Doping on the trail?

[HelveticHiker]

Right now, I'm wondering, what to pack in my first aid kit. What about pain killers?
Do you pack pain killers and if yes, what brand and when do you take it? Only if you are in real pain, or you start taking it even for sore muscles and hurting feet? Or are you taking it even in advance to prevent pain? And is this already considerd doping? Not that WADA cares, but I still wonder...

[garlic08]

I have a different point of view than many and do not pack pain killers. I never take over-the-counter pain killers if I hurt when I'm hiking. Hiking is optional--if it hurts, I do it differently--slow down, carry less, use poles, wear different shoes--I've done all those during my long hiking career to remain pain- and drug-free. The meds are kind of scary to me.

[MuddyWaters]

Ibuprofen and a few oxycodone

These arent to alleviate daily aches, they are to help get you to next town if injured. Without having to call someone to rescue you.

High fever
Toothache
Sprained ankle
Stress fracture
Kidney stone
Tendonitis/itb
Etc

Theres people that carry 3 ibuprofen. After walking 40 miles with severe tendonitis /ITB once, and similar with a tibial stress fracture, I carry 8 per day, for every day between longest resupply.

[Doc]

Vitamin I, or in my case vitamin M (Motrin) is my friend. I take 2 at lunch break and 2 at end of day hiking when putting in the miles. I take 81 mg. of aspirin daily and carry a few Tylenol.

[Christoph]

I carry a few Ibuprofen (which I never used on the trail oddly enough) and Doan's back pain meds for my lower back that likes to slip out of place once in a while (really thankful I never had to use that either).

[egilbe]

I carry a dozen or so of Ibuprofen. I use them mostly to alleviate hip pain/muscle soreness so I can sleep at night, otherwise the pain keeps me awake. The few nights I actually needed them, they were a godsend. But, mostly I dont need them after a few days on the trail. I do what garlic does.

[Engine]

I prefer Naproxen over Ibuprofen and carry a 4-5 day supply for the same reasons mentioned by MuddyWaters above. Normally I don't ever use them, but after spraining an ankle in GSMNP and having to hike a very painful 2 days back to the trail head years ago, I carry them now. As for OTC meds, Immodium is probably much more important the analgesics.

[LoneStranger]

... As for OTC meds, Immodium is probably much more important the analgesics.

I have carried both in my FAK for years and have had to replace them annually as they are rarely used. Seemed sort of silly, but I kept doing it. On a four day December trek in the Whites I discovered that my six year old had dosed me with an intestinal bug before I left home as it kicked in on my third night out. Boy was I glad I'd kept those drugs up to date! Fever and diarrhea are enough trouble during the regular season but can kill you fast in true Winter conditions. Can't imagine how that hike out, let alone the three hour drive home, would have gone if I hadn't had the loperamide along.

[colorado_rob]

Good for those who can hike relatively pain free without the use of any anti-inflammatory "boost", I envy you. My wife, essentially my same age (60) can. I suffer from some ankle and knee use-issues, and a standard dose around mid-day of Vitamin I makes my afternoons much more enjoyable. I sometimes use Naproxen (single tablet), figuring mixing it up a bit might be better, who knows, I see no difference between the two.

Relatively recently, for a chronic Achilles tendonitis issue, my doc suggest taking a Turmeric supplement and I actually noticed some improvement, surprisingly to me. On this year's AT hike, I'm going to experiment a bit trying to rely only on that, though I doubt that will be sufficient. Maybe I can cut the dose of Vitamin-I using the turmeric.

We also always carry a supply of Imodium, and even a few tablets of both Cipro and Vicodin, which we always carry for big mountaineering expeditions, and out of habit carry for regular hiking. I've seen Cipro "save the day" on such expeditions, and arguably Vicodin "saved me" on a climb one time, I fell and broke a rib up high on a mountain, and might have had to be evac'd. Vicodin enabled me to hike down on my own. My doc trusts me implicitly and scripts out these two drugs when we go on serious stuff.

