Question:
I will be doing my first marathon next weekend (Disney. I feel good about my
training, but I have been getting a small pain near heel/arch area of my right
foot 10-12 miles out. It does not stop me, but I think about it all the time. Does anyone take aspirin, tylenol, etc before their long runs. I am alittle
afraid to try something new this late in the game.
Answer:
When I do a long run on Sundays, or the marathon, I take two Alieve. From my
understanding, as long as you don't OD on these things, (only once a week)
you should be fine! A friend of mine, who was taking Tylenol for a
non-running problem, was told be his Dr. that over time, Tylenol would do
more liver damage that the other pain killers. I take ibuprofen before and, sometimes, during long runs and races. I
wouldn't worry about taking it if I were you. It has no side-effects. I was reading a Runner's World yesterday (Oct. 98) that had a runner's guide
to pain relievers. There were a few of interesting things: First, there are many pain relievers and anti-inflammatory "chemicals" on the
market. Know that all have pain relief substances, but not all have inflammatory
relief ingredients.
Second, that they can, over time, irritate your stomach, even buffered or
otherwise treated.
Third, that anti-inflammatory action does not kick in until somewhere around
the 4-5 dose. So the key to this is to take it consistently for a period of time,
but not too long (several months).
This is only my opinion, it may be right or wrong, but nevertheless I
wish to state it emphatically. NEVER take any pain killers before or
during any training runs or races.
Pain has a purpose. Listen to your body. Numbing the pain with chemicals
may indeed shave a little time off your run. It may indeed allow you to
finish the 20 mile training run. It may also turn an Achilles strain
into an Achilles tear. It may turn a sore knee into a damaged knee. Or
shin splints into a stress fracture. I don't think it's worth it.
This is not my opinion, it is a fact. Ibuprofen IS NOT a harmless drug.
It should only be taken with water and by a person who is sufficiently
hydrated. In some people the combination of ibuprofen and dehydration
(which can easily occur during running, especially the marathon) may
cause moderate to severe permanent kidney damage. It is a dangerous
practice. You might get away with it. Then again you may find yourself
on a waiting list for a transplant. Is it worth the risk?
I AM a doctor and I definitely do not recommend taking an acute dose of
non-steroidals before a run. They *will* help with recovery in someone who
has no allergy, no chronic renal problems, and no stomach contraindications
to NSAIDS, but before a run can have the very adverse effects that
rec.running members have pointed out.
I personally have a chronic knee injury and take them with plenty of fluids
about 8-10 hrs *after* a run to help reduce inflammation and muscle
soreness.
Be careful with *any* chronic meds that are not prescribed by an MD.
P.S. if you are undergoing surgery of any type (including scopes- as runners
commonly have) cut out any NSAIDS and aspirin at least 3-5 days before the
procedure or your doc will have more difficulty controlling bleeding
intraoperatively.
I don't think FDA approval is any kind of guarantee. There have been
examples of FDA approved drugs, food additives ,etc (thalidomide (sp?),
saccharine , various pesticides to name a few) which had to be withdrawn
from the market due to bad side effects. I'm not suggesting ibuprofen falls
in this category, so don't jump all over me but all FDA - approval provides
is some certainty of a minimal risk based on their guidelines of approval.
I also happen to believe that taking any NSAIDS before a long run is not a
habit I'm willing to take up, but it it falls within your risk envelope, so
be it. After all, running itself has it's own risk, so I guess we've
accepted them in taking up the sport.
