We live in a world centered on solutions. When something goes wrong, we expect to be able to fix it, usually in a matter of minutes. With a handful of troubles actually being out of one’s control, many Wenatchee High School students make sure to combat the burden they can, physical pain, with a remedy sitting right at their fingertips, ibuprofen. In one, two pills and a sip of water, headaches, muscle cramps, and back pain are said to be eliminated but questions still linger. Whose pain requires carrying a bottle at all times? Whose pain requires no medication? And whose job is it to regulate student’s self medicating within the building? The Apple Leaf investigates.

The Athlete

Being an anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen excels at alleviating muscle swelling and cramps that result from injury, making the drug an essential part of sports seasons for some WHS athletes.

“During the baseball season, a lot of the players experience arm pain… so we are taking [ibuprofen] mostly every day,” junior Jacob Prater said. “I take it usually before games and practices. Even during the offseason I take it while working out.”

Prater said he takes around three to four pills to combat soreness and believes it actually helps rather than just adding reassurance.

As a football player, junior Cy Sirmon also relies on ibuprofen during the season, taking around three pills before practices and games. “It’s more of a preventive thing. You take [ibuprofen] so you can practice hard without pain,” Sirmon said.

Calling it a “habit,” Sirmon admits the drug’s effectiveness may be more psychological than physical. “It’s definitely a mental thing,” he said. “If you would give me a sugar pill, I probably wouldn’t even notice [the difference].”

Whether ibuprofen truly blocks the pain or is just as potent as a pair of lucky socks, most athletes don’t go without it. “I try to keep [ibuprofen] with me in my school bag, my practice bag, and game bag,” junior Jesus Guillen said.

The Afflicted

Junior Jessi Fore is an athlete who has learned to keep ibuprofen at her side not only from soreness, but also from a history of injuries from horseback riding.

“I’ve had a lot of injuries and a lot of people need [ibuprofen]. It doesn’t have many downsides to it, so it’s just good to have it when you need it,” Fore said, noting she normally carries around 15 pills of over the counter painkillers wherever she goes.

School policy may look down upon students carrying more than a daily dose of over the counter medication with them, yet she believes you never know who will need it or when an emergency will strike.

“I was cross-country jumping when my friend flipped over with her horse and broke her neck. Luckily, I had ibuprofen in my bag that I had brought with me from school, and I was able to give it to her,” Fore said. “[Ibuprofen] made [the pain] more bearable and she didn’t go into shock. I was definitely glad I had it with me that day.”

The school additionally prohibits teachers handing out over the counter medication to students, though this isn’t to say teachers don’t use it themselves. “I have a couple artificial hips, sometimes I tweak something, but I don’t use ibuprofen regularly,” social studies teacher Jay Young said. “I don’t want to rely on it, but I wouldn’t want to be without it.”

For freshman Jade Autlman, using ibuprofen isn’t about treating major injuries or medical procedures, it’s about dealing with her chronic migraines.

“I take a couple before school, and then more later if I feel a migraine coming on,” Autlman said. “If it helps take away my headaches, I’m all for it.”

The “Better Safe than Sorry” Type

Free from chronic medical issues or sports conditioning, some WHS students tote over the counter painkillers as a safety measure.

“I was always told it is a good idea to keep [painkillers] in case you need it, though I try to refrain from using them,” senior Sadie Wilson said.

Wilson said she carries a container of ibuprofen and Tylenol with her in spite of the school’s daily dose policy. “I don’t think [the policy] is very wise. No one is just going to carry two pills with them,” Wilson said. “But no one is checking.”

The Endurers

Gulping down a painkiller may seem like the easier route when it comes to handling pain, however some WHS students prefer to just deal with it.

“I just don’t like medicine. I would just prefer to drink water if I had a headache,” junior Elena Kahn said. “It’s me being stubborn and saying it doesn’t hurt that much.”

Another reason for bearing pain alone is simply not having anything to take. “I don’t take ibuprofen regularly for two reasons,” junior Grayson Hagopian said. “A, I never think to [carry it] and B, I usually don’t have pain where I need to everyday.”

The Administration

Besides stating that students can only carry a daily dose of over the counter medication, the handbook in the student planner specifies that any prescribed medication must have a doctor’s order, go through the office, and be administered by the school, typically the nurse.

“I try to teach kids how to be responsible [with medications],” Registered Nurse Michelle Benner said. “Some students think they shouldn’t have pain, but there are other ways to deal with it like ice and rest.”

According to Benner, there is no set “daily dose” of a medication, as the right amount depends on various factors, such as a person’s weight and the type of injury. Students can’t get over the counter medication from her, but Benner recommends carrying a travel-sized bottle if needed.

Though WHS Safety and Security Officer Janine Owyen wouldn’t call students’ use of medications “a worry” as compared to marijuana or other drugs, she realizes abuse of the guidelines is an issue that’s out there and generally unnoticed.

“We have caught people that have too much drugs, whether over the counter or prescription. We have caught kids that have other kid’s prescription medications and kids giving prescriptions to friends,” Owyen said. “We don’t go around and check [for too much medication], but if it is brought to our attention, then yes, we look it through. It probably happens more than we are aware of.”