NSAID Usage

[John Drohan]

Greeting folks.

I'm approaching 46 years old and have been Crossfitting for about 13 months now. I work out on average 5 times a week and have been pleased with the results.

On the downside, my joints suffer from pretty serious soreness, both after a workout and the next day. Specifically, my knees suffer from patella-femoral pain syndrome, i.e runners knee.

I've done as much therapy as I can with respect to rolling and mobilization, but NOTHING compares to 600mg ibuprofen in the morning....(or if I'm feeling special, some prescription Diclofenac).

I've been told to avoid NSAID's as much as possible by the younger crowd who probably doesn't get as sore as I do. They claim it impedes the healing process. Research indicates that this may or may not be true.

On mornings I take the NSAID's, my knees literally feel like new and are pain free. Without it, the patella tendon under the knee feels tight and sore. I can get away with taking NSAIDs every other day to minimize reliance on it, but should I?

Anyone with thoughts on long-term health issues with a 600mg every other day dosage? Or if you can share your experience, that'd be cool too.

[Brian Strump]

NSAID's will not only decrease the proper healing cascade of chemicals, but also can result in gut issues.

On the other hand, if you continually roll and work mobility and your knees are still giving you a problem, then I will strongly suggest that your knee pain is NOT the result of poor mobility; but more likely some kind of stability or motor control issue.

Originally Posted by John Drohan

Greeting folks.

I'm approaching 46 years old and have been Crossfitting for about 13 months now. I work out on average 5 times a week and have been pleased with the results.

On the downside, my joints suffer from pretty serious soreness, both after a workout and the next day. Specifically, my knees suffer from patella-femoral pain syndrome, i.e runners knee.

I've done as much therapy as I can with respect to rolling and mobilization, but NOTHING compares to 600mg ibuprofen in the morning....(or if I'm feeling special, some prescription Diclofenac).

I've been told to avoid NSAID's as much as possible by the younger crowd who probably doesn't get as sore as I do. They claim it impedes the healing process. Research indicates that this may or may not be true.

On mornings I take the NSAID's, my knees literally feel like new and are pain free. Without it, the patella tendon under the knee feels tight and sore. I can get away with taking NSAIDs every other day to minimize reliance on it, but should I?

Anyone with thoughts on long-term health issues with a 600mg every other day dosage? Or if you can share your experience, that'd be cool too.

[John Drohan]

Originally Posted by Brian Strump

NSAID's will not only decrease the proper healing cascade of chemicals, but also can result in gut issues.

On the other hand, if you continually roll and work mobility and your knees are still giving you a problem, then I will strongly suggest that your knee pain is NOT the result of poor mobility; but more likely some kind of stability or motor control issue.

Brian, thanks for the reply. Yes, I would agree with your last statement. When I went for therapy last year, there were a host of issues with my lower body. Namely weak hips, tight hamstrings, etc. I've been slowly making progress with those things as well as trying to make sure my knees track correctly during any type of squat movement. Obviously, I'm not quite there yet.

[Brian Strump]

Originally Posted by John Drohan

Brian, thanks for the reply. Yes, I would agree with your last statement. When I went for therapy last year, there were a host of issues with my lower body. Namely weak hips, tight hamstrings, etc. I've been slowly making progress with those things as well as trying to make sure my knees track correctly during any type of squat movement. Obviously, I'm not quite there yet.

Keep working at it. We've got a handful of 60+ men at our affiliate keeping the youngsters on their toes.

[Mustafa Tahir]

I would not use any NSAID for prolonged periods of time - short bursts at best. They can seriously damage the lining of your stomach and cause ulcers, so be very careful, and always take with some food.

(Source: I'm a qualified pharmacist)

[Will Seavey]

I agree with Mustafa, another option would be to try to mix in an acetaminophen arthritis (extended release tabs) in the morning. Definitely friendlier than an nsaid. Use the nsaid off and on but try the acetaminophen for a period. Just don't mix it with other acetaminophen products.

[John Drohan]

Originally Posted by Mustafa Tahir

I would not use any NSAID for prolonged periods of time - short bursts at best. They can seriously damage the lining of your stomach and cause ulcers, so be very careful, and always take with some food.

(Source: I'm a qualified pharmacist)

Mustafa, thanks for your reply as well. Would you say that the side effects you mention above are dosage dependent? If so, at what dosage would the danger of these side effects become most prevalent?

I'm seeing studies online that classify high dosage as 1800mg/day which seems like a TON to me. The minimum amount that seems to work for me is 600mg every other day and I'm wondering if the issues you mention above would still likely come into play.

[John Drohan]

Originally Posted by Will Seavey

I agree with Mustafa, another option would be to try to mix in an acetaminophen arthritis (extended release tabs) in the morning. Definitely friendlier than an nsaid. Use the nsaid off and on but try the acetaminophen for a period. Just don't mix it with other acetaminophen products.

Will, I'm a bit more cautious when it comes to acetaminophen based on the dangers of liver damage. Add that to the fact that I'm known to "on occasion" have a few drinks now and again, and you have the main reason I've shied away from using that for pain management.

[Brian Strump]

It's not just daily dosage, but long term. The bottle specifically, usually states if you still have problems after 7-10 days, consult your physician. There's a reason for that.

[Mustafa Tahir]

Originally Posted by John Drohan

Mustafa, thanks for your reply as well. Would you say that the side effects you mention above are dosage dependent? If so, at what dosage would the danger of these side effects become most prevalent?

I'm seeing studies online that classify high dosage as 1800mg/day which seems like a TON to me. The minimum amount that seems to work for me is 600mg every other day and I'm wondering if the issues you mention above would still likely come into play.

Everybody is difficult, and generally, ibuprofen at the dose you're taking it is safe. But when you're taking it on a long term basis, it's effect becomes cumulative. You need to get the main problems addressed, as I'm certain you will know already.

NSAIDs are short term solutions at best. Paracetamol can of course problematic for the liver, so I wouldn't take that as a long term solution either.