Argh! Geocaching Is A Real Pain.

[+New England n00b]

As my grandmammy once said, long ago: "Hand me my ointment..."

 

Here's a thread you older folk can participate in. GIve us your pain remedy for the usual aches and pains involved with a good days worth of hiking. Not that *I* need them, of course. No.. not me. I'm not getting old...

 

Also, what about caching partners - any home remedies for the four-legged who are getting on in years?

Edited May 8, 2004 by New England n00b

[+briansnat]

2 pints of Guinness stout makes everything feel better. But overall, the aches, stiff legs scratches and pain from a day of hiking and geocaching add up to a feeling of accomplishment....a good kind of tired. Even when I was in my 30's, I'd really feel the after effects of a softball, or soccer game. Now, the next morning is when I really feel it. I get out of bed the day after a long hike and I can barely stand for the first few minutes, but I know it's my muscles thanking me for a good workout. Okay, I guess they could thank me in a less painful way, but still, its a good kind of pain.

Edited May 8, 2004 by briansnat

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

The 'older folk', huh? Who you calling OLD?

 

For a medium size pooch, a half of a Bayer aspirin wrapped up in a favorite treat works wonders.

 

For an oldfart....visit Evan Williams. (He is only 7 years old, but works wonders also).

 

Just our humble opinion.

 

John & Shirley~

[+Team Tecmage]

Tylenol or Aleve and a gel pack. The gel pack stays in the freezer until we need it.

[+TeamK-9]

TeamK-9 has 4 first aid kits each with varying degrees of medical supplies. The first is a tiny one that can be carried in a small cargo pocket. This contains bandages and other minor first aid kits. Then there's another, bigger one in my day pack. Yet another larger one that I made myself in the car, and a whole big cabinet type thing at home.

 

I usually find that for field dressings. Gauze and duct tape work very well. Kind of have to be careful with the hair on my legs though.

 

Other than that, before a hard days of caching, I take Ibuprofen and Claritin, to prevent the headaches and the sniffles...

[+New England n00b]

I like your new avatar, Team Tecmage. Very cute.

 

For a medium size pooch, a half of a Bayer aspirin wrapped up in a favorite treat works wonders.

 

I thought aspirin was bad for dogs (or animals in general)...?

 

Although I think I'm gonna go get me some Aleve right now... My knees are killing me. Ugh. Thanks for teh replies - keep em coming.

 

One thing - my instructor has a bag filled with buckwheat husks and uses that as a gel pack - forms very nicely and because it's in a cloth bag, doesn't seem to get that condensation which really seems to give me "ice burn" if I can call it that... Gotta get one of those. Soon. A big one makes a good pillow too, actually.

[nobby.nobbs]

soak the affected area liberally in alcohol. remembering ofcourse that pain is all in the mind. so you'll just have to drink it.

 

might not cure the problem but after the first couple you don't care anymore.

[+Gazza&Girls]

I like your new avatar, Team Tecmage. Very cute.

 

For a medium size pooch, a half of a Bayer aspirin wrapped up in a favorite treat works wonders.

 

I thought aspirin was bad for dogs (or animals in general)...?

 

Although I think I'm gonna go get me some Aleve right now... My knees are killing me. Ugh. Thanks for teh replies - keep em coming.

 

One thing - my instructor has a bag filled with buckwheat husks and uses that as a gel pack - forms very nicely and because it's in a cloth bag, doesn't seem to get that condensation which really seems to give me "ice burn" if I can call it that... Gotta get one of those. Soon. A big one makes a good pillow too, actually.

Out here in the Mid-East (some call it mid-west but heck we aren't even west of the Mississip) we load a pouch with dry corn kernals. Beans will work to. Freeze them for 10 minutes of cool, or stick them in the nuker for a minute or so for warm.

Alternating works best, but if you're doing one or the other, go for cool. Sure warm feels good, but you want to reduce the inflamation.

