Medication (Pain Killers).

[JP]

Pain Killers: What type would offer the best pain relief after a hard day of walking?

- Advil (Ibuprofen)

- Tylenol (Aceteminofen)

- Reliable old style Aspirin

 

[fortview]

If you need painkillers you can buy them at the many farmacias along the way. They sell Ibuprofen in 600 mg tablets, paracetamol, and probably aspirin. If you usually take Tylenol, then bring it, as it's not available in the UK, so I imagine not in Spain either, though someone else on here might know for certain.
Buen painless camino!

 

[grayland]

It is called Paracetamol in Spain and much of Europe.
Readily available at all pharmacies,

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_paracetamol_brand_names

 

[peregrina2000]

Though you can buy ibuprophen in farmacias in Spain, you will find that there is a huge difference in price. Much cheaper in the US.

 

[Annie Little]

Please do consult your Doctor about what meds you potentially may decide to use……. a llllllll medications have side effects…… some very nasty ones in some cases……… even common antibiotics can have severe side effects for some people ….. forewarned is forearmed …. as they say . Also if you are already on meds for any pre-existing conditions there may be interactions.

Sorry, I am sure people already know the above but I just felt I had to say it as I have seen some very nasty outcomes of people treating meds like candy.

 

[colinPeter]

Hola JP

I guess it will vary amongst Doctors, but I get scripts, anti-inflammatories & course of antibiotics (just in case of recurring ear infection) from my GP for the duration of my walk.

Buen Camino
Colin

 

[Anniesantiago]

You can buy a very nice ibuprofin cream in Spain for sore muscles.
You can also buy arnica cream, which also works great.

 

[jirit]

Though you can buy ibuprophen in farmacias in Spain, you will find that there is a huge difference in price. Much cheaper in the US.

That is surprising since I received a prescription for 600 mg ibuprophen tablets when I sliced my hand open that only cost me 3-5 euros for 60 pills. In Canada that same amount would have been 30 dollars, if you can get it

 

[GreatDane]

I'm a Naproxen sodium kind of gal when it comes to pain relief. Other stuff doesn't touch it. I so miss the old Naproxen sodium PM. I ran out a few years ago not knowing it had been discontinued in the US. Totally bummed out! What do I ask for at the farmacias when I need Naproxen sodium (and PM)? And gee, how much can I carry back into the US I wonder!!

 

[cecelia]

Camino Candy. What type would offer the best pain relief after a hard day of walking?

- Advil (Ibuprofen)

- Tylenol (Aceteminofen)

- Reliable old style Aspirin

I found chocolate worked really well - better than the above actually - but I'm just a kid (at heart)
Buen camino

 

[LTfit]

I'm a Naproxen sodium kind of gal when it comes to pain relief. Other stuff doesn't touch it. I so miss the old Naproxen sodium PM. I ran out a few years ago not knowing it had been discontinued in the US. Totally bummed out! What do I ask for at the farmacias when I need Naproxen sodium (and PM)? And gee, how much can I carry back into the US I wonder!!

Naproxen or naproxeno sódico (Antalgin) is available without a prescription but I have no idea about the dosage nor cost.

In Spain diclofenac or diclofenaco (Voltaren) is also sold over the counter and is dirt cheap, costing only a couple of euros.

Both naproxen and diclofenac are part of a family of medications called NSAIDs =nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen and aspirin too).

As stated above I do not advise self-medicating. Ask your GP and/or pharmacist prior to leaving home.

 

[SYates]

I would be careful treating pain killers as candy! Pain is a signal of your body that something is wrong, masking it with pain killers will not make that "wrong" go away, it is just hiding the signals your body gives you. As for relief for sore muscles, a hot/cold sweet drink (my preferred one is peppermint tea with a lot of sugar) and bananas plus some nuts help your muscles to recover without the side effects pain killers can have. Buen Camino! SY

Camino Candy. What type would offer the best pain relief after a hard day of walking?

- Advil (Ibuprofen)

- Tylenol (Aceteminofen)

- Reliable old style Aspirin

 

[vicrev]

Please do consult your Doctor about what meds you potentially may decide to use……. a llllllll medications have side effects…… some very nasty ones in some cases……… even common antibiotics can have severe side effects for some people ….. forewarned is forearmed …. as they say . Also if you are already on meds for any pre-existing conditions there may be interactions.

