Naproxen Tablets 250mg

What are Naproxen tablets?

Naproxen tablets are a powerful painkiller belonging to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) class of drugs. They come in two strengths 250mg & 500mg tablets. Other more common drugs from this family of drugs include Ibuprofen & Aspirin. Naproxen typically provides more pain relief than Ibuprofen & Aspirin.
They are available in normal tablet form as a well gastro-resistant form to help protect the stomach.

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis
2. Osteoarthritis
3. Tendititis
4. Period Pain
5. Gout
6. Various muscle and joint pains
7. Strains/Sprains and injuries
8. Dental Pain

How to buy Naproxen online

You can use our online prescription service to buy Naproxen tablets online in the UK. We are a regulated GPhC registered pharmacy based in the UK. Any website that claims this medication without a prescription is operating illegally and you could be purchasing counterfeit / fake tablets.
Upon completion of your order, our independent prescriber will then review your online assessment. If your assessment is approved, our pharmacy team will then receive a prescription and dispense your order, which will be dispatched the same day using your chosen delivery method.

How it works

Naproxen belongs to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class of drugs. It works by reducing inflammation and swelling in joints and muscles. It does this by stopping an enzyme in the body known as cyclo-oxygenase (COX) from working.
When you suffer an injury, or in certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, the the COX in your body will make prostaglandins. These prostaglandins are responsible for the sensation of pain, swelling and inflammation. As Naproxen prevents COX from making prostaglandins, your pain, swelling and inflammation will also reduce.
A downside to this is COX-1 is responsible for maintaining the normal lining of your stomach and intestines. Which helps protect your stomach from acid and digestive juices, by reducing the amount of COX-1 in your body it can cause stomach upsets and even ulcers. This is why when taking Naproxen you should always take it with or just shortly after food. A proton-pump inhibitor such as Omeprazole capsules, are also highly recommended to be taken alongside it, which reduce the amount of acid in your stomach and help protect the stomach from ulceration.
Naproxen will get to work and relieve pain and inflammation after just one dose, it will also continue to build up if taken regularly. This can be helpful for chronic pain but will massively increase the risk of side effects.
Naproxen is particularly helpful for period pain relief as prostaglandins trigger muscles in your uterus to contract, reducing the amount of them will should make your uterus contract less.
Naproxen can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, period pain and sprains and strains.

How effective is Naproxen

While it belongs to the same class of drugs as Ibuprofen, Naproxen has been proven to be more effective in relieving pain than Ibuprofen.

How to take Naproxen

The dose of Naproxen differs depending on what is being taken for. Some common doses are:
Pain and inflammation in rheumatic disease: 500mg - 1000mg daily in 1 or 2 divided doses.
Pain and inflammation in musculoskeletal disorders: Initially 500mg then 250 mg every 6–8 hours as required, with a maximum dose after the first day 1.25 g daily.
Acute gout: Initially 750 mg, then 250 mg every 8 hours until attack has passed.
Acute migraine: 500 mg for 1 dose, to be taken in combination with sumatriptan as soon as migraine symptoms develop.
It is important to take Naproxen with food to help protect the stomach and to take Naproxen for the shortest possible time at the lowest dose.
Naproxen can be taken for chronic pain, but you may need to take a proton-pump inhibitor such as Omeprazole or Lansoprazole to help protect the stomach.

Naproxen and other painkillers

Naproxen can be taken with other painkillers as long as they do not belong to the class of NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors.
Medication you should avoid taking alongside Naproxen include but are not limited to:

1. Ibuprofen this includes any formulation such as gels, liquids
2. Diclofenac
3. Celecoxib
4. Etoricoxib

Be wary if you purchase any combination medicines such as cold & flu as they may contain a NSAID, speak to the pharmacist if you are unsure.
Naproxen can be safely taken with:

1. Paracetamol tablets
2. Codeine - such as co-codamol

As these work differently to naproxen. Taking a combination of pain relief medication can provide much greater pain relief but use should be kept to as short a period of time as possible. If you find you need to take combinations of painkillers for a long period of time, contact your doctor as there may be other treatments you can try.

Naproxen side effects

Like any medication Naproxen can cause side effects these include:

1. Confusion
2. Headaches
3. Ringing in the ears
4. Changes in vision
5. Fatigued (feeling tired)
6. Feeling dizzy
7. Skinrashes
8. Mild heartburn

If any of these symptoms occur and do not go away, speak to a doctor or pharmacist for advice.
More rare but serious side effects include:

1. Severe indigestion
2. Severe heartburn
3. Vomiting blood or dark particles
4. Blood in the stools
5. Frequent sore throat
6. Signs of jaundice such as yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, feeling faint or short of breath, blood in your urine and slow or irregular heart beat.

Call 111 or your doctor if you experience any of the above. If you experience a high temperature, feel sick or start being sick, get confused, have a headache, neck stiffness and sensitivity to light or experience chest pains call 999.

