Pain Medication Before Exercise

[Pilotman]

One for Sheryl I think.   I am by most measures an old man, 72, but I am slim, fit and exercise regularly. Despite not wishing to do it, I now need to take some pain medication before I go to the gym, in order to do the regime I set for myself.  The regime is not hard by young man standards, but probably is for someone my age. 40 minutes cardio, with my heart rate between 130 to 145. Its a  conundrum.  I know that it's not a good idea to take the meds (2 Ultracet one hour before), but I also know that my ability to exercise and therefore my motivation is impacted if I don't, as I do have some arthritis and some other joint issues due to a bout of Dengue fever many years  ago.  Its not every time, but maybe once or twice a week. Is it psychological, well maybe it is a bit, but is it dangerous?  Does anyone else my age, or similar, find themselves in a similar situation?  

[robblok]

Problem might be that you go through warning signals (pain) however if that is not the case. I am not sure how it works with arthritis. 

 

Two times a week should not be a problem IMHO if you don't damage your body more. 

 

I know of many who take pain medicine and exercise (but that is generally not for a prolonged period) I mean your talking about always. Having said that 2 times a week should not be a problem.

[VocalNeal]

Thanks for the reminder. 1 Ibuprofen 2hrs before running. Quells the odd twinge.

[northsouthdevide]

I'm no doctor, but I would call what you are doing wrong. 

Professional athletes may take pain killers before a game or contest, but you're just a normal guy who's maybe not listening to his body. 

What about a less strenuous form of exercise, that doesn't put a load on the area where the pain is? 

[robblok]

1 minute ago, northsouthdevide said:

I'm no doctor, but I would call what you are doing wrong. 

Professional athletes may take pain killers before a game or contest, but you're just a normal guy who's maybe not listening to his body. 

What about a less strenuous form of exercise, that doesn't put a load on the area where the pain is? 

Im not sure that this is the case the guy has arthritis. So exercise hurts. I doubt that it gets worse through exercise.

 

I get it if some guy like me who has a shoulder injury takes it and does shoulder exercises. That would be bad as then you go through pain that acts as a warning signal. In the case of arthritis the pain is not a warning signal but there all the time.

 

Question is more how bad is taking painkillers twice a week. Personally think that can be done. But lets wait for Sheryll to comment.

[Henryford]

Why, at 72, do you need such a drastic exercise regime, which causes pain. I would have thought just normal gentle exercise would be better for you.

[ThailandRyan]

I personally take 2 Tylenol 500 mg's about an hour before I go out and do my morning run.  Having had a double back fusion, triple neck fusion, both shoulders surgically repaired, and now the start of Arthritis the Tylenol makes it easier for me to move and not be locked up.  A nice Hot bath afterwards also helps alleviate the pain that comes as I start to stiffen up.  Stretching is also key.

[Boomer6969]

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I personally take 2 Tylenol 500 mg's about an hour before I go out and do my morning run.  Having had a double back fusion, triple neck fusion, both shoulders surgically repaired, and now the start of Arthritis the Tylenol makes it easier for me to move and not be locked up.  A nice Hot bath afterwards also helps alleviate the pain that comes as I start to stiffen up.  Stretching is also key.

I'd go swimming if I was you. Shoulders may hurt, but you could  get fins and not strain your arms. Snorkel and light mask or goggles can add to the fun.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Boomer6969

[BritManToo]

47 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Does anyone else my age, or similar, find themselves in a similar situation?  

At 64, I exercise 1hr+ every day and would never consider taking pain meds before exercise.

Pain is your body warning you to stop, you shouldn't be suppressing those warnings.

Normally ankle or knee pain tells me to slowdown or stop.

 

After is an entirely different matter, depending on the frequency and intensity of the pain.

I suffer constant shin splints, bit of a tingle more than pain, and I can live with that.

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by BritManToo

[Pilotman]

19 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Why, at 72, do you need such a drastic exercise regime, which causes pain. I would have thought just normal gentle exercise would be better for you.

Its a good question.  I see many men of my age who can't walk upright, stumble around, limp, can't run and just look old and knackered.  I don't intend to ever be like that,  short of my 90s, so the exercise means that I walk properly, don't have any issues moving around, or with blood pressure, or diabetes, or in bed with Mrs P, or passing my flying medicals every 6 months.  It works for me, that's why I need to keep it going. 

[Pilotman]

12 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

I'd go swimming if I was you. Shoulders may hurt, but you could  get fins and not strain your arms. Snorkel and light mask or goggles can add to the fun.

 

 

yes I do, but I don't get the increased heart rate for long enough and frankly, swimming bores the hell out of me. 

[BigStar]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Normally ankle or knee pain tells me to slowdown or stop.

It would tell me to investigate the cause of the pain, use physical therapy to eliminate the cause, and then get back to the routine or change it.

 

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I suffer constant shin splints, bit of a tingle more than pain, and I can live with that.

