Naprosyn® (naproxen) is a prescription medicine used to reduce pain, inflammation, fever, and stiffness caused by many conditions, including injury, arthritis, gout, menstrual cramps, and other types of bone, muscle, or tendon pain. Naprosyn is part of a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It comes in two forms -- Naprosyn (immediate-release) and EC-Naprosyn® (delayed-release).
Naprosyn is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Naproxen works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.
Naprosyn is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by conditions such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, tendinitis, bursitis, gout, or menstrual cramps.
Naprosyn may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Naprosyn: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop taking Naprosyn and seek medical attention or call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
black, bloody, or tarry stools;
coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
swelling or rapid weight gain;
urinating less than usual or not at all;
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness; or
fever, headache, neck stiffness, chills, increased sensitivity to light, purple spots on the skin, and/or seizure (convulsions).
Less serious Naprosyn side effects may include:
upset stomach, mild heartburn or stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation;
bloating, gas;
dizziness, headache, nervousness;
skin itching or rash;
blurred vision; or
ringing in your ears.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Naprosyn can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk will increase the longer you use Naprosyn. Do not use Naprosyn just before or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
Seek emergency medical help if you have symptoms of heart or circulation problems, such as chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, or problems with vision or balance.
Naprosyn can also increase your risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking Naprosyn. Older adults may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects.
Call your doctor at once if you have symptoms of bleeding in your stomach or intestines. This includes black, bloody, or tarry stools, or coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
Do not use any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or pain medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Many medicines available over the counter contain aspirin or other medicines similar to Naprosyn (such as ibuprofen or ketoprofen). If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of this type of medication. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, or ketoprofen.
Do not drink alcohol while taking Naprosyn. Alcohol can increase the risk of stomach bleeding caused by Naprosyn. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Naprosyn can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, and a sunburn may result.
Asthma and diabetes are among the conditions you should let your healthcare provider know about before you take Naprosyn. A few of the people who should not take this medicine include those with an active bleeding condition, those who are allergic to Naprosyn or its inactive components.
Those who are pregnant or want to become pregnant must not take this medicine too.
Those who are breast-feeding: Naproxen appears in breast milk and could affect a nursing infant. If naproxen is essential to your health, you must discontinue breastfeeding until your treatment with naproxen is finished.
Some other precautions and warnings with Naprosyn include potential drug interactions, the risk of a heart attack or stroke in some people taking the drug, and the safety of taking Naprosyn if you have high blood pressure.
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking Naprosyn® (naproxen) if you have:
Asthma
Heart disease, including congestive heart failure
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Liver disease or failure
Kidney disease or failure
Bleeding problems (or if you are taking medicines that decrease the ability of your blood to clot)
Diabetes
Stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding, or a history of either condition
Any allergies to medicines, including sulfa drugs, aspirin, or other NSAID pain medicines.
Also let your healthcare provider know if you:
Drink alcohol frequently
Smoke
Are having or have recently had heart surgery.
Also tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you may be currently taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Arthritis symptoms, painful menstrual cramps, and general pain, among other things, can all be treated with Naprosyn. The medicine can also be prescribed to children over the age of 2 for juvenile arthritis, and to children ages 12 and over for the reduction of pain and fever. Off-label uses for Naprosyn include treating symptoms of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Naprosyn uses include:
Pain relief, such as for pain following a medical procedure, from straining a muscle, or caused by inflammation in a tendon (tendonitis) or bursa (bursitis). It can also be used to treat general pain, such as lower back pain, neck pain, or knee pain. EC-Naprosyn is generally not recommended for the treatment of this type of pain because its effects are delayed compared to immediate-release Naprosyn.
Treatment of arthritis symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and swelling. Naprosyn can be used to treat several different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis (also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis), ankylosing spondylitis, and gout. It does not cure these types of arthritis or affect their progression.
Treatment of painful menstrual periods.
Naprosyn may be combined with other medications in several common cold, allergy, and flu products to help relieve common cold symptoms, such as fever or aches and pains.
Naprosyn and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work by inhibiting the action of certain hormones (called prostaglandins) that cause inflammation and pain in the body. By blocking the effects of prostaglandins, Naprosyn is useful at reducing fever and pain related to a number of conditions. This includes pain and joint swelling associated with different forms of arthritis and other conditions, and pain related to inflammation or bone, muscle, or tendon injury.
