[Naughty Nurse]

(3) Fever reducers (anti-pyretics) and pain relievers (analgesics), including aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, Medipren) help with fever, achiness, and headache, and they have no known effects on performance, although the pain relief provided by the analgesics would certainly seem to make sustained or high-intensity exercise more possible to carry out. Unfortunately, this pain-relieving feature represents one reason why these medications are sometimes abused by athletes. If you are taking too much analgesic, you might actually continue to exercise when you have a stress fracture, for example, whereas the pain associated with such bone damage would force you to stop exercising if you were medication-free. It's important to note that if you must take ibuprofen regularly in order to control pain enough to allow you to continue your present training, that means that you are training too much. You should cut back on your workouts until you reach a safer training level, instead of risking injury or the possibly dangerous side effects of prolonged drug use.

A potentially troublesome feature of ibuprofen is that it can block your body's production of natural chemicals called prostaglandins. When prosta-glandin production is reduced, blood vessels leading into your kidneys can become constricted, causing blood flow to the kidneys to diminish. While this might seem like a good thing (less urine would be produced during exercise), it's possible that the lowered blood flow could create a dangerous kidney condition called acute tubular necrosis.

The potential reduction in kidney blood flow associated with ibuprofen use probably won't produce problems for athletes involved in competitions lasting 45 minutes or less; during such relatively short time frames, blood is diverted for too brief a time to create lasting damage.

On the other hand, ultra-marathon and ultra-triathlon participants - the very individuals who tend to use large quantities
of ibuprofen - are at greater risk. The many hours of exercise required for such events can lead to prolonged periods in which the kidneys are low on blood and oxygen, inducing potential damage (Renal Failure, Vol. 11, pp. 209-212, 1990). Older athletes or athletes who have had kidney problems in the past are probably particularly susceptible. As a result, it seems unwise to ingest ibuprofen during an ultra-event. In fact, it makes sense to stop using ibuprofen entirely about 48 hours before an ultra-competition, giving the drug enough time to clear out of your blood.

(4) Cough preparations can be divided into two categories - expectorants and cough suppressants. Expectorants are actually designed to increase the flow of bronchial mucus so that it is easier to 'cough it up'. The primary ingredient in expectorants is usually a chemical called guaifenesin. Suppressants can act to decrease the amount of coughing, and a typical key ingredient is dextromethorpan.

Interestingly enough, it is difficult to find either guaifenesin or dextromethorpan in their isolated forms; most often they are combined with various other ingredients. This means that looking at your chemist's display shelves for these cough medications can get a little complicated, as any one brand of cough preparation usually exists in a number of different varieties (see below under 'shotguns').

Expectorants such as guaifenesin, when used alone, do not impair performance. However, note that drinking plenty of water and other fluids - which you should be doing anyway - will often loosen mucus and phlegm in your airways as well, if not better, than expectorant medications.

Cough suppressants can act as sedatives and possibly hinder performance. Additionally, suppressing a cough is not always the best strategy to follow. After all, coughing serves an important purpose: it helps to clear mucus and infectious micro-organisms from bronchial tubes and lungs, helping to limit infections.

Neither guaifenesin nor dextromethorpan are banned, but they are often combined in 'shotguns' with decongestants which may be prohibited, so check a product carefully before using.

When the shotgun may misfire

(5) There are literally hundreds of combinations of the above remedies, called 'shotguns', which work on the various symptoms mentioned previously. Some shotguns contain two of the above nostrums, while others may have all four. Just as a sledgehammer is not preferable to a fly-swatter for carrying out the assassination of a fly, a shotgun is not necessarily better than a simpler medication for controlling the problems associated with colds or flu. That being true, it's wise to carefully review the ingredients on any product you are thinking of buying (ask your chemist or doctor for help, if necessary).

For example, if congestion and thickened mucus are plaguing you, a pure decongestant combined with plenty of clear liquids (not alcoholic ones, however) will probably give you the most relief; a shotgun is simply not needed. If you do take a shotgun which combines an antihistamine with the decongestant, you may get a hefty dose of sedation along with the drying and thickening of your mucus, all of which can actually make you feel worse rather than better.

Remember that a shotgun's specific ingredients will determine if the medicine is on the restricted list or not. If a decongestant is involved, the shotgun is probably banned.
To conclude, many of the symptoms of colds and flu are self-limited. By drinking plenty of fluids, getting extra rest, and judiciously using a pain and fever reducer, you will often obtain adequate relief from your symptoms. If you are ever unsure about what to take, talk to your doctor for helpful hints.

Chris McGrew

[DblDmnGd38]

Great info, I actually am suffering from either the flu or a sinus infection right now, yucky ... I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow to see if I need an antibiotic.

[Naughty Nurse]

Originally Posted by DblDmnGd38

Great info, I actually am suffering from either the flu or a sinus infection right now, yucky ... I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow to see if I need an antibiotic.

How did it turn out? I hate going...gotta wait like 3 or 4 hours!

[DblDmnGd38]

Originally Posted by Naughty Nurse

How did it turn out? I hate going...gotta wait like 3 or 4 hours!

Antibiotics and I never have to wait thank God!

[Naughty Nurse]

Originally Posted by DblDmnGd38

Antibiotics and I never have to wait thank God!

Good to hear!

[DblDmnGd38]

Originally Posted by Naughty Nurse

Good to hear!

Thanks!