Case in point. Shin splints are normally not difficult to eliminate if you work at doing so.

[ThailandRyan]

15 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

I'd go swimming if I was you. Shoulders may hurt, but you could  get fins and not strain your arms. Snorkel and light mask or goggles can add to the fun.

 

 

My problem is I also swim as well. I run 5 days a week, 35 to 50 km a week. I have run since I was on a track team and played football. Threw Shotput, discus, and Hammer in College.  Olympic trials qualifier in 1988.  Then the real world called....Always been a big man, 6' tall and 96 kg.

[Pilotman]

26 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I personally take 2 Tylenol 500 mg's about an hour before I go out and do my morning run.  Having had a double back fusion, triple neck fusion, both shoulders surgically repaired, and now the start of Arthritis the Tylenol makes it easier for me to move and not be locked up.  A nice Hot bath afterwards also helps alleviate the pain that comes as I start to stiffen up.  Stretching is also key.

We don't have a bath in our house, only showers, but I think its a great idea.  That maybe the next purchase, as Mrs P got to like them in the UK. 

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, BigStar said:

Case in point. Shin splints are normally not difficult to eliminate if you work at doing so.

BS, you either suffer from them or you don't.

Nothing at all to be done apart from not exercise.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

We don't have a bath in our house, only showers, but I think its a great idea.  That maybe the next purchase, as Mrs P got to like them in the UK. 

Luckily I have a Jacuzzi tub in my condo unit, and can still look out over Bangkok while I soak in it.  My pain is the residual from the surgeries.  Without the surgeries, I would not be able to move or do what I do now.  I know that pain is the bodies way of telling us to slow down, but when pain is part of your everyday life issue then you just accept it and push on.  If you don't you would be no better then 1 foot out of the grave.  Not my style, going to go down swinging when the Reaper decides to come for me.  Yet I am only 55 now.  Retired early because they forced me out after 30+ years and put me out on a medical retirement.

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

BS, you either suffer from them or you don't.

Nothing at all to be done apart from not exercise.

Shin splints are horrible.  I don't suffer from them now, as I stopped road running many years ago, but I remember them as being very debilitating. The bane of my life is gout, which I do suffer from regularly. Also very painful and required to have at hand a set of trainers one size larger that normal . 

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

BS, you either suffer from them or you don't.

Nothing at all to be done apart from not exercise.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shin-splints/symptoms-causes/syc-20354105#:~:text=of Home Remedies-,Symptoms,stress reaction or stress fracture.

 

That is not what they say on this website. I have no experience so I dont know for sure.

[cyril sneer]

so (ultracet) that's roughly 70mg of tramadol twice a week, i would say that's doing hardly any harm

 

if anything it'll give you more energy meaning a better workout, and more motivation to go rather than skip days

[Pilotman]

well all, I had the medication at 10am, so off to the gym now, ????

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shin-splints/symptoms-causes/syc-20354105#:~:text=of Home Remedies-,Symptoms,stress reaction or stress fracture.

 

That is not what they say on this website. I have no experience so I dont know for sure.

If you read it carefully, it says cured by rest = not exercising.

Although their description is wrong, my pain is always in a line in front of the bone 1/3 of the bone between knee and foot. All the athletes sites suggest it's something you suffer from or not.     

 

You don't do much running/hiking/cycling, all gym for you so you wouldn't suffer from it.     

First month of COVID I did no exercise and it went away, but I put on 5Kg.

Now back to 20Km cycling every day and it's back.        

Edited July 4, 2020 by BritManToo

[BigStar]

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

yes I do, but I don't get the increased heart rate for long enough and frankly, swimming bores the hell out of me. 

Actually you need only short intense intervals to produce the same effect you're looking for. You can cut your time on the treadmill by half. It'd be a waste of time to get into some long discussion w/ the ignorant here (as has already started) but if interested you may google around for some studies and you'll see what I mean.

 

Moreover, the heart doesn't know or care about what's causing it work harder. Doesn't have to be just from jogging, which is after all notorious for causing joint/tendon problems anyway. Could be from lifting relatively light weights a few repetitions very slowly until exhaustion. Ken Cooper, bless 'im, only got part of it right.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

If you read it carefully, it says cured by rest = not exercising.

Although their description is wrong, my pain is always in a line in front of the bone 1/3 of the bone between knee and foot. All the athletes sites suggest it's something you suffer from or not.     

 

You don't do much running/hiking, all gym for you so you wouldn't suffer from it.              

No I dont suffer from it and yes i read it was cured by rest. That does not mean it will come back after a rest. They said its by increasing exercise too fast. Anyway, you got personal experience I dont so you probably know best.

[JensenZ]

37 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

At 64, I exercise 1hr+ every day and would never consider taking pain meds before exercise.

Pain is your body warning you to stop, you shouldn't be suppressing those warnings.

Normally ankle or knee pain tells me to slowdown or stop.

 

After is an entirely different matter, depending on the frequency and intensity of the pain.

