In 1976, a new pain reliever hit the market: naproxen. It began to be marketed to arthritis and back pain sufferers as Aleve, Anaproxm, Naprosyn and Naprelan, promising pain-free movement and activity. Aleve could be obtained over the counter, whereas the other formulas were prescription only. The drug is the product of and is marketed by Bayer HealthCare. For some time, it has been the pain reliever of choice when a patient has a heart condition.

Time has revealed the dangers of gastrointestinal complications from naproxen use. Researchers recently reported in finding that taking just 500 mg a day of this drug increased the risk of hospitalization from a complicated gastric (stomach) or duodenal (the first portion of the small intestine) ulcer. Patients taking this low dose had a 2.5-fold increased risk of this problem. Those taking 750 mg a day had almost three times the risk compared to those not taking the drug.

Complications from gastric or duodenal ulcers include hemorrhage, perforation or obstruction, all requiring hospitalization.

Naproxen has a long list of side effects, some serious. They include: sores in the mouth; headache, dizziness, lightheadedness; hives; swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs; difficulty breathing or swallowing; excessive tiredness; pain in the upper right part of the stomach; nausea; loss of appetite; yellowing of the skin or eyes; cold or flu-like symptoms; bruises or purple blotches under the skin; cloudy, discolored, or bloody urine; back pain; and difficult or painful urination.

As always, it is much safer to stay healthy by working with a natural healthcare provider and using common sense!

Source: Chiropractic Resource Organization, Widely Used Anti-Inflammatory Drug Risky Even in Small Doses, 22 November 2009, http://www.chiro.org/wordpress/?p=1489#more-1489,

Source: Medline Plus, Naproxen information, 1 September 2008, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a681029.html,

Source: Wikipedia, Naproxen article, 27 November 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naproxen