[+Planet]

I thought aspirin was bad for dogs (or animals in general)...?

 

My friend gives her old arthritic dog an aspirin a day.

 

 

Out here in the Mid-East (some call it mid-west but heck we aren't even west of the Mississip) we load a pouch with dry corn kernals.  Beans will work to.  Freeze them for 10 minutes of cool, or stick them in the nuker for a minute or so for warm.

Alternating works best, but if you're doing one or the other, go for cool.  Sure warm feels good, but you want to reduce the inflamation.

 

I like this idea, take the dry corn, put it in a nuker, and voila! popcorn pillows.

Hot water therapy is my cure-all for the aches and pains. A good hot soak. If that fails, rest. If all else fails, aspirin or some kind of pain reliever. But I'm at the age where everything hurts.

Edited May 8, 2004 by Planet

[+Ttepee]

I thought aspirin was bad for dogs (or animals in general)...?

 

Aspirin is fine for dogs... not tylenol or ibuprophen.. straight aspirin. .. arthritic strength even. Cats are a different story.. better off consulting a vet if your looking to relieve your cats pain by sticking something down his throat.

[+Mopar]

3 Aleve before I even start a tough hike.

3 cold ones when I get home.

[+JMBella]

I never get sore. Neither does Bella. That's what she tells me anyway.

[+JMBella]

3 Aleve before I even start a tough hike.

3 cold ones when I get home.

Budweiser? Yuck!

[+Nazgul]

Being sore is just a proud reminder that I went out and got some good exercise.

 

I saw a great t-shirt last year that read "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."

 

But to actually answer the question, this old-timer (in the latter half of his 30s) uses a couple of aspirin if I need a painkiller. Ibuprofin works great for most people but it doesn't stop the pain nearly as well as aspirin for me. YMMV.

 

For really sore muscles, Icy Hot works pretty well for me, particularly if used (and taken off!) before bed, then I'm usually much better in the morning. A massage is also a good thing.

[+The Leprechauns]

The excitement of finding the next cache relieves the pain suffered on the ones already found. What sucks is stopping a cache run, going home and crashing. The cure for that is "don't ever stop."

[+jeff35080]

Thank goodness for Aleve! I have learned to take a couple before setting-off into the great unknown. If I take Aleve before I set-off on the trail, I'm good for about 10-12 miles. Without Aleve, my knees really start hurting after about 3-4 miles

[+protocoldroid]

maybe this isn't so family friendly, but, it's an old remedy from my family...

 

if you've gotten a bee sting, and you happen to have someone around who smokes tobacco... take a small pinch of tobacco from a cigarette (or possibly cigar) and wet the tobacco with water... apply the wet tobacco on the sting, and hold it on there for a couple minutes. this will help relieve the sting.

 

i got a nasty bite from a horsefly (on my palm of all places) while out geocaching the other day. The bite numbed half my hand, and a good part of my fore-arm. I applied damp tobacco to it, and in minutes it was relieved. This was the first time I used the technique for anything but a bee sting, anyhow... it may work for bites of other kinds.

 

edit: i forgot this was a thread for those who are getting older, anyways... I think this applies to cachers of all ages. my parents used this technique when I was a kid, and I still use it now that I'm an adult.

Edited May 8, 2004 by protocoldroid

[+PandyBat]

GIve us your pain remedy for the usual aches and pains involved with a good days worth of hiking. Not that *I* need them, of course. No.. not me. I'm not getting old...

Try a good old-fashioned hot bath. I hate to take medication. Anything that helps the aches and pains and also helps me avoid putting unnecessary chemicals into my body is ok in my book.

[+nfa]

Here in the old-time woodsy adirondacks we like to rely on the time -tested methods of yesteryear...I limp/stumble/fall into the hot-tub, and administer ibuprofen and bourbon internally.

 

What can I say, I'm old-fashioned.