Sorry, I am sure people already know the above but I just felt I had to say it as I have seen some very nasty outcomes of people treating meds like candy.

I agree , as eor the term Camino Candy....Brrrrrr...............Vicrev

 

[vicrev]

Sorry, eor should be for.........stupid computer, or stupid me more like it..........

 

[StuartM]

Though you can buy ibuprophen in farmacias in Spain, you will find that there is a huge difference in price. Much cheaper in the US.

I met some Aussies who had paid 3-4 euros for a pack of paracetemol. It costs maybe a third of that in the UK.

I dont know if prescriptions prices are different. In the UK you pay a flat price for the prescription medicine regardless of what it is, retail cost or dosage. The Spanish health service may be similar hence why prescriptions may appear cheap.

 

[peregrina2000]

That is surprising since I received a prescription for 600 mg ibuprophen tablets when I sliced my hand open that only cost me 3-5 euros for 60 pills. In Canada that same amount would have been 30 dollars, if you can get it

750 tablets of 200 mg ibuprofen sells for less than $10 in the US. I agree with those who caution against over self-medicating, but I always carry a bag of these from home.

 

[peregrina2000]

I met some Aussies who had paid 3-4 euros for a pack of paracetemol. It costs maybe a third of that in the UK.

I dont know if prescriptions prices are different. In the UK you pay a flat price for the prescription medicine regardless of what it is, retail cost or dosage. The Spanish health service may be similar hence why prescriptions may appear cheap.

I don't understand the intricacies of how the Spanish health care system works with prescriptions, but I have been told that we pilgrims can be a source of enrichment for pharmacists who are less than scrupulous.

I once needed some pretty heavy duty allergy medicine and was in the middle of nowhere. The pharmacist went into Salamanca to get them and delivered them to the albergue in Fuenterroble. I was very grateful for this service. After I paid for them, a Spanish pilgrim looked at the boxes and told me that the pharmacist had taken some little price tabs that are on the box and that are submitted for reimbursement when a Spaniard pays the subsidized price. So the pharmacist charged me full price, and then submitted the tabs for reimbursement for the subsidy, which is apparently quite steep. Not that he will get rich by doing this, but it's just another indication of how easy it is to defraud the system.

 

[nellpilgrim]

.........sitting with your feet up with a large glass of well earned vino?

 

[newfydog]

We had another thread on this which degenerated after someone called Ibuprofen "vitamin I".

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/ibuprofen.1665/#post-140110

 

[LTfit]

I am always amazed at the arsenal of pain meds that pilgrims bring along on the Camino. And I am not referring to prescription drugs that pilgrims must take or for those who deal with chronic pain or arthritis. I even know of people who pop a pill or two prior to walking just in case.

Although I spent half my life in the U.S. and was trained there as a physiotherapist, I lean towards the Dutch approach to health-care which is less medicalized than in the U.S. and many other European countries. This is especially true when it comes to your everyday aches and pains, colds, flu and even childbirth.

Most pain that pilgrims experience is either muscle ache due to overuse - which is physiologically normal and usually subsides within 2-3 days without medical treatment - or due to injury which should to be evaluated by a medical professional. Taking a pill is not necessarily the best solution as it will alleviate your symptoms but does not address the cause.

I am also giving this word of caution due to personal experience (in the past I did not always follow my own advice). In 2011 I had to abruptly stop my second Camino after walking 600 km secondary to extreme pain which I could no longer cover up with diclofenac. Sometimes the mind is stronger than the body. The physicians in the emergency ward in Zamora and the trauma surgeon there and at home in Holland were astounded that I was able to walk for 10 days with multiple fractures. No need to go into details and this is an extreme case, but it just shows that masking pain is not smart.

Now continue with your Camino Candy discussion. I think I'll try Nellpilgrim's suggestion.

 

[jmcarp]

I'm certainly not a pharmacist, so I can't render a professional opinion. But I can say what worked for me. I started developing plantar fasciitis in my right foot somewhere around Leon. Aspirin did not have any effect on the pain I was feeling. Finally, when we reached Portomarin, I gave in and bought some of those 600-mg ibuprofins and began taking them 3 times a day. Within two days the pain in my foot subsided from about an 8 on a scale of 1-10 to something like a 1 or 2, allowing me to walk the rest of the way to Santiago almost pain free. It was explained to me that aspirin is a pain killer, while ibuprofin is an anti-inflammatory. In other words, if you have a headache or your shoulders are sore after the first few days of carrying a backpack, take aspirin. If you're suffering something like plantar fasciitis/tendonistis, spained ankle, etc, take ibuprofin.

