Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

[jeff001]

Can someone please advise me of the availability of ibuprofen in Spain? In the US it is available in large quantities at low cost without prescription but I know that in some countries you can only obtain small quantities at much higher prices.

[Artemis]

It is available at the pharmacies and also ibuprofen cream which works really well on sore muscles.

[jeff001]

Any idea of the price? When I was in Austria a couple of years ago it was easy to find but you could buy a max of 8 - 200 mg tabs and the cost was something like 6 euro.

[Camino_chris]

I paid about 5 euro for a pack of 24. Watch the strength though, I think they were 600mg rather than 200mg which is the usual stength. I only realised after several days of taking 3 a day. They worked well though!

[paulmack]

I admit to being a regular user of Ibuprofen especially when I got tendonitis on the Camino Frances in May/June this year. They seem to be easily available and not expensive - ask at any Farmacia - the name is the same but pronounce the I as ee not eye. However, yes, they do vary in strength and though you may get away with overdosing, you risk side effects (e.g. indigestion).

Have fun

[peregrina2000]

On the advice of a student who used to be a professional basketplayer, and thus very accustomed to aching joints, I took 8 200g ibuprofen a day for the entire camino frances. I know that amount can cause upset, but I am fortunate to have an iron stomach. I brought along a little baggie with about 300 in it and am glad I didn't have to spend 5E every three days. If you do this, make sure to keep taking it for a few days afterwards. One of my most painful moments on the Camino was when we walked down close to the water from the cape at Finisterre and then took the bus back to Santiago. When I stood up as the bus arrived in Santiago, I realized my knees were totally wrecked and very painful. I got right back on my dosage and they were fine in a day.

[JohnM]

I can confirm everybody else's advice here.

"Ibuprofena", as it's called in Spain was available without the need for a prescription and at a relatively low cost.

I was taking it for a sore back and discovered after I stopped taking it for that complaint that it sometimes masks problems that are developing elsewhere. In my case it was tendonitis in the shin area which I only discovered when I stopped taking the medication. As a doctor warned me, it is important to be careful when taking Ibuprofen as it masks the body's way of telling us we've overdone it- i.e. pain.

Buen camino
John

[redpomegranates]

Just a piece of advice: to avoid paying more for the same thing with a fancy name, avoid brand names (e.g. Nurofen). All pharmacies have plain ole' cheap Ibuprofen (which is the active ingredient) but they will usually try to sell you the most expensive brands first. (Pharmaceutical companies compete to create the most efficient excipients or various combinations of other minute and virtually uneccessary substances, and thus sell it for a higher price.) Pester them to make sure they've given you the plain pill.

[John Hussey]

AAAHhhhhhh... Ibuprofen is also known as vitamin "I" by long-distance hikers, especially on the Appalachian Trail, where the first dose of the day is taken almost immediately just after the eyes open after waking from sleep

[Ulysse]

I feel that if you have to take ibuprofen daily, wether it be 1 or 2 or an industrial quantity, there is a problem and it should be taken care of instead of dulling the pain.

I remind everyone that ibuprofen is not recommended if you have a heart problem, supposing you know you have one.

[marktqm]

Not once did I take Ibuprofen on the camino. (I'm allergic to it.)

Ulysse and the other post-ers have a point. If it's painful, your body is telling you something. Attend to the cause, a stopgap measure such as taking a painkiller might even make things worse.

The best solution: rest. The body will heal itself given enough time.
(Unfortunately, pilgrims are always in a 'hurry' and believe they have to keep walking.)

[John Hussey]

But, stopping and resting is not always an option at times.

personally, I prefer aspirin as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory.

[paulmack]

ibuprofen is more than a pain killer.
I believe it to be a useful inflammation reducer. It certainly helped my tendonitis.

[Camino_chris]

Be careful! Last year I had a bad ankle injury in Burgos and walked on it to Portomarin taking lots of Ibuprofen to try and pretend that I was not hurt. I finshed my Camino at Portomarin, being unable to walk another step. I have just had my second lot of surgery on the ankle in 5 months, to try and repair some of the damage I did.

Use Ibuprofen wisely - Listen to what your body is telling you as well!