Children over the age of two can use Naprosyn for the treatment of juvenile arthritis symptoms.
On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend this product for treating something other than the conditions discussed in this article. This is called an “off-label” use. At this time, there are several off-label Naprosyn uses. These include the treatment of:
Paget's disease of bone
Bartter's syndrome
Fibromyalgia symptoms
Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms
Symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE for short or lupus)
Pain or inflammation caused by other conditions.
This dosage information does not include all the information needed to use Naprosyn safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for Naprosyn. The information here is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Studies indicate that although total plasma concentration of naproxen is unchanged, the unbound plasma fraction of naproxen is increased in the elderly. Caution is advised when high doses are required and some adjustment of dosage may be required in elderly patients. As with other drugs used in the elderly, it is prudent to use the lowest effective dose.
Naproxen-containing products (such as Naprosyn) are not recommended for use in patients with moderate to severe and severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance <30 ml/min).
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis
|
NAPROSYN |
250 mg or 375 mg or 500 mg |
twice daily twice daily twice daily |
|
ANAPROX |
275 mg (naproxen 250 mg with 25 mg sodium) |
twice daily |
|
ANAPROX DS |
550 mg (naproxen 500 mg with 50 mg sodium) |
twice daily |
|
NAPROSYN Suspension |
250 mg (10 ml/2 tsp) or 375 mg (15 ml/3 tsp) or 500 mg (20 ml/4 tsp) |
twice daily twice daily twice daily |
|
EC-NAPROSYN |
375 mg or 500 mg |
twice daily twice daily |
To maintain the integrity of the enteric coating, the EC-NAPROSYN tablet should not be broken, crushed or chewed during ingestion. NAPROSYN Suspension should be shaken gently before use.
During long-term administration, the dose of naproxen may be adjusted up or down depending on the clinical response of the patient. A lower daily dose may suffice for long-term administration. The morning and evening doses do not have to be equal in size and the administration of the drug more frequently than twice daily is not necessary.
In patients who tolerate lower doses well, the dose may be increased to naproxen 1500 mg/day for limited periods of up to 6 months when a higher level of anti-inflammatory/analgesic activity is required. When treating such patients with naproxen 1500 mg/day, the physician should observe sufficient increased clinical benefits to offset the potential increased risk. The morning and evening doses do not have to be equal in size and administration of the drug more frequently than twice daily does not generally make a difference in response.
The use of NAPROSYN Suspension is recommended for juvenile arthritis in children 2 years or older because it allows for more flexible dose titration based on the child's weight. In pediatric patients, doses of 5 mg/kg/day produced plasma levels of naproxen similar to those seen in adults taking 500 mg of naproxen.
The recommended total daily dose of naproxen is approximately 10 mg/kg given in 2 divided doses (ie, 5 mg/kg given twice a day). A measuring cup marked in 1/2 teaspoon and 2.5 milliliter increments is provided with the NAPROSYN Suspension. The following table may be used as a guide for dosing of NAPROSYN Suspension:
|
Patient's Weight |
Dose |
Administered as |
|
13 kg (29 lb) |
62.5 mg bid |
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) twice daily |
|
25 kg (55 lb) |
125 mg bid |
5.0 ml (1 tsp) twice daily |
|
38 kg (84 lb) |
187.5 mg bid |
7.5 ml (1 1/2 tsp) twice daily |
For acute pain relief or treatment of painful menstrual periods, the usual adult dose is Naprosyn 500 mg to start, followed by 250 mg every six to eight hours as needed. The maximum recommended daily dosage of Naprosyn is 1250 mg per day.
The recommended starting dosage of Naprosyn for most people with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis is Naprosyn 250 mg, 375 mg, or 500 mg twice a day. After several weeks, if pain is still present, your healthcare provider may choose to increase your dose up to a maximum of Naprosyn 1500 mg per day. If pain still does not improve, your healthcare provider may recommend other options for pain relief.
If you are prescribed EC-Naproxyn®, the recommended dosage is 375 mg or 500 mg twice a day.
The recommended starting dose is 750 mg of NAPROSYN followed by 250 mg every 8 hours until the attack has subsided. EC-NAPROSYN is not recommended because of the delay in absorption.