I suffer constant shin splints, bit of a tingle more than pain, and I can live with that.

 

It's not quite like that with arthritis. I wouldn't call it a warning sign, but a constant reminder that the joints are permanently damaged and have seen better days. If a person takes arthritic pain as a warning sign he would never exercise as the pain is persistent without exercise. One has to weigh up the risk of exercising on painful joints to the risk of never exercising. One has to choose the lesser evil.

 

The question here is whether pain medication is more of a health risk than not exercising at all. At advancing age there's a huge psychological component to exercising that needs to considered here.

Edited July 4, 2020 by JensenZ

[4reaL]

10 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

so (ultracet) that's roughly 70mg of tramadol twice a week, i would say that's doing hardly any harm

 

if anything it'll give you more energy meaning a better workout, and more motivation to go rather than skip days

 

Tramadol is addictive even though a synthetic opiate.

I'd be careful taking that repetitively.  

[northsouthdevide]

44 minutes ago, robblok said:

Im not sure that this is the case the guy has arthritis. So exercise hurts. I doubt that it gets worse through exercise.

 

I get it if some guy like me who has a shoulder injury takes it and does shoulder exercises. That would be bad as then you go through pain that acts as a warning signal. In the case of arthritis the pain is not a warning signal but there all the time.

 

Question is more how bad is taking painkillers twice a week. Personally think that can be done. But lets wait for Sheryll to comment.

I agree that taking pain killers twice a week will do nothing wrong at all. 

I just don't get the taking them in anticipation of pain, brought on by exercise. 

I hope the op can find a solution. 

I know there's not many better feelings than feeling fit after the gym, but be it arthritis or something else, pain is an important part of how your body works, and if it's giving you a message, then you shouldn't ignore it. 

The op stated that he takes meds before exercise, so I assume that other than after the gym, that the pain is eather none exist ant, or bearable. 

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, northsouthdevide said:

I agree that taking pain killers twice a week will do nothing wrong at all. 

I just don't get the taking them in anticipation of pain, brought on by exercise. 

I hope the op can find a solution. 

I know there's not many better feelings than feeling fit after the gym, but be it arthritis or something else, pain is an important part of how your body works, and if it's giving you a message, then you shouldn't ignore it. 

The op stated that he takes meds before exercise, so I assume that other than after the gym, that the pain is eather none exist ant, or bearable. 

I get the OP.. i would not do it with a shoulder injury or something that heals. However arthritis is never going away always painful and wont get worse because of exercise. So in that case i look at it differently. 

 

Pain for an normal injury is different. That is my point. 

[JensenZ]

11 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Actually you need only short intense intervals to produce the same effect you're looking for. You can cut your time on the treadmill by half. It'd be a waste of time to get into some long discussion w/ the ignorant here (as has already started) but if interested you may google around for some studies and you'll see what I mean.

 

Moreover, the heart doesn't know or care about what's causing it work harder. Doesn't have to be just from jogging, which is after all notorious for causing joint/tendon problems anyway. Could be from lifting relatively light weights a few repetitions very slowly until exhaustion. Ken Cooper, bless 'im, only got part of it right.

Slow down, please. We are not talking about a young person here. Short intense intervals of any exercise are not useful and very dangerous to someone of advancing age. All that is required is some exercise that involves movement, and slow swimming is a great idea. The last thing we want is for the OP to suffer a heart attack. 

[Boomer6969]

30 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Its a good question.  I see many men of my age who can't walk upright, stumble around, limp, can't run and just look old and knackered.  I don't intend to ever be like that,  short of my 90s, so the exercise means that I walk properly, don't have any issues moving around, or with blood pressure, or diabetes, or in bed with Mrs P, or passing my flying medicals every 6 months.  It works for me, that's why I need to keep it going. 

I sympathise, however I think that we must all find the right balance between ageing and keeping fit. I am an avid cyclist who 2 years back used to ride 10000kms a year under the Issan sun. I took me a long time to accept that this worsened my three (interrelated?) prostate conditions. Now I push myself to be more active around the house, make sure I get over 10000 steps a day, do an occasional ride or swim, and feel generally much better physically and mentally as I am more useful and available for my family. 

Also many of us males would err by setting ourselves unnecessary challenges, you know, the 10000k, 15000k or worse thing. Pushing the limits when we are 25 is fun, after 60? Dunno..

 

[Lacessit]

IMO some posters have confused painkillers with anti-inflammatories.

Using painkillers to mask pain is a bad idea, because more damage is being done.

I used to use anti-inflammatories for many years, to counter chronic osteoarthritis of the lower spine. I now rely on a combination of Thai massage twice a week, and stretching exercises every morning. I gave up the anti-inflammatories 5 years ago, they caused other complications.

The motto of physiotherapists with arthritis is use it or lose it. I'd suggest the OP would benefit by easing into his gym work with gentle stretching exercises, and a bit of massage afterwards would not be amiss either.