OTC drugs a wolf in sheep’s clothing
If you’re prone to using a sports cream to soothe sore muscles after you exercise or after you engage in any other strenuous activity, I advise you to do so only in moderation.
In recent news, a teenager died from alleged overuse of a muscle cream—according to the medical examiner assigned to her case. A lot of people did a double take, wondering if they’d heard that right.
But it was true, and, unfortunately for this victim of an over-the-counter remedy and her grieving family, what they had considered safe was not. What I found to be quite tragic was that the victim’s mother was quoted as saying, “I am scrupulous about my children’s health. …I did not think an over-the-counter product could be unsafe.”
And unfortunately, this mother is not alone in that thinking. The girl, a track star, used what was considered by the medical examiner to be an “excessive” amount.
The chemical ingredient methyl salicylate is what has been fingered as the culprit. Methyl salicylate is an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams. Such a cream is used topically to soothe muscles that have been overly exerted and is easily absorbed through the skin. It gives a warm feeling to the muscles, helping to relax them.
The problem is that it’s easily absorbed through the skin.
This young person was found to have an abnormally high level of methyl salicylate in her system, and this is what led the medical examiner to conclude that too much of the cream was used. He also conceded that it was possible she had absorbed an abnormally high level into her body. Chronic use is considered to be more dangerous than just using it once.
Chemicals react differently with people’s varying physiologies. It’s not always easy to predict exactly how your body will process any given chemical.
Folks are lulled into a false sense of complacency by the ease with which they can purchase these products. I’ve seen people in the aisle of a grocery store holding two products in their hands, going back and forth reading them. I want to hang a sign at the entrances to these aisles that says, “This is an area where your biggest consideration should not be how much bang you’re getting for your buck. Please be more concerned with safety and all possible side effects!” As to fatal consequences, well, that’s generally, and unfortunately, not foremost in the minds of folks, but it needs to be.
I’ve said this before here in House Calls and in my monthly newsletter: Do NOT for a minute believe that an over-the-counter remedy is “safe” just because you don’t need a prescription to get it.
When it comes to sore muscles, I’m partial to one remedy in particular—topical Arnica in a cream or gel form. My favorite is actually Weleda’s massage oil with Arnica. I regularly apply this after heavy exercise and usually find that by the next day the soreness is either gone or has significantly diminished, which is not the case when I don’t use anything. Of course, I always massage the oil in vigorously for a minute or two, because massage alone can certainly help soothe sore muscles.
I strongly recommend as an alternative to massaging you follow any vigorous exercise with at least a few minutes of stretching—since the time right after you exercise is when your muscles respond best to flexibility-style movement.