Active ingredient:
naproxen
each NAPROSYN tablet contains 250 mg naproxen
each NAPROSYN 500 tablet contains 500 mg naproxen.
Inactive ingredients:
povidone
croscarmellose sodium
iron oxide yellow (172)
magnesium stearate (470)
NAPROSYN tablets do not contain sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
These user reviews are from WebMD's homepage among other big internet sites:
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 8/4/2010 12:08:05 PM
Reviewer: brendasue, 55-64 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: I took this for 9 days. Started having dizziness/nausea--just not right. Also diarrhea. Did nothing to help the pain. Still having diarrhea/nausea after being off for 3 days. How long does it stay in the system?
Review by Anonymous: User Rating: 5.0
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Rheumatoid Arthritis: I've had RA for 4 years. 500mg naproxen tablets were my first treatment. They definitely helped the day get better and be able to function daily. However, they did not stop the morning stiffness and pain or the build up of inflamation in my body. I definitely needed a more serious drug to stop the progression of the disease.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 9/12/2009 2:21:20 AM
Reviewer: hause1st, 35-44 Male on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: I 'm supposed to take 250mgs. 2xs a day, but i only taken 4 pills in 2 days and now my legs are swollen and they are hurting from the fluid build up! I'm not to sure what to do as one time i developed rabdomialisis, and i feel like this med. is causing me to develop it again and i'm going to stop this med., and see if the swelling goes away, and if so then i will need to report this to the Dr.! ...
Review by Anonymous: User Rating: 7.0
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Pain: I use it for long-term muscle swelling and back discomfort. It works pretty good for the most part, it doesn't fix all the pain, but it definitely makes it more tolerable.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 7/3/2009 8:03:45 AM
Reviewer: Cathhsmom, 45-54 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: This drug worked well on taking care of my pulled bicep pain, but after 7 days of taking it, I developed a tight chest and some anxiety.
Review by keenekid: User Rating: 9.0
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Tendonitis: I was amazed at how quickly my pain was reduced, after just 3 doses of Naprosyn. I had suffered from the pain of tendonitis in my thumb/hand for 5 weeks before taking the medicine. Of course I wish I had seen the doctor weeks ago.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 12/11/2008 7:25:44 PM
Reviewer: mdcc1959, 45-54 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: constipation and nausea
Review by JAMES H:
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Costochondritis: It helps a lot. Try to avoid prolonged use. Side effects can be severe.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 4/28/2008 10:40:18 AM
Reviewer: LV2HNT, 45-54 Male on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: I took the med for 8 days @ a dose of 500mg in the AM and 500mg in the PM. ON THE 8TH DAY I PASSED OUT FROM A LOSS OF BLOOD. BLEEDING IN THE STOMACH. WHEN RESCUE TEAM SHOWED UP I DID NOT HAVE A PULSE AND A BLOOD PRESSURE OF 54/40. SPENT 2 DAYS IN ICU. DOING BETTER NOW BUT STILL VERY ANEMIC. ASK YOUR DR ABOUT THIS IF YOU HAVE HAD GI TROUBLE.
Review by Anonymous: User Rating: 5.0
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Osteoarthritis: Helped the inflammation and pain, but gave me insomnia.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 1/2/2008 8:23:56 AM
Reviewer: asweitzr, 55-64 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: It was as if it was immediate relief because within 6 - 8 hrs. I no longer had the excruciating pain in my heal that nearly crippled me. I could hardly walk and now I can walk without limping. It was throwing my alignment of my spine out. I am very thankful for this drug. I am thankful my doctor prescribed this medication. My doctor said it was an inflamation in my heal.
Review by Nigel Hunni: User Rating: 10
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Costochondritis: It is good.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 12/10/2007 2:45:24 AM
Reviewer: 45-54 Male on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: -pain and swelling reduced quickly -able to resume work activities
Review by Les123: User Rating: 3.0
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Osteoarthritis: Did its job but made me lethargic.
Condition: Inflammation of the Tendon, 11/12/2007 11:33:09 PM
Reviewer: cocoa, 35-44 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Comment: It helps the swelling but I have constant stomach pains each time I took a dose. I had to stop taking this prescription.
Review by 1947...: User Rating: 7.0
Naprosyn (naproxen) for Osteoarthritis: I can certainly tell a difference when I don't take Naprosyn. I take 500 mg twice a day if needed.