Which pain reliever?

[martini159]

I know ibuprofen is pretty much synonymous with the AT, but I was wondering if people had hiked with something different like aspirin, acetaminophen, or naproxen sodium and had preferred it to vitamin I.

Take it easy,
Martin

[Snowleopard]

Ibuprofen, naproxen and to a degree, aspirin, reduce inflammation, so are better for some kinds of overuse injuries/pains. They tend to upset some people's stomachs. I use ibuprofen for aches, pains and arthritis. When I hurt my back, prescription strength Ibuprofen was a godsend.

Tylenol works much better for me for headaches or fever. Tylenol is less likely to upset your stomach. Taking excessive amounts of tylenol can cause liver damage. Don't take tylenol while you're drinking alcohol.

[Ridge Rat]

The best thing for trail NSAIDs is Ibuprofen. Aspirin is a blood thinner, while great for headache's and heart attacks, it doesn't relieve swelling which most trail pains come from. You can take up to 4 ibuprofen (200mg OTC) to match prescription based variety (800mg) every 4 hours and it reduces swelling quite well. Remember the body causes swelling after pain to protect the area, swelling causes pain, which in turn causes more swelling. Never hurts to break the cycle. I would stay away from tylonol other that fevers which it works quite well for to break the fever. Anyhow, thats coming from a certified Paramedic. I dont claim to be a Dr. but I know a thing or 2 sometimes. When in doubt ask a Dr.

[Plodderman]

Motrin does the trick for me.

[saimyoji]

meditation, breathing and stretching.....




.....and bourbon

[Hoop Time]

Motrin does the trick for me.

No need to waste money on brand names. Generic Ibuprofen is the same stuff.

[Ender]

Whiskey is a good bet too...

[Wags]

advil liquigels are more friendly to your stomach and also stronger than regular ibuprofen, so you don't need to carry as many

[Engine]

Guinness!!!

[bigcranky]

I use naproxin sodium on the advice of my doc and trainer. One tablet with breakfast and one with dinner. Easier to remember and fewer pills to carry and count.

As with any NSAID, there are nasty side effects, so I wouldn't advise doing this without talking to your doc first.

[Alaskanhkr23]

Naproxin is extremely bad for your liver.I would get your doctor to perscribe low milagram percocet or vicoden.

[Hooch]

advil liquigels are more friendly to your stomach and also stronger than regular ibuprofen, so you don't need to carry as many

While I do agree that Advil Liquigels are more stomach friendly for some folks than tablets are, I have to say that they are not stronger then generic ibuprofen. A tablet of generic ibuprofen, a tablet of Motrin and an Advil Liquicap all contain the exact same amount of medication (200mg ibuprofen), thereby rendering their strength equal.

[Hooch]

Naproxin is extremely bad for your liver.I would get your doctor to perscribe low milagram percocet or vicoden.

This is very ill-advised. As always, naproxen should be avoided by those with impaired hepatic function, but elevated liver function testing occurs in less than 1% of patients. So if you have a normal liver, then taking naproxen at prescried dosing doesn't put your liver at any more risk than any other NSAID.

Although this has been the subject of controversy on WB in the past, taking narcotics such as Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen) or Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen), IMO isn't the best of ideas. You're taking a narcotic (synthetic codeine) that could impair relexes, decision making, manual dexterity or other essential functions that could lead to injury in the back country. I know there are those who do, but again, I do think this is a bad idea.

[Survivor Dave]

Use nothing.

Just suck it up. You'll have better stories to tell your grandchildren.

[Alaskanhkr23]

yeah it only impairs,when you have taken more than the reg.dosage. If you take one 5mg percocet when pain accurs twice a day,and not go running the trail you should be fine.

[10-K]

I find that hitting my finger with a hammer makes me forget pain anywhere else in my body.

But more on topic, generic ibuprofen for me in 200mg strength so I can tweak the dosage.

[OldStormcrow]

Cheap ibuprofen and expensive Irish whiskey....

[Hooch]

yeah it only impairs,when you have taken more than the reg.dosage. If you take one 5mg percocet when pain accurs twice a day,and not go running the trail you should be fine.

This is also very ill advised. Percocet isn't indicated for mild aches, but rather for moderate-severe pain. Even taken at their prescribed doses, narcotic pain medication such as Percocet can impair judgement and motor skills. In taking narcotic pain meds (opioid agonists), there are many variables to take into account. Things like body weight, metabolism, and tolerance among them. Also, bear in mind that Percocet, along with other narcotic pain medications are habit forming and potentially addictive. So, taking this routinely for minor aches when something less potent, such as an NSAID, would be sufficient is nothing short of a bad idea.

[Snowleopard]

I find that hitting my finger with a hammer makes me forget pain anywhere else in my body.

Well, I hit my hand while I was on prescription strength Ibuprofen for a dental problem. It was sore for a day or so. Then a week later when I went off the ibuprofen my hand swelled up and hurt again.

[bigcranky]

The other problem with vike and percocet is that they do nothing for the inflammation which is the source of the pain for me (tendonitis.)