There are some cautions regarding taking ibuprofin in general as it can cause trouble with your stomach after a while, especially when taking large doses like I was (1800 mg per day). Mainly, you need to take the medication with meals, and to reduce the dosage gradually as whatever the condition that prompted its use begins to fade away. Also, if you suffer from chronic indigestion or acid reflux, large doses of ibuprofin shouldn't be taken without a doctor's consent.

Jim

 

[jirit]

750 tablets of 200 mg ibuprofen sells for less than $10 in the US. I agree with those who caution against over self-medicating, but I always carry a bag of these from home.

$10 dollars Canada buys you about 150 tablets of 200 mg - white label brand

http://www.londondrugs.com/London-D...cgid=hw-medicationoverthecounter-painreliefai

Can not even buy 600 mg over the counter in Canada unless you have a doctors prescription, but in Spain you can, at a fraction of the price I would pay for 200 mg

 

[StuartM]

Not that he will get rich by doing this, but it's just another indication of how easy it is to defraud the system.

I remember reading a few months ago that pharmacists were waiting 6 months or more for reimbursement from the government on prescriptions and subsidies on medicines, I guess it's yet another indication of how deep the crisis cut in Spain.

 

[StuartM]

Can not even buy 600 mg over the counter in Canada unless you have a doctors prescription, but in Spain you can, at a fraction of the price I would pay for 200 mg

My father in law stocks up on all sorts of stuff that's available over the counter in Spain that is controlled in the UK. I know self-medicating is bad but when I've needed antibiotics quick (I have a recurring abscess in my jaw) he's quicker to see than a doctor

I was in Thailand a couple of years back and injured my diaphragm muscle, stopped off in the local pharmacy for some painkillers. They handed me a box of tramadol for the equivalent of around $3, I'd never heard of it. Took one, no relief so had some beer and took another couple... 12 hours of hallucinations later...

 

[hecate105]

I agree with Nellpilgrim - have a glass of wine, if the pain doesn't ease, have a bottle, if the pain doesn't ease, have a bottle, if the....!
Seriously, try to take the minimum, better to feel the pain and maybe walk less next day, than constantly cover up the pain and maybe damage yourself.
I took as few medications as I could - which with fibromyalgia, meant putting up with a lot of pain every day. Unfortunately I didn't do the same when I got horrendous toothache - the pain was so bad I took everything on offer - and in Spain that's a lot! (shot in the ass, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics) In the end my husband had to stop me cycling as I was a danger to myself and the rural public...

 

[Olivares]

Try stretching exercises before and after. Oten, the lactic acid produced during the walking stays in the muscles and causes the cramping pain. Streching and drinking water "flushes" it out.

 

[Penbaysail]

Whenever possible, I grabbed a 20-30 minute nap after showering and clothes washing. Amazingly restorative.

Both NSAID’s (ibuprofen) and acetaminophen have safety issues that should discourage more than occasional use. Instead, I relied on sleep when I felt beaten down.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

750 tablets of 200 mg ibuprofen sells for less than $10 in the US. I agree with those who caution against over self-medicating, but I always carry a bag of these from home.

We would never be permitted to buy that many Ibuprofen over the counter in NZ. Two packs of 30 and the health authority is considering dropping that to a single pack.

Perhaps with a Doctor's prescription but even then the maximum is 3 months supply and I suspect that the doctor would increase the tablet size and decrease the number of tablets.

750 tablets is a serious supply of any medicine!

 

[SabsP]

We would never be permitted to buy that many Ibuprofen over the counter in NZ. Two packs of 30 and the health authority is considering dropping that to a single pack.

Perhaps with a Doctor's prescription but even then the maximum is 3 months supply and I suspect that the doctor would increase the tablet size and decrease the number of tablets.

750 tablets is a serious supply of any medicine!

To add: I always cringe when I hear pilgrims talk about Ibuprofen as " Vitamin I ". It is not.
Spain has Ibuprofen 600 mg over the counter available. Especially people with kidney and liver problems should be very careful with that dosage if they really want to take it.
And if you take Ibuprofen, especally on a camino : do not mix it with alcohol!

 

[Roland49]

We would never be permitted to buy that many Ibuprofen over the counter in NZ. Two packs of 30 and the health authority is considering dropping that to a single pack.

