Pill popping (ibuprofen, that is)

This past summer I did a lot of hiking as I worked to finish my 46 Adirondack High Peaks, and got into the best shape I have probably ever been in my life, or so I thought. As a lot of middle-aged hikers do, I was popping the ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) like it was candy, even when I felt okay, "just in case." I figured that as long as it didn't hurt my stomach, that it was safe.

Lo and behold, when I went for a medical check-up in late June, my blood pressure was sky-high. It had ALWAYS been on the low side, and I had absolutely no risk factors, so it seemed very perplexing to both me and my doctor. I continued to hike, pop the ibuprofen, and register high blood pressure readings through the summer, with a plan to possibly start on medication this winter if the readings remained high.

In September, I went hiking with a friend who is an internist, and he mentioned that the increased ibuprofen usage (associated with my accelerated hiking schedule) might be causing the problem. I immediately stopped my "habit" and my blood pressure is normalizing. I have since learned that in 2002 there was a study published which linked the development of hypertension with the use of NSAIDS (such as ibuprofen) and acetominophen, in otherwise healthy women.

Just thought I'd pass this info along, in case anyone else is experiencing the same problem!

My BP has been borderline high (135/95) for a year or so now, whereas it used to be more like 120/80. This more or less coincides with my switching from asperin to vitamin I (also with getting older and fatter). I'll switch back and see what happens. Thanks for posting.

Maybe this points out that real risks can come of liberally medicating ourselves as a “preventative” measure rather than more conservatively in response to real aches and pains when they afflict us. Thank you for posting this information, CM.

This is not a political comment, BTW.

G.

I find this interesting and would be interested in what you call ‘popping like candy’. How often and how many would you say you were taking (say in a day or week)? I have always had low blood pressure and haven’t noticed any change (not that I take it very often but recently I did and it was still low). I often carry Advil and will take two before a big descent but usually not at any other time.

Do you know if this is true for Naprosyn (Alleve) also?

thanks

Thanks for the heads up.
I've lost track of how many times people have recommended the "just in case" scenario.
...spider

Lyle,
Interesting info - Thanks. I also had elevated BP on the checkup when they finally found the broken bones in my foot/tibia (140/94) after being 120/80 my entire life. My most recent checkup (last week) has it back to 120/80. Only difference: no hiking, and subsequently much less vitamin I.

I'd also be interested if anyone has info regarding Aleve/Naproxen having the same side effects.

If I was going on a long, all day hike, I would generally take 400-600 mg beforehand, maybe another 400-600 mg at lunch, and then perhaps another 400-600 mg at the finish. Never more than the recommended dosage, but liberal use. Then the next day if I was sore, I would take perhaps another 600 mg. If I was hiking several days, back to back, I would go through this routine daily. If I had some residual tendonitis for several days, I might take another 600 mg daily until it settled down.

This would apply to naprosyn (Alleve) too, as it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Aspirin appears okay.


Here is the text of an article which describes the study I mentioned:

Commonly used pain relievers linked with increased risk in women

Hypertension
November 28, 2002

2002 NOV 28 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The commonly used pain medications acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), are associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure in younger women, according to an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to background information in the article, the use of analgesics, or pain-reducing drugs, is common. Previous studies have suggested that the use of NSAIDs causes a small increase in blood pressure and increases the risk of hypertension, whereas aspirin and acetaminophen use do not. However, most of these studies have focused on patients taking antihypertensive medications.

The effects of the long-term use of analgesics have not been well-studied. In addition, aspirin, acetaminophen, and some NSAIDs are available as over-the-counter products.

Gary C. Curhan, MD, ScD, of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues examined the association between frequency of use of three classes of commonly used analgesics and the risk of hypertension among 80,020 women aged 31 to 50 who were participating in the Nurses' Health Study II and who had no previous history of hypertension.

In the Nurses' Health Study II, a large group of nurses has been followed since 1989 with surveys mailed every other year to collect data on lifestyle practices and other health issues. Curhan and coauthors identified 80,020 women in the Nurses' Health Study II with no previous history of hypertension. In 1995, the researchers mailed questionnaires to these women asking about frequency of analgesic use (in days per month) for aspirin, NSAIDs, and acetaminophen.

The researchers found that on at least 1 day per month, 51.2% of the group used aspirin, 76.7% used NSAIDs, and 72.5% used acetaminophen. Of the participants who received the analgesics questionnaire, 1650 were diagnosed with hypertension as reported on the 1997 Nurses' Health Study II biennial survey.

After adjusting for differences in age, the use of all three classes of analgesics were associated with an increased risk of hypertension. After further adjustment for all three analgesics and other potential risk factors among the participants, the researchers found that only NSAIDs and acetaminophen were associated with a risk of hypertension. Additionally, when compared with those who reported no use of analgesics, those who reported using NSAIDs 22 days per month or more had an 86% increase in the risk of developing hypertension, and those taking acetaminophen 22 days per month or more had twice the risk of developing hypertension.

The researchers concluded that, "The use of NSAIDs and the use of acetaminophen were each strongly associated with risk of developing hypertension in women, and the risks increased with increasing frequency of use. The use of aspirin did not seem to be associated with risk" (Arch Intern Med, 2002;162:2204-2208; archinternmend.com).

This work was supported by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This article was prepared by Women's Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

just in case..........

you didn't hear this before.

Ibuprofen is also very bad for your kidneys.

Side effects, side effects, side effects. (Echos of Vioxx) Any pharmaceutical product or biologically active chemical in ''natural'' remedies just has to have 'em. Trouble is no one really knows all that much about it. A large part of our ''health care'' paradigm remains centered around using chemicals to shield us from the symptoms brought on by our lifestyles. Hikers are no exception. I wonder how many pounds of anti-inflammatories are consumed on a sunny saturday in the High Peaks? It's all too easy to overlook the risk this poses to our health and well being. Crazymama, don't take this as personal criticism, I myself often take a gram of ASA an hour before a long descent. I use ASA (willow bark extract) because its been around for such a long time that I hope that if it had noxious side effects they would have been found out by now.