# Pain meds for long rides?



## nOOky

Is there any over the counter nsaid that's better than the others for managing pain on the bike? I currently never take anything, but as I start to approach 8 hour rides etc. parts of me fail long before my endurance gives up the ghost. I have a previous back injury that rears it's ugly head every so often, to the point where I can't stand to be on the bike any longer. I work through the minor stuff like everyone else, neck aches, cramps, headaches etc., but my lower back becomes bearable. I know the first thought would be a fit issue, but no matter what riding position I'm in, even straight up and down on a motorcycle, my back just kills me. I can't permanently fix the issue without surgery, but I'd rather put that off for right now.


----------



## rider9

I have a new book called, Foundation: Redefining Your Core. It purports to reduce and or eliminate back pain. I started to use their methods and I have to say that I have experienced a reduction of back pain. The exercises approach a whole new set of muscles and adjusts how you move. Many testimonials in the book.

I have nothing else to offer on this subject.

Amazon.com: Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence (9781609611002): Eric Goodman, Peter Park, Lance Armstrong: Books


----------



## jhkranzler

nOOky said:


> Is there any over the counter nsaid that's better than the others for managing pain on the bike? I currently never take anything, but as I start to approach 8 hour rides etc. parts of me fail long before my endurance gives up the ghost. I have a previous back injury that rears it's ugly head every so often, to the point where I can't stand to be on the bike any longer. I work through the minor stuff like everyone else, neck aches, cramps, headaches etc., but my lower back becomes bearable. I know the first thought would be a fit issue, but no matter what riding position I'm in, even straight up and down on a motorcycle, my back just kills me. I can't permanently fix the issue without surgery, but I'd rather put that off for right now.


Advil is the official sponsor of a 1,200 km ride. Enough said.


----------



## Oxtox

throw 3-5 oxycontin in a water bottle, add 6 oz Wild Turkey, and top off with gatorade.

sip as needed.


----------



## MerlinAma

jhkranzler said:


> Advil is the official sponsor of a 1,200 km ride. Enough said.


Really?

Ibuprofin can cause stomach ulcers. I know from first hand experience.

Years ago the joke was we could complete ANY ride with two bottles of water and a dozen Advil. An exaggeration of course, at least for the water.

Then I got an ulcer traced directly back to using Advil and Motrin while riding.

So be careful. I still take Advil occasionally, but make sure I have lots of food in my gut. 

And I no longer use it while riding.

Do a search and you'll find tons of information on the link between ibuprofin and ulcers.


----------



## BeerCan

I know you said over the counter but I am going to suggest the 2 meds I take. Of course you would have to get a script from your doctor and in your case they might not suit you.

I have somewhat significant neck injuries and a lower back issue that were keeping me from riding comfortably. After much therapy, shots and the like I have ended up with a system that works for me.

First and foremost I see a trainer 2x a week to help keep my core, neck and back muscles strong. This by far has helped the most.

Second, when I know I am doing a long ride and/or I am having a particularly bad time with the pain, I go on a regimen of Celebrex and Conzip.

The Celebrex is an anti-inflammatory (do not take with OTC NSAIDs) and Conzip is a pain med. If I know I am going to do a long ride (+4hrs) I start taking these 2 meds a few days prior. They work best once you have them built up in your system for a few days. In reality, I am on the Celebrex 24/7 because it is so effective at combating my sciatica. The only downside is it tends to make my ears ring.

Doing this has helped me get back on my bike and enjoy riding again. For awhile my neck was so bad I thought I would have to quit riding altogether.


----------



## itsjon

I wouldn't take ibuprofen on a regular basis due to the ulcer concerns and the possibility of kidney damage. I'd recommend strength training for your core, a bike fit and regular (at least monthly) massage with a therapist who specializes in sports massage.


----------



## itsjon

Oxtox said:


> throw 3-5 oxycontin in a water bottle, add 6 oz Wild Turkey, and top off with gatorade.
> 
> sip as needed.


Which flavor of gatorade is best? :ciappa:


----------



## pmt

Positively see your massage therapist a few days before the ride; that will head-off a lot of issues.


----------



## Cooper1960

Cortosone shots my friend....the drug of choice for us older folks


----------



## JCavilia

Maybe don't ride that long? It may be heresy, but I don't really see the point of doing 8-hour rides if you have a condition that causes unbearable pain when you do that, so you have to seek regular medication. This seems to be veering into obsessive-compulsive behavior, IMHO. I love riding, but a little balance in life seems worth pursuing. What are you really giving up if you limit your rides to 6 hours or so?


