Forums >Health and Nutrition>Runner dies taking ibuprofen + supplements
Sad. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/10276459/Marathon-runner-died-after-taking-sports-supplements-and-ibuprofen.html?utm_content=buffer71fa8&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer
Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.
Latent Runner
Wow, tragic.
This isn't the first negative information I've come across regarding the use of NSAIDs, and as such, I've pretty much eliminated them from my life (never really used them much anyway). If I cannot run due to pain, then I'll take a rest day or two and run another day.
Fat old man PRs:
Feeling the growl again
Wow, tragic. This isn't the first negative information I've come across regarding the use of NSAIDs, and as such, I've pretty much eliminated them from my life (never really used them much anyway). If I cannot run due to pain, then I'll take a rest day or two and run another day.
If you read the article, it was noted how exceptionally unique this case was. No drug is without risk, but swearing off all use would not be a really balanced benefit/risk assessment. More people have died during races from drinking too much.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Agreed. That said, there seems to be a growing body of evidence which indicates the use of NSAIDs can inhibit recovery from workouts which in turn nets lower performance in folks using them. This is of course just my impression as I've only seen/heard about a few studies either way, however, following the old, "Where there's smoke there's fire" adage, I rarely used them before I started hearing those reports, and I don't use them at all now.
Using them constantly after hard workouts, and occasional uses to reduce acute pain, are two very, very different things. You seem to be pointing to data on chronic use as a reason to eliminate any acute use.
I'm not a pill-popper, I probably take ibruprofen 3-4X per year. I just don't like seeing misapplication of data and overly reactionary decisions to outlier events that get media attention.
^^This.
This is a weird case. The way it reads, apparently they are saying he started having a massive GI bleed (brought on by the combination of Ibuprofen, dehydration, and exercised-induced low blood flow to his gut). The dehydration/ibuprofen probably caused some compromise in his kidney function, so the elevated potassium from his GI bleeding could not be cleared. Thus, when the potassium level got to a critical level, it affected his heart rhythm and he died.
I suspect though that he was using ibuprofen throughout his training, which would make the above scenario a bit more probable than if this were his only time taking the stuff.
(Personally, I avoid NSAIDs before and during a marathon--mainly for the renal effects. The only thing I take before a marathon is my usual baby aspirin in the morning.)
In any event, I feel bad for him and his family.
Good Bad & The Monkey
Just sayin.
As I have been sayin for years.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
Naw. Ibuprofen has a short half life. You only need a couple doses, combined with dehydration, to cause trouble.
I think what ShuffleFaster is saying is that GI bleeding is an issue with long-term use of ibuprofen, not sort term. I don't know which one it is. Can it cause GI bleeding with just one dose?
running metalhead
Isn't Aspirin also an NSAID?
- Egmond ( 14 januari ) : 1:41:40 (21K)- Vondelparkloop ( 20 januari ) : 0:58.1 (10K but did 13.44!!!)- Twiskemolenloop ( 4 maart ) : 1:35:19 (3th M45!)
- Ekiden Zwolle (10K) ( 25 maart )- Rotterdam Marathon ( 8 april )- Leiden Marathon Halve ( 27 mei )- Marathon Amersfoort ( 10 juni)
GI bleeding and Acute Renal Injury can both be the result of short term use while the body is under duress or long term use.
Aspirin is an NSAID, but when taken at low doses for cardiovascular protection, it seems fairly safe.
This is the root of my earlier speculation. To wit: to absorb enough blood to raise your potassium (K +) usually that implies a pretty big GI bleed where it can be absorbed. In addition, while ischemic bowel bleeds, usually they don't cause massive bleeds. (They generally kill you from overwhelming infection from the dead gut in your abdomen.) I was speculating that maybe the victim had been a chronic ibuprofen user that caused a previous lesion that was the source of the bleed up higher than where ischemic bowel typically manifests itself. That may have allowed more absorption as the blood sat there in the stomach.. (They probably would have mentioned this in the article, but it's difficult to tell the completeness of news reports when it comes to medical things).
I suppose that if one's kidneys are so compromised by ibuprofen and dehydration, it would take less blood to kick his K+ over the edge, but he was WAY over the edge according to the report. Perhaps the coroner will write up the case for a journal at some point and we'll know for sure.
I agree with Trent's main point though: best to avoid the Ibuprofen prior/during these types of activities.
GI bleeding and Acute Renal Injury can both be the result of short term use while the body is under duress or long term use. Aspirin is an NSAID, but when taken at low doses for cardiovascular protection, it seems fairly safe.
Agreed--it's such a low dose that IMHO the risks outweigh the benefits for me.
I suspect the hyperkalemia was the result of acute renal failure in this runner, not GI bleeding.
The runner may indeed have been using ibuprofen chronically, for sure.
I have had some 'ache in the right leg" lately. Some minor aching pain that is easily covered up by taking half a tablet of Motrin a couple hours before I run. I've dropped prety much all my training runs, but on race day, take a half tablet, then I am able to run races.
I've been doing that the past few weeks, and plan to tomorrow as well since I paid for the half marathon a long time ago. Just plan to do this process until pain fully subsides under normal conditions, then take 0 pain reliever from thereonout. (Hopefully good to go and 100% again in 2-3 weeks)
I am not very familiar at all with the different types of meds as I rarely have taken anything in my life, ever. But is Motrin an NSAID, or something different and not applicable?
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The Plan '15 → /// "Run Hard, Live Easy." ∞