There are plenty of choices at the pharmacy when you need a painkiller. One option is naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for managing pain, fever, and inflammation.
You may know naproxen as: Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, or Naprosyn.
How does it work? Naproxen helps reduce the levels of certain chemicals that cause pain, fever, and inflammation in your body. These chemicals are called prostaglandins. Naproxen works by blocking the enzyme that manufactures prostaglandins, which helps relieve swelling, pain, and fever.
Naproxen is available both over the counter and in stronger doses prescribed by your doctor. The usual adult dose falls between 250 and 500 milligrams taken twice daily — every twelve hours. Naprelan is a long-term release variety of the drug that is taken only once per day in a larger dose (up to 1000 milligrams). Experts recommend taking naproxen (in any form) with food to help reduce the chance of an upset stomach.
Side effects of naproxen include:
- Rash
- Ear ringing
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Abdominal pain and/or nausea
- Diarrhea or constipation
In some cases, naproxen can cause stomach and intestinal bleeding and/or ulcers. If you experience black stools, weakness, and dizziness when standing up, you may have bleeding. See your doctor as soon as possible. You may not experience abdominal pain with stomach and intestinal bleeding and/or ulcers.
Are there any drug interactions with naproxen? There are several suspected interactions with a variety of different drugs; you should talk to your doctor about your other medications before you start taking naproxen. Be cautious using naproxen if you take lithium (naproxen can raise lithium levels), certain blood pressure medications (naproxen can raise blood pressure), or blood thinners or anticoagulants (naproxen can thin the blood). There are other over-the-counter pain killers available that may not interact with those drugs.
Naproxen is not recommended for pregnant or nursing mothers.