 

nfa

[Tahosa and Sons]

When the going gets tough, the young drop out, while us old wind bags still go up the hill. I must have dementia, can't seem to remember when I was sore after

a good hike, and I did two hikes this week and knocked out about 16 miles.

[+woof n lulu]

maybe this isn't so family friendly, but, it's an old remedy from my family...

 

if you've gotten a bee sting, and you happen to have someone around who smokes tobacco... take a small pinch of tobacco from a cigarette (or  possibly cigar) and wet the tobacco with water... apply the wet tobacco on the sting, and hold it on there for a couple minutes. this will help relieve the sting.

 

i got a nasty bite from a horsefly (on my palm of all places) while out geocaching the other day. The bite numbed half my hand, and a good part of my fore-arm. I applied damp tobacco to it, and in minutes it was relieved. This was the first time I used the technique for anything but a bee sting, anyhow... it may work for bites of other kinds.

 

edit: i forgot this was a thread for those who are getting older, anyways... I think this applies to cachers of all ages. my parents used this technique when I was a kid, and I still use it now that I'm an adult.

Along the same lines, I carry a small pill bottle with baking soda in it. My husband is allergic to bee stings, and I have learned to carry Benedryl and Baking soda.

Mix the soda with alittle water to make a paste and slap it on any kind of sting. Within a minute it neutrilized the acid based poison and relieves the pain.

I did this also when I got bit twice on the instep by a scorpion (small) that came into the house during a storm. No swelling, and the pain was gone if a minute or two.

 

On topic, at our age pain is there, its just a matter of intensity and duration, but the feeling of well being, and the elation of a good day geocaching, make the pain easier to deal with....so does the Guinness.

Edited May 8, 2004 by woof n lulu

[+Gizmo & Brazin]

From "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats" by the Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books :

 

For Dogs only: Giving your dog a buffered aspirin can be a great help for arthritis pain. Experts recommend 1/4 of a 325 milligram tablet for every 10 pounds of dog, twice a day. A 40 pound pooch, for example, will need one tablet twice a day, while a pint size poodle might only need 1/4 of a tablet or less. To prevent stomach upset, always use buffered aspirin and only give it after mealtimes.

 

Also remember, doses of aspirin that are safe for a dog can be deadly for a cat. Consult a vet.

 

To anyone who has cats or dogs: This is a great book with some good, practical advice. I have used it many times.

[+carleenp]

Super Strength Blue Emu gel is pretty darn good. If you get that brand, it contains a high concentration of emu oil, which is anti-inflamatory and it also has the ingredient in cremes such as icy hot for pain relief. I have bought it at Target before. Aspercreme can be good too. I read a study once stating that anti-inflamatory cremes work better than over the counter anti-inflamatory pills to reduce inflamation, although adding oral aspirin helped pain relief more quickly. Also note that aspirin and ibuprofin are anti-inflamatory besides providing pain relief and acetominphen is not an anti-inflamatory. I can't remember if Alieve is anti-inflamatory. I think it is. If you can get a prescription for Vioxx or Celebrex, both work really well as anti-inflamatroy pain releivers, but they can bother the stomach if used alot.

 

I asked a vet I know about the aspirin. He said to be careful giving aspirin to dogs. It can work well, but the dose must be correct and too high of a dose can be fatal. Never give it to cats. He said that vets can give you pills w/ the correct amount for your dog's weight and that if you do it yourself to consult the vet first.

[+Team Maddie UK]

Someone told me many moons ago that if I was to have a good night out then to take tylenol or other pain reliever before I went to bed and I would not suffer a hangover in the morning. I found that this actually worked.

 

Now forward 20 years and the arthritis and fibromyalgia has set in and the doctor tells me 'you can sit on the couch and suffer or get out and exercise and suffer' I opted to combine both remedies. I take the pain relievers before I go on the 2-3 mile hikes while geocaching and I am none the worse for wear when I get up in the morning Either way I am going to have a certain amount of aches and pains but am getting healthier for it. Now if I could just convince my hubby that it actually works...next day I am raring to go caching and he is still suffering from the day before. Oh well guess I will have to go on my own.........

