NSAIDS
gd2, that’s very interesting, how you can claim to know how little I know about NSAIDS. I’m familiar with them, and my dog is also on a prescribed one now and has been many times over the years.
While the wiki site may not be complete with info, it gives a person a reason to do further research and rethink taking them, but I am certainly not advocating not using NSAIDS. Also, over-the-counter meds can be dangerous as prescribed meds.
If you read this link, you can stop being uninformed and learn something that you seem to not know about them:
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/medicationanddrugs/a/OTC_Meds.htm
It’s recommeneded that a person DOES NOT take an NSAID before or during a sports activity.
I think to give medical advice without any knowledge is dangerous, and that is what you are doing, then saying how well informed you are when you obviously are not.
I posted the link for helpful advice, not to show your ignorance.
Also, anyone who takes over-the-counter meds should consult their pharmacist and/or doctor, as it can conflict with any other medications a person may be taking.
Stick to kayaking advice.
-Capri
Exercise
Walk, jog, run, stretch, lift light weights daily. A small Knob Creek,Makers Mark, or wine and cheese in the evening. Be one with nature, no negitive vibes.
I like the way Quinn cites her own
recommendation in another article. Real professional. She does not clarify why ibuprofen is not recommended before endurance exercise except to echo your concern that it might hide pain that would serve as a signal. She appears to admit that some studies show better performance on ibuprofen. She provides no references.
Note that even sea kayaking often does not qualify as endurance exercise. So you got one author who cites herself. Quinn's articles are rather disappointing, like the wikipedia article you pointed to. Generalizations, and a failure to get down to cases.
Note that whitewater paddling is NOT endurance exercise.
I'm sure you feel very insulted, but I hope your dog is comfortable and happy.
Attached is a link that covers the
aspirin-ibuprofen-naproxen issue. Compared to many other articles I've read, this is a good summary. It does not treat the issue of whether to take pain killers before, during, or after exercise, and pertains mainly to people who have to take low dose aspirin for cardiovascular reasons, but may want to take another med for pain.
http://www.om-pc.com/content/2/1/2
Here’s a pretty good discussion.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/phys-ed-does-ibuprofen-help-or-hurt-during-exercise/
Note that the pnet format may require you to pick up this long link by hand.
This does cite specific studies showing negative effects of pre-dosing with ibuprofen by athletes prior to an event. Very interesting.
However, perhaps because I am a weekend warrior and not an endurance athlete, my own do/don’t do tests have shown that an Aleve before paddling consistently leads to less pain later on. Of course, a single OTC Aleve is probably a good deal less than serious athletes take. My advice: keep your NSAID doses low, and don’t just assume it works. Find a way of measuring your own response, and keep trying with or without until you’re sure the placebo effect is no longer active.
Pineapple Bromelaine (sp?)
I have arthritus and fibromyalgia. Everything hurts. I've been taking this pineapple bromelain for several months now and it helps immensely. The only downside is that you have to take it on an empty stomach or it doesn't work as a painkiller.
Now, is it working due to the "placebo" effect? I don't know and don't care, 'cuz it works for me!
Well said, but…
I refuse to buy into the culture of taking a pill for everything and avoid taking medications unless I'm really sick or injured. However, I feel the same way about popping huge amounts of vitamins or other supplements. Vitamins are not benign in large doses and substituting one type of pill for another is not much of a gain in quality of life, IMO. Vitamins and other dietary supplements are also very fad-driven, with little reliable research available and essentially zero regulation of the industry, that is, until people get hurt. It seems to me that the supplement industry is far worse than "big pharma" in pushing their wares, employing lots of scare tactics, half-truths, pseudo-science and outright lies. Supplements can also be very expensive and they're not covered by insurance. Wherever there is huge money to be made, you can expect greed and corrupt behavior. It doesn't matter whether the product is a drug, supplement, vitamin or all-natural remedy.
A healthy diet, perhaps supplemented with a multivitamin, is all that most people should need to lead an active life. Avoiding both schools of pill-popping seems like the best idea to me.
FWIW, I don't drink coffee, "energy drinks" or soft drinks. While they're fine in moderation, the way I see it, if you NEED those to get you through the day - as way too many people do - you're an addict and I refuse to allow myself to go there. The industries that push these products are just as greedy and corrupt as the pharmacy and supplement industries.