----------



## Fireform

Aleve.


----------



## cda 455

Oxtox said:


> throw 3-5 oxycontin in a water bottle, add 6 oz Wild Turkey, and top off with gatorade.
> 
> sip as needed.



"...I....... have become, comfortably numb!"


----------



## Blue CheeseHead

Generally speaking, masking pain is not a great idea. You can consult your doctor, but what you take orally to releave back pain will likely mask other pains that could be signalling an injury.


----------



## wtfbbq

I heard on NPR that soccer players using pain meds before and during games are putting their livers at risk. It's probably analogous with any endurance athletes. You can probably Google it.


----------



## B05

wtfbbq said:


> I heard on NPR that soccer players using pain meds before and during games are putting their livers at risk. It's probably analogous with any endurance athletes. You can probably Google it.


Cyclists take EPOs, not pain medication. Pain is a part of this sport, deal with it  

btw, I have a background in Pharmacy and I wouldn't recommend taking any meds while riding...even if it's only acetaminophen/ibuprofen.


----------



## bq_or_bust

*Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAIDs) vs. Acetametaphin*

as some have noted already, do not take medicine during the activity. it can be taken some time after the event to aid in recovery. but, it is best to find a solution without medicine.

NSAIDs include Ibuprofen (Advil, Midol), Naprosyn (Alleve) and Aspirin (Bayer). research have noted that taking these put a toll on your kidneys, especially during an endurance activity. the nyc marathon organization switched to Acetametaphin (Tylenol) for sponsorship and discontinued Advil.

Celebrex is a Cox-2 Inhibitor. it's similar to an NSAID but, i forget why it's different. one thing is that it is easier on the stomach.

you still have to watch out for Acetametaphin. you can overdose on this medication.


----------



## nOOky

So I did the ride, and surprisingly after over 7 hours in the saddle my lower back pain wasn't any different than 3 or 5 hours. I try to hyper-extend my back as often as I can to stretch it out, and always before a hill as I might be in a static position for a while. I also stand up for short periods on the hills, and to power over rollers, and I think that helps.

To the poster above that suggests I quit doing long rides over 6 hours, you just don't understand


----------



## JCavilia

nOOky said:


> So I did the ride, and surprisingly after over 7 hours in the saddle my lower back pain wasn't any different than 3 or 5 hours. I try to hyper-extend my back as often as I can to stretch it out, and always before a hill as I might be in a static position for a while. I also stand up for short periods on the hills, and to power over rollers, and I think that helps.
> 
> To the poster above that suggests I quit doing long rides over 6 hours, you just don't understand


Maybe I don't understand. Maybe . . .

This jumped out at me:


> I also stand up for short periods on the hills, and to power over rollers, and I think that helps


.
And also this:


> before a hill as I might be in a static position for a while.


I'm almost certain that it helps to stand, and that being in a static position for a long while hurts. So why not stand more frequently, and for longer periods?

Anyway, glad you had some improvement.


----------



## nOOky

Sometimes on the singlespeed I have to stand up for the entire hill. I should have made the connection long before


----------



## MikeBiker

nOOky said:


> Sometimes on the singlespeed I have to stand up for the entire hill. I should have made the connection long before


That's why God invented gears.


----------



## ewitz

Double


----------



## ewitz

Pot Belge


----------



## vfr

ewitz said:


> Pot Belge


Damn it, the cat's out of the bag again.....

Personally, I use tart cherry juice. Don't laugh till you've tried it.


----------



## hill hunter

I personally don't like to take any pain medication during any strenuous activity. 
Pain is you bodies way of telling you something is wrong.


----------



## Rokh Hard

how about a liberal application of rule #5. mind the rules.

*RULE 5:

Harden The F- Up.*


----------



## ericm979

I thought "the rules" were satire poking fun at cyclist culture but many people seem to take them seriously. For 90% of them the right answer is the opposite of the "rule".

If you're on a long ride and you hurt bad enough to make you want to take something for it, do it. Long rides are supposed to be fun. If you're in so much excess pain that its not fun, take something.


----------



## Rokh Hard

ericm979 said:


> I thought "the rules" were satire poking fun at cyclist culture but many people seem to take them seriously. For 90% of them the right answer is the opposite of the "rule".