[+Metaphor]

Beer. But good beer. Not beer that comes in cans. Beer should never be drunk out of cans. Unless they're the big cans with the hose out of the top. Still, good beer only. Beer was invented to take the soreness out of not only aching limbs, but life. A beer give strength, clarity and nourishment to the weary. BIGFY! Beer Is Good For You! The crispness of the blend of malts, the tang of the hops, the dance of amber as it slides along the tongue, into the back oth the throat, the warming fuzziness of mind, the ... ahh, beer...

 

Dang, is it time for the meeting already?...

[+carleenp]

Beer. But good beer. Not beer that comes in cans. Beer should never be drunk out of cans. Unless they're the big cans with the hose out of the top. Still, good beer only. Beer was invented to take the soreness out of not only aching limbs, but life. A beer give strength, clarity and nourishment to the weary. BIGFY! Beer Is Good For You! The crispness of the blend of malts, the tang of the hops, the dance of amber as it slides along the tongue, into the back oth the throat, the warming fuzziness of mind, the ... ahh, beer...

 

Dang, is it time for the meeting already?...

Well I'm always for beer. Something of interest though. You will notice that most common pain relievers now warn not to take them if you comsume alchohol. Apparently in rare cases it can cause sudden liver failure and amazingly enough I actually know someone who had liver failure after taking a bunch of ibuprofrin before and after drinking.

[+Metaphor]

I've heard of that as well. It's fairly rare, but does happen. Basically Ibuprofin (Vitamin I) is best used as an anti-inflammatory, good for strains and sprains. Plain old aspirin, my drug of choice, acts as a general analgesic for the aches and pains, and acts as a blood thinner, far better for the alcohol-related after effects, given it is taken with copius amounts of water. (The water is the key ingredient in hangover relief.) Anything stronger, particularly prescription meds and high dosage OTC's , are more alcohol sensitive. As always, the adage that if a couple is good, several is better, is just plain stupid. Aspirin, Ibuprofin, and Acetominophen, the most common OTC pain relief medicines, taken in high doses can have some nasty side-effects.

 

Honestly, I usually forget to take the aspirin until morning, because after a long day of hiking, the first beer lulls me, the second sends me to sleep. I guess that I am a whole lot older than I used to be. But that first one tastes sooooo good...

[Dirtbag Darrel]

“2 pints of Guinness stout makes everything feel better.”

 

Ah, a laddy after me own heart! My great great grandfather actually died at the Guinness brewery in Ireland when he fell into one of the vats. It was a slow death too. He got out three times to use the bathroom!

 

For achy muscles I use Tiger Balm. And I agree with the single aspirin for the pooch.

[+DustyJacket]

Well, I am just finishing a dosepack of some sort of steroids. (No, not THOSE steroids.)

And, I have a large jar of some huge 600mg painkiller/anti-inflammatory pills.

It has been almost a month snce it all started.

 

(I was doing great until yesterday when my daughter's "tube" submerged at 25 mph, and after pulling the 2 girls out, I found the toable had a few hundred pounds of water trapped in it. My pain level is now back near last Sunday. One week lost.)

[uperdooper]

having lupus i am always in pain. i'm allergic to aspirin, motrin, aleve, all of the nsaids. my hubby is the kind who will believe any infomercial he sees on television, so when he mentions something i usually discount it. recently someone told us about coral calcium. i let hubby be the tester for about a week, then i tried it myself. it really has helped. surprised the heck out of me. about half my aches are gone or aren't as bad as they were. you can get it at wally world, so don't order it from the infomercial.