Ibu is sold (Pack of 100 @ 400mg) over the counter in pharmacies at the moment without prescription in Germany. You have to study pharmacology to run a pharmacy.
But it is considered a health risk, if self medicated and not controlled by a medical professional. From 600mg and up per dosis you have to have a prescription.

The health administration debating for several years now to put it on the mandantory prescription medication-list.

I can see the point here, but if I have to take highly effective medicals for more than two days to carry on my pilgrimage I would like to see a doctor.

BC
Roland

 

[DoughnutANZ]

To add: I always cringe when I hear pilgrims talk about Ibuprofen as " Vitamin I ". It is not.
Spain has Ibuprofen 600 mg over the counter available. Especially people with kidney and liver problems should be very careful with that dosage if they really want to take it.
And if you take Ibuprofen, especally on a camino : do not mix it with alcohol!

In my case, I learned a hard lesson and it was do as I say, not do as I do.

I was in a motor vehicle accident in my early 20's with serious leg injuries and as a result I have ongoing joint pain for which I take ibuprofen when the pain is sufficient so I thought that I knew how to handle it and when to use it.

I trained for 8 weeks before my Camino, towards the end walking 6 or more hours a day with a purposely overweight pack. I used ibuprofen to help my recovery as I pushed myself and I got used to using ibuprofen for walking pains.

Around Lorca I got sick with a stomach bug and a runny nose and I was having difficulty breathing on the hills. It hung around for a couple of days and so I went to a medical clinic just to make sure it wasn't serious.

The doctor (via Google Translate) decided that I had influenza and told me to take a couple of paracetamol and have a rest day or two.

I decided that I didn't want to do that so I went to the local pharmacist, told him that I had a runny nose that was interfering with my breathing and asked him for something to dry up my nose dribble. That is, mask that symptom. He gave me something that I had never seen before that I can't now remember the name of but I remember Googling it at the time and found that it was developed for the USA Marines and wasn't approved for sale in NZ.

I decided to take it anyway and it did indeed dry up my nose but I remained ill and continued to struggle on the hills.

Some days later I started getting very sore joints. I put this down to fatigue over the top of my lifetime joint pain and so I stopped in at another pharmacist and asked for mucho grande ibuprofen. He sold me 800mg tablets.

After a day of two I worked out a rythm where half an hour after starting walking I took my first two tablets so that they kicked in after 30 minutes to suppress the pain. I would then walk pain free for about two and a half hours, then endured increasing pain as I waited for the four hour interval before taking the next two ibuprofen. Some short days that was enough but on longer days I would need another two. In addition I always took another two tablets half an hour before going to bed so that I could sleep pain free. Typically between 4800 and 6400mg a day.

Things continued like this for awhile but my breathing continued to get worse, some days being slightly better than others but every morning, generally feeling much better than the end of the previous day.

Eventually I became concerned that this wasn't getting better and was instead getting worse and so I went to another clinic, a special Pilgrims clinic, spent most of the day waiting to be seen by a doctor then around 3pm when he finally saw me he informed me that he was an orthopedic doctor and only looked at leg and foot problems.

Exasperated, I got a medical certificate off him for an old leg injury and had a rest day in the albergue then headed off again the day after.

Five days later, just after O Cebreiro, I more or less collapsed and was wisked off to hospital in an ambulance.

At the hospital they diagnosed me with Legionnaire disease and told me that if I had of kept going another day then my kidneys would have stopped working.

They were amazed that I had got so far. The joint pain was a symptom of the Legionnaire and the inability to breathe properly was also a major symptom.

Lesson I learned was don't use ibuprofen and other medication to mask underlying problems.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

A word of caution when travelling with over-the-counter medication, particularly pain medication.

Different countries have different rules about what is legal and what is not. In particular, the Middle Eastern stop over points that most Kiwis and Aussies have to stop at consider any medication containing codeine to be illegal unless you have a medical prescription.

If you have this medication on you and they find it then you risk being thrown into jail.

 

[trecile]

And if you take Ibuprofen, especally on a camino : do not mix it with alcohol!

Actually acetaminophen/paracetamol can be very dangerous to take with alcohol as it can lead to permanent liver damage.

