I’ve been doing calf massaging once or twice daily to untighten them and relieve shin pain (it’s working wonderfully so far), and I’ve been using Voltaren cream with it.
I will keep doing this, however, the Voltaren box says not to continue treatment after 2 weeks of use (I’ve exceeded 3). Not sure how (if at all) harmful long term use is.
Should I just use a different massage cream (any recommendations?) or no big deal and keep doing what I’ve been doing?
Thanks in advance.
if you swap cream to another anti inflamatory cream, then, its just like staying on the same cream…
Try the wonder stuff, called, Vicks vapour rub, no time limit on that and works a treat.
Good idea Bold, but is there any other option? I’m trying to keep the smell down because my family complains 
I’ll definately use it as a resort though, thanks!
You probably shouldn’t use anti-inflammatories for any longer than 2-3 weeks at a time, although there are 50 year old arthritis patients taking upwards of 100mg of diclofenac a day. Not to mention COX-2 inhibitors and other prescription NSAIDs.
You can use them for months at a time, and like I said these arthritis sufferers live on them, so its possible. BUT,
a very important BUT is that inflammation is a necessary component of the healing process, so if you take anti-inflams for too long you’re doing the opposite of what you want (ie you want to recover quicker).
So use sparingly.
i cant quote or remember where i heard, but i do remember some bad stories about using too much voltaren, i think i remember one teenager “overdosed” on it and died or such!! High levels of voltaren were noticed in autopsy (or blood work). This is on high use though, but still, if it dont kill ya, it might do some other nasty stuff too??
Oh my …
Vicks vapour rub it is!
Thanks Jumper… advise well taken.
There was a new york distance runner that died just a month or two ago from extended high amount use of anti inflamatory creams, dont recall if the story was post on here anywhere or not. Maybe thats what your refering to bold, i forget exactly what product it was she was using, but you might be correct.
You got it!
What do you actually do with the Vicks?
Use as a massage cream, however, it dries off quicker than massage oil, but it get in the muscle and warms it up nice. It can work really well if you put a lot on and leave it on over night.
Also use it on the glands on the 1st signs of a cold or flue. Wonderfull stuff. 
It might dry off faster than massage oil, but it dries off much slower than Voltaren massage cream I’d been using.
I like it Bold, good call…
Wow, she must have been using a shitload of the stuff. Its like orange juice, good for you if you have a glass and bad for you if you drink 10 litres…
Creams are only a little part of a good therapy…I can suggest you 10 creams but are they really useful?
(try to do a search…Charlie in the past has spoken about voltaren+traumeel or methylsalicilate + voltaren).
i know this research is talking about oral anti inflams, but thought it is worth a read.
NSAIDS containing diclofenac now under attack
from leading health professionals.
Not 12 months after the recall of Vioxx from the market there are now strong concerns over the use of another group of NSAIDS containing the active ingredient known as Diclofenac. Marketed under the registered trade names of Diclon or Dicloflex, the product is better known in Australia as Voltaren.
Clinical trials conducted at the Newcastle University have shown that the use of products containing Diclofenac as their active ingredient (Voltaren) can increase the risk of heart failure by up to 40% in patients predisposed to these conditions.
Researchers surveyed the results for 1.5 million people using the anti-inflammatory and found it can increase the relative risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 40%.
“We’ve looked at the effects of causing heart failure, we’ve also looked at the propensity of diclofenac to damage liver, and now we’re looking at the propensity to cause heart attacks.
So from that simple list you realise that they have a lot of side effects,” says Newcastle University spokesperson David Henry.
Diclofenac pain relievers come with a considerable list of contra-indications (a condition or factor that increases risk). Diclofenac pain relievers (Diclon, Dicloflex, Voltaren) should not be used by people experiencing or having:
• A history of allergic reactions (bronchospasm, shock, rhinitis, urticaria) following the use of Aspirin or another NSAID
• Third-trimester pregnancy
• Active stomach and/or duodenal ulceration or gastrointestinal bleeding
• Inflammative intestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Severe insufficiency of the heart (NYHA III/IV)
• Recently, a warning has been issued by FDA not to treat patients recovering from heart surgery
• Severe liver insufficiency (Child-Pugh Class C)
• Severe renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance <30 ml/min)
• Caution in patients with severe, active bleeding such as cerebral hemorrhage
The use of Diclofenac in animals has also led to a bizarre finding overseas. Use of diclofenac in animals has been reported to have led to a sharp decline in the vulture population in the Indian subcontinent, up to 95% in some areas. The mechanism is probably renal failure, a known side-effect of diclofenac. Vultures eat the carcasses of domesticated animals that have been administered veterinary diclofenac, and are poisoned by the accumulated chemical. At a meeting of the National Wildlife Board in March 2005, the Government of India announced that it intended to phase out the veterinary use of diclofenac.