Does anyone have good experiences with painkillers taking the edge off a rib injury?
Have the Fred Whitton lined up in 7 days, and some poorly ribs (caused by the kids piling on top of me when I was folding away the family tent, ffs). It’s largely been bearable on the bike, but some days are painful, guess through sleeping badly on them.
Wondering if a perscription painkiller would put a noticeable dent into it, without causing other problems for riding.

Co codamol from the pharmacist should help. Dihydrocodine from your docs certainly will. However it could well affect your riding depending how sensitive you are to codeine. I couldn’t ride after taking dihydrocodine but Sky seem to manage quite well on tramadol!

1hr of your favourite comedy to persuade you that rest is the best option?

Used paracetamol together with ibuprofen for cracked ribs last year. They seemed to be much more effective together.

Sleep in an armchair for a few nights – it worked for me.

Paracetamol generally as needed. I wouldn’t go with codeine based stuff for too long as the ribs will probably hurt for months and that stuff is addictive.

Generally (having done ribs in so many time), it’s a pile of MTFU and learning to not aggravate it. Main issue after a while is just sleeping. Have to live with just sleeping on the back until it goes away (as I say, it takes months in my experience, unless it’s a minor bruising).

I found riding was usually okay but an odd twist of the body might give sharp ouch but goes away again.

that stuff is addictive.

It isn’t that’s why 1000s can take it for prolonged periods then stop.

Sky seem to manage quite well on tramadol!

Beaten to it.

Last time I hurt my ribs I made it through the rest of the riding holiday with co-codamol & ibroprofen.

Was also given tramadol, which was very effective for the pain but did make me feel a bit spacey.

that stuff is addictive.

It isn’t that’s why 1000s can take it for prolonged periods then stop.

I generally find I’ve had enough of it after about four days of constipation and woolly-headedness.

Really good for the acute pain you get after an operation or painful accident though.

Drac I thought you were a paramedic? Codeine is an opiate and is definitely addictive.

Surely you should know this. 😕

I am so know that’s not how addiction works or everyone who took codiene or morphine would be a drug addict.

Well I’ve been given a whole pile of them over a few occasions and was advised several times by medical professionals to take care as they are addictive. No it’s not going to be hooked on just taking them short term. Daily for months is another matter.

That said, that was the stronger stuff, not over the counter.

They have many side effects they warn you about others too. I’m sure the Googlers will firing off details soon too but you need to understand what an addiction is. Addiction is people feeling good to replace something else, GPs will be cautios with anyone who is at risk of this.

You can’t buy codiene on it’s own over the counter in the UK.

As above paracetamol and ibuprofen can be taken together for greater effect. The ones with codeine in will be stronger still but will leave you constipated so prob not advisable leading up to the race itself.

Not able to buy codeine on its own? When did that change? Its years since I bought any but you used to be able to

Co codamol is addictive drac – just not very. You have to work quite hard / take large doses to be addicted but as an opiate it is addictive. All opiates are

Your definition of addiction is wrong as well. Addiction is when you get withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking them.

I’m sure the Googlers will firing off details soon too but you need to understand what an addiction is.

You mean proving you wrong with facts from reputable sources? I could link to quite a few right now backing me up if you like.

I’d like you to try and find me one that agrees with you that codeine isn’t addictive.

I am so know that’s not how addiction works or everyone who took codiene or morphine would be a drug addict.

Things can be addictive without everyone who tries them automatically becoming addicted. Really what on earth are you on about? 😕

No I mean you don’t understand what addiction is.

Where can you buy codiene over the counter TJ?

An addiction is not being able to control your use of a substance to the point it cab do you harm.

Grum / Drac

Here you go. BMJ good enough for you?

~

Conclusions Communication with patients should involve assessment of patient understanding of their medication, including the risk of dependence. There is a need to develop extra supports for professionals including patient screening tools for identifying codeine dependence. The support structure for managing codeine-dependent patients in primary care requires further examination.

http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/7/e011725

The development of dependency on over the counter (OTC) drugs is often forgotten.1 In the past three months we have seen three patients with addictions to Nurofen plus (ibuprofen and codeine phosphate). All three had started using the product for its approved indications,

http://www.bmj.com/content/334/7600/917.3

Congratulations you’ve posted it has addictive qualities but missed the point of why people become addicted and why so many others don’t.

it has addictive qualities

aka being addictive

Drac – years ago you could in any pharmacy however this changes

and unfortunately its you who does not understand what addiction is. Codeine like any opioid is addictive. Its nothing like as addictive as injected or smoked diamorphine but there is no doubt at all it is addictive

A few more well referenced scholarly articles on it

Although codeine is a widely used medication, the problems of codeine abuse and dependence have not been well-studied

http://journals.lww.com/psychopharmacology/Abstract/1999/08000/Characteristics_of_Dependent_and_Nondependent.14.aspx

First of all, it may now be regarded as proved beyond doubt that codeine has addiction properties. ” Codeine addiction is certainly not a myth ” though addiction to it is much rarer than in the case of other opiates ………….The authors conclude with a paraphrase of a saying by Abraham Lincoln: ” Codeine addiction does not arise from the use of a bad thing but from the abuse of a very good thing.” E. W. Adams.

https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19402701723

Drac – you claimed it was not addictive. It is

I suspect poor choice of words from you but your statement is simply wrong.

