuting 24 miles round trip daily and my 2nd part time job at a retail store has me standing and walking around for close to 5 hours. To top it off im usually geting 5-6 hours of sleep and some days i wake up with my legs hurting alot more than other days and a pain pill for those tough days getting out of bed sounds like it may not be so bad.

As long as you don't overdose thn you'll be fine.

You can mix, with no side effects, (from my limited medic training - I'm not licensed in any way so take this as laymans advice):
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen)
asparins (paracetamol)
opiates (prescription only I think)

I occasionally take ibuprofen and paracetamol together which works wonders but I wouldn't recommend doing it longer than a day or two without seeing your doctor.

Maybe a couple times a month...I pop a Motrin 800, mostly to dull soreness in my legs.

But seriously...how long has this been going on? (i.e. the standing and walking around for 5 hours + bike commuting?) You should get an hour more of sleep every day than what you're getting...that'll help. Having a rest day (from the bike) might help. And (some may disagree with me here) cutting out or cutting down foods with high sugar content will help with muscle soreness as well.

I think it's important to understand why you're taking this so-called "pain pill", and how you hope it will work for you, because there may be better alternatives. For example, many people take ibuprofin not because it is a "pain pill" as such (I don't think it really is), but because it's an anti-inflammatory: reduce the inflammation, reduce the problem, reduce the pain. If that's why you're taking it, turmeric is a better alternative -- more effective, no side effects.

Occasionally I'll take a couple ibuprofen after a rough hill ride. Just remember that it's OK to take 'em once in a while after a workout, but during/before and on a consistent basis is no good for you:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/m..._endurance.htm

Ive been working the two jobs since OCT of last year, but just starting commuting by bike again the start of Feb. Honestly its not so bad i usually work the retail job 2-3 days during the week its mostly weekends. Some weeks are tuff however like this one where I have to work consecutive days Tues, weds, & thursday. Ive been riding 4 days a week mostly but honestly hate taking a day off, The days i dont ride I feel cheated, and prefer to ride 5 days a week. Its really not that bad just the days I ride hard I really pay for it later in the week.

The least you take them the happier the liver is going to be with you. Try maybe other methods, massage, cold-hot-cold showers to the legs, ice packs, take some anti-oxidants (Vitamin C, Green Tea).

Just be careful on taking the pills WHILE working out as I read in one of those books (not on the web) that its not good at all.

If you're on anything prescription, especially prescription NASIDs like Celebrex, be careful about what you take. I am on prescription Celebrex for arthritis and can only take tylenol. Taking anything with asprin or ibuprofin will interfere with the function of the celebrex.

I do not recommend pain pills for muscle soreness and don't think any doc would, either. For joint pain, sprains, pulls, bruises that's a different story.

I take 600mg Ibuprofen minimum for those problems. I fell on my bike last week and messed up my wrist goo, AND my ribs (think they might be cracked) and I've been doing 600mg twice a day. I am 200lbs, though, so weight is a consideration.

For muscles there are much better options:

1) make sure you have enough electrolytes and water (Emergen-C is great for this)
2) B vitamins help you with energy (again, Emergen-C works wonders, as does meat)
3) try Whey protein right after your ride...I mean within 5 minutes. Slug a quick shake of it and go, it will definitely help you repair the muscles and get the soreness out quicker
4) a recovery drink is good, but a bowl of cold cereal with skim milk does as much to replenish glycogen stores. Glycogen helps speed recovery and get the lactic acid burn out.
5) Sleep helps, as does being horizontal as much as possible. Stretch as much as you can when off the bike, and relax as much as you can even if it isn't sleeping.

Another thought is are you spinning enough? I used to get way more sore when I mashed. When I started spinning, and not pushing it too hard, my soreness almost went away entirely. I do 36 miles RT right now with no problem, spinning in 42x17 the whole way. I get about 6 hrs. of sleep a night maximum thanks to my young daughter and my dogs who can't hold their pee. I do a protein shake after my rides in and home, eat cereal when I get to my desk and out of the shower at home, drink 1-2 packets of Emergen-C a day and it all helps tons. It took experimentation, but it works.