*RULE 10:

*It never gets easier, you just go faster. To put it another way, per Greg Henderson: “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”


*RULE 3:

*No matter how good you think your reason is (or how awesome you think you are) to knowingly breach The Rules, it is never good enough.


which brings us back to Rule #5. mind the rules.

*RULE 5:

*Harden The F- Up.


----------



## ericm979

You're proving my point there.


----------



## wgscott

Heroin




Bonus points if you cook it first in this:
































Sorry, just needling you.


----------



## Rokh Hard

ericm979 said:


> You're proving my point there.



im not proving shiiiittt for you or nobody. those are the rules. shut up and follow them.


----------



## Rokh Hard

wgscott said:


> Heroin
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bonus points if you cook it first in this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, just needling you.


excellent choice for rule 5. thats hard.


----------



## NJBiker72

Medical marijuana? Legalized here now.


----------



## tednugent

Rokh Hard said:


> im not proving shiiiittt for you or nobody. those are the rules. shut up and follow them.


Says the guy that bought GP4000 for the orange sidewall tires, in obvious violation of Rule #8.



Rule #

8

// Saddles, bars, and tires shall be carefully matched.3


Valid options are: 
◦Match the saddle to the bars and the tires to black; or
◦Match the bars to the color of the frame at the top of the head tube and the saddle to the color of the frame at the top of the seat tube and the tires to the color where they come closest to the frame; or
◦Match the saddle and the bars to the frame decals; or
◦Black, black, black

back to the original topic at hand.










There are people that take tissue rejeventor during long strenuous exercise to reduce/prevent inflammation, instead of taking NSAID


----------



## serious

I take Advil for 8 hour races, one at the start, another half way through. Managing pain (back, arms, necks, feet) when you bounce all over for 8 hours of XC racing (and single speed to boot) is critical or it can get out of hand. And fit and/or fitness are not the issue here.


----------



## Rokh Hard

tednugent said:


> Says the guy that bought GP4000 for the orange sidewall tires, in obvious violation of Rule #8.


you backwards twit. clearly you live a sheltered existence as you have no clue that the rules (in life as well) do NOT apply equally. only a elite, select few can choose to live outside the rules and you are not in the group, i am. sit down a keep your mouth shut, obey the rules and never question an Elite again. ever.





> There are people that take tissue rejeventor during long strenuous exercise to reduce/prevent inflammation, instead of taking NSAID


Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM - you have to dose SO much of this to make it effective, even though its not. dont waste your money on it, waste your moms.

if you have a wuss it (ie. "im in paaaaaaiiiiiinnnnn mommy"), take ibuprofen, caffeine. another important suppliment - 10grams of glutamine for recovery and natural GH production. omega3s are good joints as well. SuperCissus by USPLabs works well. Silica (horsetail) is great for joint maintenance (and you hair will look a good as Cipo's. well almost. ok. never.), but its good for your hair and nails too. 

then, after all that sniveling BS....apply a liberal mount of rule #5 -

*RULE 5:*

Harden The F- Up.


ps - the silly orange GP4Ks have been replaced with proper black you nOOb. rokh hard needed them for a ride and all they had were orange, green, pink sidewalls. no black. this type of application (were something is needed, but proper application is out of stock) is acceptable. however replace offending item with the proper item to maintain adherence to the rules as soon as the correct item comes in. oh, and never. ever. question me again. ever.


----------



## Upnorth

Hydro morph takes most pain away fairly quickly.


----------



## Mandeville

JCavilia said:


> What are you really giving up if you limit your rides to 6 hours or so?


The need for pain medication? 

One should never have to regularly take pain meds to be able to sustain X amount of time riding a bike. Pain meds are great for that occasional over exertion or acute injury after the fact but not for what the OP seeks.


----------



## Mr645

I use Aleve, but not until about 12-14 hours then 1 tablet and another about ten hours later. Be sure to stay hydrated as Aleve gets processed through the kidneys and kidneys don't like to be dehydrated.


----------



## BikeLayne

See your Doctor to develop a plan to return your back to good health.


----------



## Rokh Hard

meth and corn flakes


----------



## Migen21

I take 400-600mg of Ibuprofen before I ride anything longer than an hour. Or if I'm doing power training. 

I'm 52 years old, 6' 5", 245lbs, have arthritis in my hip and upper back, and have had two micro discectomies at L5-S1.

I've found that long rides actually help alleviate the stress on my lower back, so in a way, the rides themselves are physical therapy. Add that to the fact that I am completely infatuated with riding again, after taking about 25 years off (using the above mentioned health issues as an excuse).