[Martin0642]

Ibuprofen can cause serious stomach problems as well as the obvious numbing thing that lets you walk on a foot that should be rested.

That said........I found they do both 400mg and 800mg over the counter. 800mg is more than people in the uk usually take as a full dose so to have it in one pill!

A better option for swollen ankles or sore feet is Diclofenca gel/oitment. Voltaren was one brand name...cant remember the other. Its called Diclofenac anyway in spanish and it's waaaay better than ibuprofen. Used to have it prescribed for a bad back. Great stuff that cream - saved our ankles!

[vinotinto]

I had an odd experience with ibuprofen on the Camino. At a pharmacia in Logrono, the seemingly helpful young tech sold me 200mg chewable tablets, and I'd take one or two a day. When they ran out after awhile, I showed the empty package to the owner of another pharmacia in order to get some more. He looked at the package, pointed to his young son, and explained to me that this type/dosage was for children! He then sold me the adult dosage (somewhere between 400 - 600mg), along with ibuprofen gel.

I felt like I was ripped off by the first guy, but then again, I should've gone to Spain armed with a better knowledge of Euro (i.e. metric) measurments and dosages. Live and learn, I guess...

[jeff001]

In reply to my own original question: Ibuprofen is readily available without presciption. It was in 600 mg caplets (200 is the max available OTC in the US) at about E4-5 for 40. The price per milligram is about the same as in the US.

[vinotinto]

As others have mentioned, ibuprofen is available in tablet, chewable, or gel form. When I got the 200mg type, it was chewable - and as the farmacist said, that particular dosage was for children. He recommended the 600mg tablets for adults. I don't remember it being too expensive, either (Jeff001's figure of 4-5 Euros sounds right). I also used some ibuprofen gel on my feet and other sore parts - good stuff.

And yes, I agree that one shouldn't go too far in numbing pain. It is the body's warning system, and ignoring or medicating it too much can lead to physical damage. As with most things, moderation is the key...

[Arn]

Mid way thru my career...I exited a helicopter from the wrong door...OOPS. Once put back together I found that I still had both knee and hip pain. I told the Doc I wouldn't take incapacitating drugs...so vitamin I. Sadly, I got to the point where, as a professional football official (soccer) I had to take 2400mg to get thru one 90 min. men's match. When I went on the AT...had it not been for VI, I wouldn't have completed it!

Now, I fully agree that so much is not good, because it only masks a larger problem. I am lucky that I have a good stomach and kidneys, that said, My South African Pa, convinced me to have knee surgery. He had two and was going in for his third in twenty years. He still played tennis, hiked all over the world and was ready to go again. I was sold! Sadly, again, while in hospital, he contracted pneumonia and never recovered.

Unlike the AT, Vinotinto has convinced me once again of the error of my ways. I am not going to have the knee surgery before my Camino, but I will buy the first round in every town I stop!

Arn

[rafferty]

It always amazes me that people take powerful drugs and medicines without understanding the nature of the substance.IBUPROFEN is a powerful anti-inflamatory drug which is very effective when used correctly.
Like ALL medications it should only be used as prescribed otherwise you are playing at Russian Roulette.
Some of the side effects have already been mentioned.Another major danger is to take this drug if you have high blood-pressure when it can cause heart attacks.Bearing in mind that the very act of walking with a pack will cause a rise in blood pressure straight away you are increasing your chance of a heart attack.
Why people are surprised that they have aching muscles at the end of a days hard slog is wierd.Of course you will.
Try some stretching exercises and a hot/bath or shower.
If you have been carrying a heavy backpack the strain on your muscles will be greatly increased.You should be carrying no more than about ten percent of your body weight.
Aching muscles are natural.After a while your muscles will become stronger and the aches and pains will lessen and go away.
As for the professional basket-ball player mentioned by Peregrina 2000-he was being stupid and unprofessional.A fact about all medications is that they become less effective with prolonged use.The basket-ball player was probably addicted to the drug.
At the end of the day it is up to you.If you really can't cope with the discomfort then perhaps IBUPROFEN is better than most drugs but should only be used for a short time and within prescribed dosage.Before you swollow the tablets do give the gell a try.Remember medication that is strong enough to kill pain is not a sweet even though people treat it as though it is.
I say all this as a recently retired charge nurse who has seen the end result of abuse of medicines too often.

