Naproxen, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory drug. It belongs to the family of NSAID drugs along with others as well known as ibuprofen. When and how should you take naproxen?
Continue reading and we will inform you carefully about this drug, indicated to treat fever and inflammatory processes with mild or moderate intensity pain: migraines, primary dysmenorrhea, sprains or twists, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or acute gout shots.
How Do We Take It And What Mistakes Do We Make?
When and how we should take naproxen is something that a multitude of people suffering often ask. Well, as with the rest of the AIEN drugs, the patient should take naproxen for a minimum period and with the tightest dose to obtain an optimal painkiller effect.
As a general rule, the daily dose of naproxen in adults should be around 550 and 1100 milligrams. Thus, the first shot would be 550 milligrams, while the following, taken every 6 or 8 hours, must be 275 milligrams.
This is an oral medicine whose intake should be done during meals or just after to avoid collateral gastrointestinal damage. Precisely one of the most common errors is related to this type of lesion, mainly in patients who have a high risk of digestive bleeding such as those suffering from gastro-duodenal ulcers, when ingesting naproxen without taking omeprazole, used basically to treat gastroesophageal reflux.
However, this is not the only failure in patients who follow this type of treatment. Some people self-medicating, when we’re talking about a delicate medicine that a health professional should personally prescribe. Other patients are fasting, while others take more doses than recommended.
Naproxen is a drug that treats various symptoms, but for it to be effective it is essential to follow the guidelines and duration established by the doctor. Some patients believe you can take it regularly because it has no side effects, something that is far from reality.
If the patient forgets to take a dose, he should skip it, without matching the next dose. I mean, because I’ve forgotten a shot, it doesn’t mean I have to drink double it later.
What Side Effects Can It Have?
Once we’ve talked about when and how we should take naproxen, we show you some of the more and less common side effects that may cause your intake.
The most common adverse reactions caused by naproxen occur in the digestive system. Thus, constipation and diarrhea, as well as nausea, vomiting, and dyspepsia, are often common.
Naproxen can also lead to more serious but unusual symptoms: bowel perforation, and gastrointestinal bleeding, as well as boosting certain pathologies such as Crohn’s disease.
Other side effects are associated with renal or hepatic impairment, so it is discouraged to use in patients who have some pathology linked to these conditions.
In this sense, older persons should consume the minimum dose when causing possible renal failure or gastrointestinal bleeding. And the higher the dose, the higher the risk in both the elderly and people with a history of ulcers.
Other effects that may be caused by naproxen are summarized as follows:
- Cardiovascular reactions such as high blood pressure or heart failure.
- Effects on the liver system such as hepatitis, jaundice, and cholestasis (very unusual frequency).
- Neurological disorders such as headaches, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, and, somewhat less common, insomnia, depression, nervousness, and anxiety.
- Dermatological effects such as skin rashes, sweating, purpura, pruritus, or ecchymosis. In an almost unusual way, complex diseases such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
- Ophthalmic reactions associated with vision disorders such as conjunctivitis, blurred vision, or corneal opacities.
- Naproxen also causes adverse effects on the ear such as tinnitus (buzzing) or in a rare way deafness or vertigo.
- Also, frequent infections such as intestinal diverticulitis and less common ones such as sepsis.
What Is The Difference Between Naproxen And Sodium Naproxen?
In their chemical form they are different, naproxen base against the salt of the naproxen. As for absorption time, naproxen sodium is faster. 550 milligrams are equivalent to about 500 milligrams of the classic naproxen.
What Is Stronger Naproxen or ibuprofen?
Before starting treatment for naproxen or ibuprofen, the most important thing is to consult with your doctor and follow your instructions, always avoiding self-medication.
The truth is that the response of each of these drugs will depend on each individual, although if we compare them to aspirin, they have a higher analgesic effect.
If we start to analyze its effectiveness in some ailments that are often repeated, we will say that in the case of menstrual pain, they have a similar effectiveness. However, in some pathologies such as degenerative knee osteoarthritis disease, naproxen acts more effectively.