This is something that I don't like to talk about often openly, however I have been in the BJJ practice for an extremely long time now.. it can be very taxing on your joints, including your fingers,toes, elbows and ankles and wrists , and sometimes knees. Especially fingers and knuckles and wrists when it concerns gripping the lapel, even just doing repetitive light drilling with going back and forth with your partner taking turns transitioning from armbar to triangles and into omoplata's.. I make this statement because this is basically the fundamentals and one of the most drilled techniques for beginners and even advance before every class.. it's a form of building muscle memory even when you're just taking turns going five times each partner and switching.. just the slight added pressure and the hyperextension can agitate your elbows, shoulders (rotor cuff), and last but not least your hips especially if they have been very tight and not stretched over the years.
It's not a matter of the drug but rather the force that is going against the very fragile and delicate connective tissue with joints and ligaments.. it doesn't take much pressure at all just to agitate. When drilling I don't even let my partner get to the point of applying 15% pressure when we are exchanging a variety of arm bars and transitions. The moment I feel that his technique is on point with his posturing and positioning I give him a tap, then it's immediately on to the next muscle memory submission..
Don't be afraid to tap if you feel pressure, even if you're doing light to moderate rolling.. just ask your partner after you tap if you can continue from that position instead of starting over again, this way you're staying in the flow..
Whoever you are paired up with that evening before you slap and bump hands just give them a heads up.. you're there to learn and train with the expectancy to come back again and again and again, no one wants to see you miss a class because of injury.. if you have to use braces and tape on elbows knees wrists or even fingers and toes, then so be it.. keep in mind your age verse a lot of other individuals, you're there to learn, not compete..
Get the class a little bit early and do more stretching while all of the other students are just showing up. When warming up with doing shrimping (hip escapes), Superman's or whatever you may drill, don't go guns blazing.. just get your blood flowing and enjoy your session..
Last but not least even a lot of veterans develop problematic joint issues over the years.. also consider your age.. Don't let this discourage you and keep coming back.. go at your own pace!!!
Or letro/arimidex/Aromasin? 