[bigcranky]

Good for those who can hike relatively pain free without the use of any anti-inflammatory "boost", I envy you. My wife, essentially my same age (60) can.

Yeah, my wife can hike without any pain or pain meds, I am not so lucky. I generally use Aleve as I only need to worry about two pills a day.

For this sort of medication, long term use really does require a medical consult. A thru hike would be long term.

[Engine]

...My doc trusts me implicitly and scripts out these two drugs when we go on serious stuff.

Same here, we just got a script for Doxycycline in case of Lyme or one of my wife's annual ear infections which might arise on the thru-hike. It's gotten to the point where he asks me what I need on the rare occasions I see him.

[Busky2]

Celebrix for inflammation everyday Tramadol for pain three times a day every day that's to get up and move on any day. When hiking I add a knee brace and Vit I twice a day and if needed Vicodin 5/300 and if things get real bad I have a Medrol dose pack and some Oxycontin to help me if I need to get off trail. Why? gout, plantar fiscitis, arthritis, and degenerative disc disease, these can make for some painful days on the trail. I have damaged lungs and corneas but they require no meds just some artificial tears and slow uphill climbs.

[ScareBear]

Ibuprofen, for certain. It is an anti-inflammatory and the trail inflames me. Well, it inflames my connective tissue. Vitamin I is excellent at helping that. It doesn't matter what or how I hike, with the RA/PA going on anything causes inflammation....

Immodium as well. Take two with the first rumblings and one more and that usually stop it...

7.5/325 hydrododone/tylenol for the end of the day pain...

Carisoprodol for back pain...

Believe it or not, that's it. Except for max dose of atorvastatin for FHC...not too bad for an old guy!!!!

[Slo-go'en]

I use plain old aspirin. I find taking it early in the day before I start to hurt is better then later in the day after I start to hurt. By taking it early, I don't hurt as much later. I typically use it most early in the hike then tapper off to little or none later on after I get back into shape after sitting around for most of the winter.

Of course, us older hikers then to use the pain killers a bit more then the youngsters and middle aged hikers.

[HelveticHiker]

Wow, great, thank you very much for all you answers, your advices and some quite impressive medical experiences. I'm not planing on taking pain killers regularly but I will now definitly pack some "Vitamin I" (funny , I've never heard the expression so far...) as some of you wrote, it can help you make it through the day when the pain kicks in - or of course in case of injury.

[Dogwood]

Ibuprofen is common, so common of an abused trail drug that some joking refer to it as a vitamin, a needed substance.

[Dogwood]

I have a different point of view than many and do not pack pain killers. I never take over-the-counter pain killers if I hurt when I'm hiking. Hiking is optional--if it hurts, I do it differently--slow down, carry less, use poles, wear different shoes--I've done all those during my long hiking career to remain pain- and drug-free. The meds are kind of scary to me.

This^^^. Although I will include some naproxen(Alleve) in a FAK which I don't abuse - use regularly as a needed relied upon drug.

Inflammation is the source of many types of pain. Anti inflammatory diets and lifestyle choices to address causes is the approach I'd rather take than habitually masking symptoms with drugs.

[colorado_rob]

This^^^. Although I will include some naproxen(Alleve) in a FAK which I don't abuse - use regularly as a needed relied upon drug.

Inflammation is the source of many types of pain. Anti inflammatory diets and lifestyle choices to address causes is the approach I'd rather take than habitually masking symptoms with drugs.

Ibuprofen doesn't just mask inflammation, it reduces it. Again, good for you to those that can hike long distance without it, some of us are not that fortunate. I've been on anti inflammatory diet for years, noticing no difference, but it's a healthier diet anyway, so what the heck. Except beer. Maybe quit that??? Nah, na-ga-da !

[Dogwood]

Micro beers are a key component to the anti inflammatory diet. They keep me from getting inflamed at my family.

[Odd Man Out]

I also do not take pain killers as a rule. I take baby Aspirin for my heart. I have tried pain killers at bed time if the aches are keeping me from sleeping, but I can't say they helped. Never v used during the day.