Ryan Reynolds said he's cutting back on stunts because he 'can't eat Advil like it's cereal'
- Ryan Reynolds said he is going to start cutting back on doing his own stunts as he gets older.
- Reynolds said the stunts are painful and he "can't eat Advil like it's cereal."
Ryan Reynolds said he will be looking to cut back on stunts as he gets older, to avoid injuries and limit his painkillers, in an interview with Variety.
"You're not allowed to eat Advil like cereal," Reynolds said. "Things start to hurt. After I turned 35, being thrown onto cement wasn't hilarious anymore. It had been upgraded to hell."
"I think it's important to do as much of it yourself as you can, But I'll step aside when there's something that's just too gnarly and there's a trained professional ready to go," he added.
The 45-year-old actor has become known for doing many of his own action stunts in blockbuster franchises like "Deadpool" and "The Hitman's Bodyguard."
But Reynolds has also been injured from performing stunts before, and those mounting injuries, combined with painkillers, could be a recipe for long-term health complications later in life.
Reynolds has suffered previous neck and back injuries on set
Reynolds told Men's Health that he has suffered a damaged spinal disc, two separated shoulders, and a painful neck injury on action movie sets throughout his career.
"I'm dealing with a ton of nagging injuries. You think that an actor wouldn't experience the same injuries as an athlete. But over 15 years of intermittent action movies, you get your ass kicked," he said.
The injuries could leave Reynolds with chronic pain as he gets older, as well as serious medical conditions if his body continues to take punishment.
People who've suffered herniated discs can be at risk for saddlebag anesthesia — a condition in which a person loses sensation in their inner thighs, around their rectum, and down the back of their legs, according to interventional pain medicine specialist David Wu via CurePain.net.
Taking painkillers too much, too often can cause organ damage if consumed in excess
Compounding pain and injuries with painkillers like Advil can be risky.
Advil is a branded version of ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that can also be sold as a generic.
While it is sold over the counter, and generally safe, consuming too much ibuprofen, and too often, can cause long-term effects, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
These damages include bleeding in the stomach and bowels, anemia from said bleeding, hearing impairments, damage to the kidneys and liver, and a higher risk of a heart attack.