Vitamin I and Alcohol++

[william jackson]

This might be like Bro science from a nurse but I was told that if a person is taking high doses of over the counter meds for an extended period of time, they should "cycle" them to prevent an excess build up, which, like everything, could be bad. I just don't know what the "limit" is.

[Wyjowe]

Well, if it was a blanket statement about OTC drugs in general it can definitely be classified as something akin to bro science..

I have never heard of the necessity of cycling NSAIDs, although it might be a good idea to get omeprazol or something like it as a preventative measure against stomach ulcers, especially when dosing high.

[Bean1871]

And this is why you are considered awesome by all.

+1

[Carlos Daniel]

I think you'd know the answer, in the form of upper belly pain. You'd have to ignore it and persist.

[cityman]

A little input from the medical side (I'm an MD - Family Medicine/Hospitalist, used to have a focus on sports med)

I think ibuprofen slows healing because it is an anti-inflammatory drug. inflammation is a necessary for tissues to heal correctly.

This statement was the most accurate of the bunch in this thread. The gist of this issue is that NSAID's like ibuprofen do indeed slow the rate of healing in soft tissue injuries, but the difference is negligible. I don't have the data on hand, but I recall a study involving a tendon injury - the difference between the NSAID group and the non-NSAID group was less than 1/2 day for an injury that took ~8-9 days to heal. Not exactly an earth-shattering difference.

Alcohol and ibuprofen: potential for stomach damage...I would just advise against washing your meds down with alcohol. As Wyjowe mentioned, an acid blocker like omeprazole (Prilosec) is advised in the setting of long term use of meds like ibuprofen to avoid the stomach issues.

Alcohol and Tylenol: it would take a hefty amount of Tylenol to be worried about a synergistic effect. 4000 mg of Tylenol daily is the maximum safe dose. Use common sense with alcohol.

Bottom line: If you're a purist and believe the results of the abovementioned study, take Tylenol (acetaminophen) rather than ibuprofen (or naproxen) for soft-tissue injuries (and probably bone) but don't expect a big difference in healing rates. Oh...and EVERYTHING in moderation...

[Tamara Reynolds]

I would just advise against washing your meds down with alcohol.

Party pooper.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

Party pooper.

Yeah. But he's right.

[cityman]

Party pooper.

I just get sick of admitting those fools to the hospital day after day...

[ColoWayno]

Party pooper.

Really. We all have to have one of those med parties where we bring our dad's heart medicine and stuff and throw it all in a big bowl and try to catch a buzz.

[ColoWayno]

Btw, my "stress fracture" seems to be switching toes. Now the gout tv commercial has me wondering if I have that.
The elbow is still sore after 3 weeks off so I'm starting to think tendinosis.

Does anyone know how to tell if you have hypochondria cause I think I have that too.