I worked closely with my doctor, and kept notes about what OTC meds I take when, and whether it helped or not. We closely monitor my kidney and liver function, as well as other blood work to ensure what I was doing wasn't causing problems.

Taking some Iburprofen about an hour before I ride, with a small meal (very very important) makes a huge difference on how I feel on the bike for the first hour or two. When I don't take it, I find that i'm fairly uncomfortable in various ways (general stiffness, achyness, slow and lethargic legs, etc...). Once I get the first hour in, I usually feel much better. My theory about that being is that at that point the bodies own pain management system kicks in.

I did have some minor heartburn/stomach pain that seemed to be caused by taking ibuprofen right before bed, on an empty stomach. I was taking it under the belief that I would sleep a little better if I was less stiff and sore. Once I stopped taking it at night before bed (at the advice of my Doctor) the heartburn in my chest went away 

After talking with my Doctor, and looking over the data of my own personal testing, we came up with the following plan, and it seems to work well for me.

* Never take Ibuprofen at bedtime or on an empty stomach, especially before exercise. I prefer the capsules over the tablets, although I don't know if that really does make any difference.

* I take 400-600mg about an hour before a ride with a small meal (usually a half a whole grain sandwich of some kind) and a large bottle of water (pre-hydraing is good too).

* I never take it once I start riding. Mostly because I don't want it sitting in my empty stomach churning around while my body is busy doing other things (not digesting it).

* Keep notes about how much you take and when, and discuss this with you doctor when you get your check up or annual physical (ask him to specifically check your blood panels for evidence of problems).

Different doctors talk differently about this. I've ready plenty of articles online that suggest taking it with food does not reduce the risk of ulcers or organ issues, but I've also read that it does. 

I'm really not sure, so I'm playing it safe, and keeping an eye on things.

For me, it's an important part of being able to get lots of rides and lots of miles in. 

I started riding again last May 26, and have logged about 3000 miles, and lost 65 pounds (about 20 more to go). I love riding, and taking ibuprofen seems to make the experience a lot more enjoyable. The result is, I ride more, and longer.

Disclaimer: Please discuss with your doctor if you plan to take these kinds of meds regularly. You experiences may vary dramatically from mine.


----------



## OldGoose52

Migen
Its almost like I was reading about myself. I'm a year older and just a bit smaller. 
I have thoroughly enjoyed riding. I am healthier now than I have been in twenty years. Keep up the good work brother.


----------



## wgscott

Think twice about the vitamin I before the ride.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/us/fda-is-set-to-toughen-nonaspirin-warnings.html

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/for-athletes-risks-from-ibuprofen-use/


----------



## Migen21

wgscott said:


> Think twice about the vitamin I before the ride.
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/us/fda-is-set-to-toughen-nonaspirin-warnings.html


I've thought about it more than twice.


----------



## wgscott

Well, I just re-thought it two days ago. This heart failure problem was news to me, and I've been chowing the stuff like candy.


----------



## David Loving

doping is OK. Everybody dopes in one way or another.


----------



## Charlie the Unicorn

find a fitter with a good reputation for listening to his/her clients. 

popping pain meds before and during rides is not good


----------



## TheManShow

This reminds me of the day in Boot Camp when some recruit asked when he could go to the Px and buy some aspirin for pain. I ask if he thought he was really in pain, he replied yes.

I replied something like you have not experienced any pain yet. No you are not going to no PX.


----------



## Christine

I usually throw some Aleve into the granola mix on long rides, but only for convenience- I'd never pop pills like candy, despite what my husband suggests!

He's all about taking more than the recommended amount: "You're healthy and you exercise! You NEED more or it won't work!" :shocked: I told him that's not the way to go, there are risks etc.

The methylprednisolone (steroid) I'm currently taking for a cough has the amazing side effect of eliminating most of the soreness and stiffness from/after my workouts, but it's not something I'd want to take long-term, or even for races (I'm not competing for prizes, and even if I were, the down-side's not worth it.) But anything else anti-inflammatory might be the way to go.

Might I suggest yoga? That helped with my back pain considerably, worth a try. The instructor said that 3x/week is optimal.


----------



## wgscott

Actually, I eat way more ibuprofen than candy. I rarely have taken it before rides (and then it is to get rid of a headache, not in anticipation of pain).


----------



## David Loving

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Oxtox again."


----------

