Does Ibuprofen actually help with inflammation, or does it just mask pain?

[Dream Evil]

Nursing a knee injury......I've been icing and taking Advil.

Just wondering, does the Ibuprofen actually help with recovery, or does it essentially just mask the pain? Is it worth staying on it for a week or more to help with recovery?

 

[shincheckin]

Nursing a knee injury......I've been icing and taking Advil.

Just wondering, does the Ibuprofen actually help with recovery, or does it essentially just mask the pain? Is it worth staying on it for a week or more to help with recovery?

it helps reduce inflammation and mask pain, it does both things. but the inflammation process is part of the healing process, so from what I can gather, it would actually hinder the healing time. If your taking ibuprofen and than training on your knee or something, stop.

ncbi is the site to check for legit studies.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23982408

 

[beat...people...up?]

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs can reduce inflammation, but inflammation is part of the healing response, so as the poster above noted, this can actually hinder your healing. Like cortisone shots, NSAIDs are a double-edged sword.

Also, I once gave myself an ulcer by OD'ing on NSAIDs during a competitive racing season back in my running days. That was very not fun. So be careful.

 

[Pope Leo VII]

doctors routinely prescribe 800 and 1600mg doses, I wouldnt worry about any possible harmful effects

pop this shit like skittles

 

[shincheckin]

doctors routinely prescribe 800 and 1600mg doses, I wouldnt worry about any possible harmful effects

pop this shit like skittles

hey dude im not a dr but i am a nurse, you are absolutely right that dr's prescribe them routinely, but frequent and prolonged use will definitely cause negative side effects such as GI irritation and ulcers

 

[Grrrr]

hey dude im not a dr but i am a nurse, you are absolutely right that dr's prescribe them routinely, but frequent and prolonged use will definitely cause negative side effects such as GI irritation and ulcers

Put me in the hospital for 5 days. Irritated my intestines and they swelled shut. Worst pain I've ever been in...and I've been thrown out of a moving car before. So what you are saying is absolutely correct.

 

[Dream Evil]

Thanks guys.

 

[Hotora86]

doctors routinely prescribe 800 and 1600mg doses, I wouldnt worry about any possible harmful effects

pop this shit like skittles

That's insane. I take 200-400 mg and it usually gives me enough relief to cope. 800 mg is like the most I've ever taken in one day. Taking 1600 mg at once is definitely a bad idea.

 

[MisterHappy]

Ya know what else I've found works in place of ibuprofen and other pills, some ice and a giant glass of man the f up.

j/k, sorta.

 

[Pope Leo VII]

hey dude im not a dr but i am a nurse, you are absolutely right that dr's prescribe them routinely, but frequent and prolonged use will definitely cause negative side effects such as GI irritation and ulcers

were talking years on years of taking them everyday at that high a dosage

but if you are forced to go this route, somethings severely wrong here no?

body weight plays a big role in the dosage as well

 

[shincheckin]

were talking years on years of taking them everyday at that high a dosage

but if you are forced to go this route, somethings severely wrong here no?

body weight plays a big role in the dosage as well

i really dont know how long it would take to do damage, thats more of a dr question, however I would think much sooner than years and years, I would guess more like a few months. You would be surprised doctors to all kinds of stupid shit. Healthcare is a for profit business, its all about making money and selling more pills. So you can be prescribed a pill and be told to take it, then after a while that pill may give you bad side effects, but dont worry we got a pill for that! so now you are taking pills because of the pills your are taking!

 

[Woldog]

Everything if taken in excess will cause some form of a side effect.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

I worked for a dentist for several years. We prescribed ibuprofen for the lesser painful recoveries, but he told me that

1. It does help with inflammation

2. It breaks down your muscle fibers (and either liver or kidneys, I forgot, maybe both) as a side effect somewhat so don't take too much or for too long if you decide to.

Also, I'm not advising it in your case. I simply don't know enough.

 

[William Huggins]

Ya know what else I've found works in place of ibuprofen and other pills, some ice and a giant glass of man the f up.

j/k, sorta.

Stupid attitude, that's how people especially men of certain generations and cultures go undiagnosed with some times serious conditions and pay the ultimate price........

 

[Pope Leo VII]

i really dont know how long it would take to do damage, thats more of a dr question, however I would think much sooner than years and years, I would guess more like a few months. You would be surprised doctors to all kinds of stupid shit. Healthcare is a for profit business, its all about making money and selling more pills. So you can be prescribed a pill and be told to take it, then after a while that pill may give you bad side effects, but dont worry we got a pill for that! so now you are taking pills because of the pills your are taking!

completely agree with the jest of what you are saying though

read a ton of medical records for my job, see the dosage and the length theyve been taking any said medication... end of the day you have to listen to the body. if its telling you something is off every time you pop *insert random pill* time to stop buddy lol

oh god, lets not go down this rabbit hole of healthcare!

 

[MisterHappy]

Stupid attitude, that's how people especially men of certain generations and cultures go undiagnosed with some times serious conditions and pay the ultimate price........

Lighten up francis, it's called a joke. But I'd counter by saying today's generation wants an f'ing pill to fix everything vs sometimes just sucking it up, making disciplined changes and actually fixing the issue rather than taking the easy way out. Don't believe that? Watch tv for 30 seconds and see endless take this pill commercials. It's idiotic. Not directed at the OP at all, btw, just sayin.

 

[shincheckin]

did a little more research on it here and there.

the inflammation process promotes healing by increasing bloodflow to the injured area. Ibuprofen blocks pain signals, and stops/reduces prostaglandins, which create inflammation. So basically ibuprofen reduces pain and inflammation. Tylenol blocks the pain, but not the inflammation. Inflammation helps heal by increasing bloodflow to injured area.

 

[Beechwood]

From my understanding it does reduce inflammation. The problem I suppose is that inflammation is part of the healing process.

I personally would not take an NSAID such as Ibuprofen for long periods of time. THey are linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. New warnings were given on this a couple years ago ~

FDA strengthens warning that NSAIDs increase heart attack and stroke risk

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog...ase-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-201507138138