Acetaminophen and alcohol: Safety and risks

People take acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol or Tylenol, to treat pain and fever. In combination with alcohol, this drug can cause side effects.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[henrythedog]

I agree with Nellpilgrim - have a glass of wine, if the pain doesn't ease, have a bottle, if the pain doesn't ease, have a bottle, if the....!
Seriously, try to take the minimum, better to feel the pain and maybe walk less next day, than constantly cover up the pain and maybe damage yourself.
I took as few medications as I could - which with fibromyalgia, meant putting up with a lot of pain every day. Unfortunately I didn't do the same when I got horrendous toothache - the pain was so bad I took everything on offer - and in Spain that's a lot! (shot in the ass, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics) In the end my husband had to stop me cycling as I was a danger to myself and the rural public...

“shot in the ass”

you were shot in the ass!? No wonder you needed painkillers.

(I know I’m replying to an ancient post, but sometimes I can’t pass up an open goal)

Without repeating the warnings about excessive self-medication - especially as some pain is your body telling you to take it easy - do watch out for the standard strength of ibuprofen in Spain. In the UK 200mg tablets are standard, in Spain it’s usually 400mg or greater.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I bring standard 200mg pills of Ibuprofen on all of my caminos as a backup if needed. On my very first camino I developed a horrible stabbing pain in my mid-back on about day four. I was very worried that my camino would be derailed if the pain continued, so I took two pills and the pain subsided greatly. Out of fear the pain could return I continued taking two pills every six hours for about four more days. Would I do it again? Absolutely. I rarely need pain pills in my regular life, so figure a bit of "abuse" occasionally while on the camino is ok for me. I never drink over two glasses of wine on any day on the camino (or at home) so I do not worry about mixing the two together. The ibuprofen has been my little security blanket on the caminos, and my yearly blood work at home has shown no cause for worry. I do not advocate the use of medications for others as we are all different in our reactions.

 

[David Tallan]

To add: I always cringe when I hear pilgrims talk about Ibuprofen as " Vitamin I ". It is not.
Spain has Ibuprofen 600 mg over the counter available. Especially people with kidney and liver problems should be very careful with that dosage if they really want to take it.
And if you take Ibuprofen, especally on a camino : do not mix it with alcohol!

Also watch out for hives (urticarea) as a possible side effect with ibuprofen. If they get good and established because you haven't made the connection, they can be very difficult to get rid of. Take it from someone who has been there after a camino that saw a lot of ibuprofen use.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

It’s amazing what information the documentation that comes with over-the-counter medication will tell you, or what you can get by looking at something like the Wikipedia page for these medications. It’ll tell you all about what dosages are generally considered safe, and what the possible side effects are.

I think unless you’re taking these pain pills very occasionally, you need to read up on them. Or discuss them with your doctor, if possible. I take over-the-counter medication for some pain issues I have, and I came up with a plan with my doctor so that I wouldn’t be at risk for long term side effects.

 

[wayfarer]

I was warned by my pharmacist that as I suffer from heart disease that under no circumstances was I to take ibuprofen as it it could cause me serious problems. Be warned

FDA strengthens warning that NSAIDs increase heart attack and stroke risk - Harvard Health

...

www.health.harvard.edu

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Well it goes to show that "one size doesn't fit all" when using pain relief meds...it pays to do your homework and check in with your doctor.

 

[SabsP]

Also watch out for hives (urticarea) as a possible side effect with ibuprofen. If they get good and established because you haven't made the connection, they can be very difficult to get rid of. Take it from someone who has been there after a camino that saw a lot of ibuprofen use.

There is always a first to experience those dreadful side-effects.
I remember after my first and only CT scan ( with contrast injection ) a very serious allergic reaction to the stuff.

 

[hecate105]

If you are asthmatic avoid ibroprufen - or check with your Dr at least - my husband had a very bad reaction...

 

[JabbaPapa]

Whether or not it may be safe or not for particular individuals to take Ibuprofen as an analgesic is a particular question between them and their doctors, but AFAIK it is principally a medication for punctual pain relief, not longterm use.

The only non-steroidal over-the-counter anti-inflammatory that I know of that is mostly safe for longterm use is aspirin, and even then you need both a strong stomach and no tendency whatsoever towards haemophilia ; nor any heart, blood, circulatory issues to prevent using this medication.

i.e. this all leads to the same as usual bottom line :

Do not self-prescribe non-steroidal over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, but instead see your doctor for prescription of better targeted painkillers. Though I would suggest avoiding any and all opioids.