[vinotinto]

you are increasing your chance of a heart attack.

Yeah, but what a way to go - on a pilgrimage trail heading for transcendance! As my uncle used to say, "if you ain't got no dope, you ain't got no hope!" Of course, he was a child of the 60s and 70s, so stuff like that was par for the course.

As for me, I am a proponent of better living through chemistry, and sometimes you gotta medicate - why else are these things upon the earth? However, your admonitions to be careful are valid, and as you allude, the old saying holds true: Everything in moderation...

[Arn]

Rafferty has some sage counsel and I would suggest everyone take note!

I've asked a number of folks my age (60'ish} if they have a "pre/post-problem" solution to the joint issue. And, who should come up with a suggestion but my Son Christopher (half my age). He called me from the airport in California waiting for a return flight thru to Kabul, Afghanistan. Yup, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...or so I'm told.

Chris recommended that I try GLUCOSAMINE (HCL) (1500mg) and Chondroitin Sulfate (1200mg) tablets. These were recommended to him by his PT as he was going thru 18 months of therapy to put him back together. I guess it works because he's back in the thick of it. He indicated that, once you begin taking the tablets you have to continue for at least 30 days for them to have any real effect.

What say you...Nurse Rafferty? By the way, My Uncle Marty was the very first male nurse graduated from the US Navy Hospital School at San Diego, CA in 1942. Good on ya bloke!

Arn

[vinotinto]

Chris recommended that I try GLUCOSAMINE (HCL) (1500mg) and Chondroitin Sulfate (1200mg) tablets.

I took this stuff as well (Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM) while on the Way. I've been using it since 1998, when I had the torn ACL rebuilt in my left knee. My other knee has been hammered as well, so I need all the preventative help I can get. I believe it works, at least psychologically.

To reduce weight, I bought enough of a two-tablet-a-day dosage (all of the above ingredients were combined in one pill) to last for the entire trek, and then some. I'm not sure how available it is in Spain, so I figured it was better to be safe than sorry...

[Arn]

Chris also recommended I go to Costco...where I was able to get the combined tablets...170 per bottle. I'm sure other outlets may have them also, i.e. Sam's Club, BJ's, etc.

On a different note: has anyone had any problem with getting medications through customs?

I've noticed that the "prescription" drug laws are different from nation to nation. In some countries, opiates can be purchased over the counter. That's one end of the spectrum...of course, but the other end is as well. Might there be a problem with Vitamin "I", or the G/C tablets?

Arn

[vinotinto]

Chris also recommended I go to Costco...where I was able to get the combined tablets...170 per bottle. I'm sure other outlets may have them also, i.e. Sam's Club, BJ's, etc.

On a different note: has anyone had any problem with getting medications through customs?

I've noticed that the "prescription" drug laws are different from nation to nation. In some countries, opiates can be purchased over the counter. That's one end of the spectrum...of course, but the other end is as well. Might there be a problem with Vitamin "I", or the G/C tablets?

I've brought lots of vitamins and vitamin/mineral packs with me on three trips to Europe and two to Mexico without incident. On my Camino trip, just to prevent the possibility of an issue, I separated each type of vitamin into its own baggie, and then cut out part of the packaging label and put it into the baggie for easy identification (especially handy if a customs agent asks me, "what the heck is this?"). Even so, no one's ever questioned me about them, so perhaps they are trained well enough to know the difference.

As for perscription drugs: You need to bring all the pertinent info with you, and even then you might have an issue due to the language barrier and local laws. Indeed, you might want to also get a letter from your doctor if opiates or other controlled narcotics are involved. And it would help to know the Spanish translation of whatever drug you needed.

It's best to bring everything you need, because getting a refill might be difficult. I saw one English-speaking couple blocked from refilling the husband's pain pill perscription at a farmacia. He showed the farmacist his bottle, but couldn't produce proof of perscription. Despite their pleas (apparently he was in a lot of pain), they were unable to help him. Ironically, the same farmacia spoke English, and helped me get the right kind of ibuprofen, so I know he wasn't being obstinate.