[+Red Clover]

I've always used Icy-Hot and/or Advil. Recently went to the store for more Icy-Hot and guess what! They now sell it in a stick like deodorant. This is great! It means you don't have to rub it in w/ a healthy hand. So its easier to use on the go and I don't have to worry about touching my face if I cant wash my hands right away. However, I recently fractured my ankle so now I'm using Celebrex. And yes it does upset my stomach.

[+sbukosky]

If the pain goes away after a day or two, you probably had a good exercise. If the pain doesn't go away in the feet, don't believe the no pain no gain crap. See a podiatrist.

 

For routine aches, my first choice is asprin, but I'd usually take three or four to get releif and eventually it gets rough on the stomach. Then I would switch to ibuprofin. While some say it can be hard on the stomach too, I've been taking 2,400 MG a day for a couple months with no problem. Thats 12 of the over-the-counter size. This is in preparation for heel surgery next week caused by---hiking.

[Dirtbag Darrel]

"So its easier to use on the go and I don't have to worry about touching my face if I cant wash my hands right away."

 

I used Tigaer Balm one time and forgot to wash it off my hands. I then used the bathroom. It'll never happen again!

[+Red Clover]

"So its easier to use on the go and I don't have to worry about touching my face if I cant wash my hands right away."

 

I used Tigaer Balm one time and forgot to wash it off my hands. I then used the bathroom. It'll never happen again!

You poor guy.. I had a good friend in highschool that took Karate. One day after practice he put Icy-Hot on his thighs.. well it must have migrated a bit north because about 10 mins later he was in the shower screaming all kinds of obscenities. His mother and I were doing our best to make sure he didnt hear us laughing!

[+Geo Ho]

I just suffer with my boo-boo's, after all . . . I've earned them.

 

All my scratches, bumps and bruises are my trophies for a great day of caching.

 

This is just one of many trophies recieved while caching and an amusing story if you want to read about it.

 

Heh!

 

Happy caching and stuff!

[+New England n00b]

OUCH!

 

That had to feel good... YIKES. I was talking about internal pain - not pain from external causes... Yeesh - remind me not to freeclimb anytime soon!

 

Hope you feel better!... and stuff

[scoutsout]

... I saw a great t-shirt last year that read "Pain is just weakness leaving the body." ...

I had a shirt with this quote on it, I actually "earned it" while in the Army and always kinda thought it was true to an extent. Now, 15 years later (and 5 years after getting out of the Army) I'm paying for that pain. I'm an inch shorter and suddenly started having back pain, thanks to arthritis says the doctor, all because of that "weakness" I so gladly allowed to "leave my body."

 

Celebrex really helped take the edge off a recent muscle spasm in my back, but I refuse to take it daily... if the pain continues I will be looking deeper into the cause. I can't blame this new hobby of mine for any pain so far, and I hope it never becomes an issue... I've got too many other more dangerous things to be blaming for pain!

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

Yup, I have a few of those kinds of stories myself. Fortunately, my only encounters thus far with snakes have involved the kind without icky stuff in their teeth.

 

[on-topic]

If I'm sore, a swim would help or a hot tub, but since I have neither, 3 shots of Bacardi Vanila and a can of Coke work wonders.

[+programmer64]

If I am not sore after a good day of cachin' then something is definitely wrong. I look to mother nature to ease my discomfort! There are many "natural" remedies out there.

[+Geo Ho]

If I am not sore after a good day of cachin' then something is definitely wrong. I look to mother nature to ease my discomfort! There are many "natural" remedies out there.

Magic Mushrooms??

 

 

Happy caching and stuff!

[+Newenglandah]

I FEAL YOUR PAIN!!!!! 2 weeks ago I started hiking again, being spring and pushed it a WEEEEEE bit to far , considering I couldn't stand straight for 3 days after or really walk. But Skelaxin and Naproxen and a heating pad helped that... The best thing I find for the aches is a good strech program before, after and on the off days of caching.. ------Sucks I was planning on starting a 70 miler with caches along the way but the back has to heal now!!!! I guess we'll stick to caches along my fishing areas instead....