A final one

Codeine and other medium-strength prescribed painkillers can cause dependency, which means that when you stop taking them you may feel unwell for a short period.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Pain/Pages/Whichpainkiller.aspx

Back to the op, 🙄
I found Naproxen helped when I bruised ribs, last year. It’s prescription only. HTH.

Like pretty much anything from use of hard drugs, riding bikes or arguing on the internet some people get addicted. The better the feeling a person gets from these the more addicted they are to it. Addiction is just that a replacement for something else or to a hideaway from something rubbish. That’s why as I said some people become addicted to certain drugs when others don’t.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/addiction/Pages/addictionwhatisit.aspx

Why isn’t everyone who has has high grade heroin addicted to it but others who take shit quality are?

Perfectly correct Drac and I get yo9ur point. However

Drac – Moderator

that stuff is addictive.

It isn’t that’s why 1000s can take it for prolonged periods then stop. [/quote]

Is simply wrong as the above refernces show.

I suspect you meant it has low potential for addiction which is correct.

Your understanding of addiction is also poor as you have made a series of incorrect statements. Addiction to opiates is nothing like arguing on the internet. It is a physical dependence with objectively measurable effects on the body.

Addiction is just that a replacement for something else or to a hideaway from something rubbish.

Is not true. thats a definition of drug abuse / use not of addiction. Addiction is when you get measurable withdrawal effects when you stop taking it.

~Enough said

Used to be you could buy paracetamol + 30mg codeine in a chemist. Now it was only + 8mg last time I looked. This was for migraines.

Does anyone know why the change was made?

Codiene stops you breathing if you take too much.

Codeine was recommended as a brake for my IBS when it flairs and Imodium won’t work. Have to be very careful as it makes me extremely paranoid.

Most over the counter (pharmacy) co-codamol and ibuprofen with codeine have 12mg in. The stronger dihydrocodeine can only be found in paramol but that only has 7.4mg in.

Op if it were me, I’d be using ibuprofen and codeine on an as and when basis (but only for a very short period of time) and if no improvement get to your gp for something more suitable.

I’d take 150mg of diclofenac and 180mg of codeine.

180mg of codeine.

😯 that’s way too much

This thread has has descended into a pointless argument. Shame as I came on here to post a witty remark which will now be lost. Anyway, they say laughter is the best medicine.

Speak to a GP or pharmacist is the best advice. Not listen to the advice from the Internet (even my rubbish advice, except this one. And I need to listen to my own advice not to listen to mine or other Internet advice also 😀 ).

Thanks for the replies – picked up some co-codamol today so will try it this week to see if it makes a difference.

At the moment i have been prescribed tramedol paracetemol ibrufen and codeine.can take either tramedol or 60mg of codeine but not both. non of them are addictive and i should know as i have loads every day for the last 4 weeks. 😀

I found riding my road bike with bruised ribs was fine with a few cocodamol and as long as I avoided steep hills.

What event did you say you were doing again?

Don’t wake up in the night (as that’s when they hurt most) roll over, take ibuprofen and go back to sleep. Doing that for a week gave me a stomach ulcer which cancelled more rides than the bad ribs!

fallsoffalot – Member 
non of them are addictive and i should know as i have loads every day for the last 4 weeks.

Read the packet. Codeine and Co-codamol packets I’ve got in the cupboard all state they are addictive and warn about the risks. Co-codamol does say it’s a low risk (obviously as it’s a lower dose mixed with Paracetamol), but then it also says there’s a risk of addiction if taken continually for more than 3 days. Tramadol is a little different as it’s not derived from opium but a synthetic drug that has a similar effect and while potentially addictive it’s a very low risk.

Thing is, as I understand it, it’s hard to recognise that you are addicted to it as you get tolerant to the effects. It may only be on stopping you notice withdrawal symptoms. Some get addicted by taking greater doses to relieve the pain as tolerance increases.

It’s not generally a risk to most people if sensible, but there are definitely cases of addiction of codeine based products and codeine is definitely classed as addictive by its very nature as an opiate drug. More than that, Codeine on it’s own is a class B drug (Tramadol as said is different, though it is a class C).

How addiction affects people is an individual thing of course.

It’s a bit like the addiction of not being able to let things go, like say on a MTB forum when a question is asked & they keep harping on & on & on about something that’s not really relevant to the question asked…. 😉
Not really an addiction as such,but some people just can’t stop …