If you do choose Ibuprofen make sure and drink TONS of water. The major danger is buildup in the kidneys. Drink water, maybe a cranberry juice once a day, and minimize your usage. It's a wonder drug!

It really does kill pain, too, even if it's only an after-effect of reducing inflamation. I like it way better than Tylenol (aspirin) and opiates just make me sleepy but don't kill pain.

Good luck on ya!

No
If the pain is so severe that you can not otherwise function, see a Dr.
If the pain is strongly present and you know why it is there (cycling) then enjoy it, you earned it.
Al

Can you tell us more about tumeric? It sounds like a spice, but how much and how often. How do you take it?

Turmeric is mostly good for joint inflamation (i.e. helps the pain of tendonitis subside).

I did 2 tablespoons in milk twice a day per an authentic Yogi's instruction. It didn't do a thing.

What did help me was Glucosamine/MSM/Chondroitin.

Yes, it is a spice, btw, and is present in curry.

Feel free to call me a nutjob, but for ow-I-don't-want-to-get-off-the-couch muscle soreness, I throw back a couple of aspirin and a gin and tonic. Ingest aspirin, savour the Bombay Sapphire - in 30 minutes I'm doing pretty good. Yes, I have a very strong stomach.

Other non-drug remedies that work for me include:
- steak, typically a big rare porterhouse
- water or gatorade
- stretching :eek:
- lying on the couch, doing nothing
- going for another ride

Things that make it worse:
- massage [seriously, never again]

Aspirin and paracetamol (Brit-speak for acetaminophen) are completely different; aspirin is the original NSAID.
Don't take acetaminophen/paracetamol if you drink a lot (of alcohol).
Ibuprofen and naproxen are the most common over-the-counter NSAIDS.
If you self-medicate, read the product info; when in doubt, talk with a healthcare practitioner.

Well, popping an Ibu every now and then is not a terrible thing. But on the other hand, if you have to mask pain, you should try another approach.

Pain relief can only go so far. Eventually, your body will stop telling you to rest, and will shout it loud.

Don't despair. Commuting cyclists have creative minds. It's not a sin to use mass transit, or hitch a ride with your bike. You might also try riding real slow...

;)

(For what it's worth, I read that Ibuprofen will delay muscle recovery, so it's probably only useful in extreme cases, but definitely not every week.. That's a sign your overdoing it. You just can't fool Mother Nature... :D )

I believe this because I have been more muscle sore this week than ever before and I've been taking Ibu for my cracked ribs. Didn't know it, but I was wondering why I was so tired.

:lol: Awesome. That's what I'm doing from now on.

It is a spice, but to get the circuminoids (the anti-inflammatory component) in good measure, it's easiest to take it in tablet form. I use it instead of NSAIDs to manage rheumatoid arthritis, but I've also found it to be helpful whenever something gets tweaked.

+1 on the Glucosamine/MSM/Chondroitin. I take it daily during the riding season, works well.

During long rides, Ibuprofen at 60-80 mile intervals.

+1.
no pills not even for a root canal. people over medicate. stretching and steaming hot showers work for me. a little soreness means I've challenged myself which is a good thing. ymmv

Warning totally unscientific or even well informed reply. I find that when I eat a lot of lean protein (as in a entire chicken breast) I feel much less sore the next day. I don't know if my body needs the raw material to build me muscle back up or what but that is my two cents.

Thanks, climbhoser & lil brown bat.

I do use Glucosamine. Without it, my elbows would be so painful I could hardly feed myself. Always on the lookout for something better.

I'll bet it kept people from drafting.

Actually, I turn around and find my Punjabi buddy hot on my tail licking his lips! Makes me smell like an Indian buffet.

Oh, thanks for that. <puts down forkful of vindaloo and pushes away from table>