As you may know, I had a nice long training run last weekend with 17,000 other people. :) And, being the social person that I am, I chatted with quite a few of them. There was a common theme that emerged - the use of ibuprofen to prevent post-race soreness. Now, I love, love, love me some ibuprofen but I never take it before a run. Here's why:
About a year ago, a friend of mine wound up in the hospital in renal (kidney) failure. Now, this guy is young and healthy and there's absolutely no reason he should have had any kidney problems at all. It turned out, though, that he had taken 800 milligrams of ibuprofen immediately before a two-hour racquetball session. Two hours of intense exercise + ibuprofen led to kidney failure in a 28-year old with no predisposing factors.
Now, I am a nurse, but this shocked me. Honestly, I knew that ibuprofen could be tough on the kidneys but I had no idea it could precipitate an acute renal failure in an otherwise healthy person. And just two hours of exercise?? I don't know about you, but two hours is certainly not unheard of for me - that's 11-12 miles if I'm on my game. I'm willing to bet that most of you have run or biked or exercised in some way for two hours straight in the past, and probably will do so again.
So, I did a little research and found that, while not exactly common, it certainly isn't that unusual for endurance athletes to have problems with ibuprofen. Now, I'm not saying that I think you shouldn't take ibuprofen, but I did want to make all of you aware of the issue so that you could do your own research and make up your own minds.
To that end, here are a few links. Do some reading and make up your own mind:
Personally, I don't think it's worth the risk. But that's me - you decide. Ibuprofen: good or bad for recreational endurance athletes?
i really don't take it often, but its more because of the mutant than anything else. due to his hemophillia, he can only take tylenol, so that's the one drug i keep around the house. i found that it does the job with my knee pain, so i don't fuss with anything else.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, that makes sense! We have a lot of ibuprofen in the house for the hubs, but everybody here knows the risks and and doses accordingly!
ReplyDeleteI used to keep a bottle of evverything in the cupboard but since seeing my new chiro I haven't need anything & they've since gone outdated :) but THANKS for the interesting info!!
ReplyDeleteI would never touch the stuff pre-workout/race.
ReplyDeleteMy endodontist from last week's root canal adventure advised me to be careful working out while on Advil. Point well taken.
I skip it with running & stick with Aleeve
ReplyDeleteKim, that's a pretty heavy endorsement for your chiropractor - wow! :)
ReplyDeleteMarcia, I agree!
Stephanie Anne, I haven't really looked into Aleve to see if it's safer - one would think so, but I don't know.
Never taken it and never will. There was only one time I ever took any pill and that was alleve in the middle of a 13 miles run. My knee was just aching but I did not feel right in the back end and never used it before so I immediately made the connection and never used it again. Not after any marathon or triathlon.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about your friend and hopefully everything is better for him. Is there any chance of a side effect from it that will prevent him from working out for long periods of time?
I have never taken any kind of pain killer/muscle relaxant before a run or race. I've taken some many hours after I was finished, however. If I need medication to numb some sort of pain during the run, I'm probably doing something wrong. Yes, running hard hurts, but it's a good hurt, and not one I want to numb.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Thank you for the advice. And how awful that that happened to your friend!
ReplyDeleteI recall that the Rock & Roll Marathon brochure cautioned against its use after the race. (Kudos to their very thorough medical advice brochure. Definitely made us sit up & take notice.) It's not something I would have thought of before.
I only take ibuprofen for pain or inflammation. It's a medication and should only be taken as directed. Anti-inflammatory drugs can slow tissue repair as they decrease the immune system response to injury. NSAIDS have their place in treating inflammation, but need to be used carefully.
ReplyDeleteWe spent a lot of time on this in RRCA coaching class. The kidney issue usually happens when anti-inflammatory+high exertion+dehydration. But, in general, anti-inflammatories impede healing. The inflammation is a natural part of the healing process. Plus they block certain enzymes from doing their work, plus they are a pain suppressor, so you might miss signs from your body that are important. The recommendation was never pre-race, never for inflammation. If you take one (any, including Aleve,Advil, etc) for a headache or menstrual cramps, you should take the day off running.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Terri. I used to take Advil before longer races, but I don't anymore. Nothing scary ever happened, but like you said, I decided it wasn't worth the risk.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing again here. I appreciated your email too. :)
ReplyDeleteLesley wrote exactly what I was going to say. I used to take advil for non-running related issues and then run and now I just deal with whatever pain I'm having until after the run.
ReplyDeletei never take it before working out. partly because of the kidney stuff but partly because if i'm hurt then i don't want to mask it when i'm running. i usually take it after though
ReplyDeleteI like to be in tune with my body, so I don't take any painkillers. I actually had a great ice bath after my long run yesterday and I have to tell you my legs felt fantastic for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is no...