Naproxen and pregnancy

It is usually not recommended to be taken while you are pregnant. It can pass through into your baby and cause circulation problems and problems with amniotic fluid levels. Conctact a doctor if you want to taken naproxen while you are pregnant and they can weigh up the benefits vs risks of taking the medicine while pregnant.

Naproxen and breastfeeding

It is usually not recommended to be taken while you are breastfeeding. You could try other painkillers, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol as these are safer. If these are not providing enough relief you should contact your doctor to discuss your options, they may prescribe you naproxen under their care. As always only use it for as short a time as possible.

Naproxen and fertility

If you are trying to get pregnant you should avoid any anti-inflammatory medicines, like naproxen. These medicines in large doses or when taken for a long period of time can affect ovulation and make it more difficult for you to get pregnant. If you are trying to become pregnant and you take naproxen, talk to your doctor to discuss your options.

Naproxen and alcohol

It is fine to drink alcohol while taking naproxen. Be aware that naproxen can irritate your stomach lining and drinking alcohol above the recommended limit can further add to this irritation leading to more side effects.

Naproxen over the counter

You cannot buy naproxen tablets over the counter as they are a prescription only medicine. You can fill in an online consultation form here at Hightown Pharmacy which will then be reviewed by a prescriber, who may issue you a prescription if they are deemed safe and suitable for you.

Who cannot take Naproxen tablets

This medication may not be suitable for you if:

1. Have had a previous allergic reaction to Naproxen
2. Have had a previous allergic reaction to aspirin or any other NSAID such as diclofenac or ibuprofen
3. Have asthma
4. Have an active peptic ulcer
5. Have bleeding in the gut
6. Have had two or more episodes of stomach issues in the past
7. Have experienced bleeding or perforation in the gut as a result of taking an NSAID
8. Have severe heart failure, kidney failure or liver failure
9. Are taking any other NSAID painkiller, or COX-2 inhibitor
10. Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
11. Are breastfeeding
12. have high blood pressure
13. have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
14. have lupus
15. have a blood-clotting disorder

They should also be used with caution in those who are 65 years of age and older.

Naproxen interactions

The following medicines interact with Naproxen, it may not suitable or to only be used with caution if you take:

1. Other non-steriodal anti-inflammatories - you will need to stop taking them before starting naproxen
2. Anti-anticoagulant medicine such as warfarin, apixaban or rivaroxaban
3. Corticosteroids - such as prednisolone
4. Diuretics - such as furosemide
5. Medicines for heart problems
6. Medicines for high blood pressure
7. Antidepressants - such as citalopram
8. Medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis - such as methotrexate

Please note: As this medication is NSAID it is important you do not take any other anti-inflammatory medicines.
You should also be aware that any herbal or alternative remedies you take may also interact with this medication and cause side effects. If you are taking any herbal or alternative remedies make sure to mention them to your GP, or on the consultation form so we can make sure they are safe to take together.
For a full list of interactions see: Naproxen interactions.

Taking Naproxen long term

When taking naproxen for long term or at a high dose it can cause an ulcer in your stomach or gut due to its mechanism of action.
This medication may not be suitable for you if you currently have or have previously had a stomach ulcer. Another medicine such as proton-pump inhibitors are usually taken alongside naproxen to help protect your stomach.
Common symptoms of stomach ulcers include a burning pain in the centre of the stomach, indigestion, heartburn or feeling sick.
If you are prone to getting stomach ulcers you should try other painkillers such as paracetamol first and contact your doctor to discuss your options.

Naproxen for headaches

This medication may not be the best choice for treating headaches and migraines. Other medicines such as Ibuprofen have been shown in studies to perform better than naproxen at treating headaches and migraines. You should only take naproxen for headaches and migraines, after other treatments have failed to provide any relief.

Naproxen vs Ibuprofen

They are both NSAIDs and so they are both similar in many ways.
The main difference between the two is the duration of action. Ibuprofen is short acting with its effect lasting around 4-6 hours, compared to naproxen which is long acting with its effect lasting around 8-12 hours. Naproxen is more likely to cause an upset stomach than ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen starts working within 30 minutes, compared to naproxen which takes up to 1 hour.
They are both effective at providing pain relief and a dose of 440mg naproxen is approximately equivalent to a dose of 400mg ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen is the most appropriate NSAID for children.
As both of them are NSAIDs they both increase the risk of cardiovascular effects with higher doses for this reason you should not exceed 1000mg of Naproxen per day or 1200mg of Ibuprofen.
They also share the same side effects including heartburn, constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, dizziness, drowsiness and itching.
Although naproxen is more likely to cause a stomach upset than ibuprofen, ibuprofen is still likely to cause stomach upsets. You should always take them with food and for as short a period as possible.

Naproxen alternatives

Some Naproxen alternatives include:

• Paracetamol tablets - Can also be taken alongside Naproxen
• Ibuprofen tablets
• Ibuprofen gel
• Solpadeine Max Tablets - Can also be taken alongside Naproxen
• Rest & Recuperation

More Naproxen information

If you would like more information, you can find the SPC here.