Naproxen

Naproxen, sold under the brand name Naprosyn among others, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain, menstrual cramps, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and fever. It is taken by mouth. It is available in immediate and delayed release formulations. Onset of effects is within an hour and last for up to twelve hours.250 mg tablet of naproxen220 mg tablet of naproxen sodium. Imprint L490 (upside-down). Round, light blue tablet.Naproxen extended release 500 mg, back and front. Naproxen, sold under the brand name Naprosyn among others, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain, menstrual cramps, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and fever. It is taken by mouth. It is available in immediate and delayed release formulations. Onset of effects is within an hour and last for up to twelve hours. Common side effects include dizziness, headache, bruising, allergic reactions, heartburn, and stomach pain. Severe side effects include an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, and stomach ulcers. The heart disease risk may be lower than with other NSAIDs. It is not recommended in people with kidney problems. Use is not recommended in the third trimester of pregnancy. Naproxen is a nonselective COX inhibitor. It is in the propionic acid class of medications. As an NSAID, naproxen appears to exert its anti-inflammatory action by reducing the production of inflammatory mediators called prostaglandins. It is metabolized by the liver to inactive metabolites. Naproxen was patented in 1967 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1976. It is available over the counter and as a generic medication. In the United Kingdom, it cost about £0.15 per dose in 2017. In the United States, the wholesale cost per dose is less than US$0.10 as of 2018. In 2016, it was the 68th most prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 11 million prescriptions. Naproxen's medical uses are related to its mechanism of action as an anti-inflammatory compound. Naproxen is used to treat a variety of inflammatory conditions and symptoms that are due to excessive inflammation, such as pain and fever (naproxen has fever-reducing, or antipyretic, properties in addition to its anti-inflammatory activity). Notably, not all medications that reduce fever are anti-inflammatory compounds (such as paracetamol). Inflammatory sources of pain that may respond to naproxen's anti-inflammatory activity are conditions such as migraine, osteoarthritis, kidney stones, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, menstrual cramps, tendinitis, and bursitis. Because of its anti-inflammatory mechanism of action, one would not expect naproxen to be useful in treating non-inflammatory causes of pain (e.g., diabetic nerve pain). Naproxen sodium is used as a 'bridge therapy' in medication-overuse headache to slowly take patients off of other medications. Naproxen sodium is available as both an immediate release and as an extended release tablet. The extended release formulations (sometimes called 'sustained release,' or 'enteric coated') take longer to take effect than the immediate release formulations, and therefore are less useful when immediate pain relief is desired. Extended release formulations are more useful for the treatment of chronic, or long-lasting, conditions, in which long-term pain relief is desirable. Small amounts of naproxen are excreted in breast milk. However, adverse effects are uncommon in infants breastfed from mother taking naproxen.