Naproxen and Nausea: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• March 24, 2009

Naproxen for Sciatica "I am currently taking Celebrex and Prednisone for my sciatica. Twelve days now and no relief. Desperate for pain relief, I took one Naproxen 500mg. Thank God I did. The pill is a little hard to swallow and it may make you a little nauseous, but it will definitely ease the pain and will allow you to get some much-needed sleep."

• Gos...
• July 25, 2013

For Period Pain "First, let me say how bad the cramps are for me. They are the worst, like nothing else. I just cannot function on those days, my legs feel like heavy stones that can't be moved, and I feel dizzy. I don't want to say how bad the stomach cramps are. So, I've been taking ibuprofen for the last year, and it helped 3/10. Then, I decided to try Midol, which gave me the worst day of my life. I took it on an empty stomach, and I didn't get rid of ANY pain, it got worse, and I threw up like 10 times that day. So, I went to my doctor, who gave me naproxen. I got my period 6 hours before, and I took it immediately. The pain went away in 20-30 minutes, and I feel wonderful now. I don't even feel like I'm on my period. Also, I avoided caffeine in the last 10-12 days and exercised A LOT."

• CkE...
• August 6, 2014

Naproxen for Period Pain "Since high school, I had terrible cramps, fatigue, and nausea. I wasn't able to go about my normal activities. Until I switched doctors, and she prescribed me the naproxen. I take it a few days before I get my period (when I get 'warning' cramps). By the time my period comes, I have no nausea and no fatigue, the cramps are still there, but nowhere close to how bad I feel without the naproxen. I have to take this with food because if I don't, it messes with my stomach. Easy to take."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 1, 2015

For Bursitis "I was prescribed Naproxen 500 mg for my bursitis behind my knees in both legs. I am a college athlete and was having many problems performing at the necessary level with the pain in my legs-Naproxen helped immensely. Felt very nauseous if I did not take this medication on a full stomach!"

• B...
• January 20, 2015

For Period Pain "My period has been awful since the first time I got it at age 13. I've experienced a variety of symptoms each month that make my period unpredictable. Some months I feel fine and maybe just get a pimple, other months I'm a crying mess. There have been times where the pressure on my lower back and abdomen is so intense that I can't move: nausea, headaches, joint pain in my knees, etc. It got to the point where when I was 15, I started birth control. The birth control made me extremely emotional, so I stopped and continued with Advil, Midol, I tried bananas, warm compresses, exercise. Nothing worked. I started using naproxen, and within 10-15 minutes, my symptoms are alleviated, and I can go about my day."

• Run...
• October 30, 2011

Naproxen for Back Pain "Two Aleve a day helped my back pain, but over time it affected my stomach. My gastroenterologist knew immediately what my problem was, and I've stopped Aleve entirely. I had almost a year of constant nausea and pain until I quit taking Aleve."

• AJ1...
• November 18, 2014

For Period Pain "I have extreme nausea a few days before and during my period. I tried so many things, but nothing worked. My gyn wrote me a script for 550 mg of naproxen twice daily, and I took it 3 days before my period and during my period. It worked!! I feel 100% better than the previous month."

• Van...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2016

For Period Pain "Doctor prescribed me naproxen sodium since I have endometriosis, and it helps my cramps a lot. My cramps before were so bad they made me stay in bed and made me nauseous. This stops/slows the cramps, thus eliminating all my other period pains. Definitely recommend this to other women with the same problem."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2018

For Back Pain "I tore my trapezius and was prescribed naproxen and co-codamol. I was fine during the daytime on this cocktail and took it with food as instructed. On the first night, I was awoken in the early hours with the most excruciating stomach pain, nausea, and dizziness. My stomach feels tender to the touch. Researched both drugs online, and naproxen is the clear culprit. Not taking it again."

• Dee...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 1, 2017

For Period Pain "I have always had severe period cramps, fainting, nausea, and stabbing pains. Naproxen 500 has been the only (non-birth control remedy) that greatly relieves my pain. It's tricky because you have to get the timing just right, not too soon before period cramps start or too late after they already started. You must start it the moment you feel cramps. Starting before your period isn't as effective because that's not how this medication works best."

• jac...
• October 7, 2016

For Back Pain "I have been taking these for the last few days for back pain and had no effect on the pain. However, I have had dreadful nausea and felt strange and depressed all week. I never feel like this and just decided to stop taking the tablets this morning to see if that made any difference. I have been totally fine since I stopped taking these tablets. I think people need to be careful taking these tablets as the side effects can really wreck your head and stomach."

• Dee...
• May 25, 2013

For Headache "I suffered severe and excruciating pain, sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting, cold sweats every morning due to migraines. I tried almost every pain medicine in the book and only found relief when the doctor prescribed Naprosyn. I can't remember the dosage, sorry. But it was a 12-hour pill, so I was able to take it at night and not have to wait 20 minutes of pain like other medicines to kick in. It really was a Godsend for me!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2012

For Period Pain "Suffered for 25 years, though not quite as bad now as in my teens or 20s. Missing one day of my life each month to horrendous pain, nausea, fever, chills, total lack of mental focus. This seems to fix everything! Amazing, wish I'd had this when I was 15."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2011

Naproxen for Muscle Pain "I am a 47-year-old female with a knee injury. The doctor gave me Anaprox 550 mg twice a day, and I was not able to take it. I started taking it, and on the third day, I started getting sick to my stomach, lost my appetite, and was dizzy. I cut down to 275 mg twice a day, and I still felt dizzy. This is too strong for me."

• Kay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2019

Naproxen for Period Pain "I have stage 4 endometriosis and in turn have terrible period cramps. I took Advil for years, but found that it always made me nauseous and just feel really out of it. I finally took the suggestion of my friend who has bad period pain and took Aleve. I take 2 at the first sign of cramps and find that the relief lasts a while. I used to take 4 extra-strength liquid Advils in 24 hours, now I can take 1-2 regular Aleves and I don't get nauseous or feel weird."

• Kai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "I am waiting for hip surgery as osteoarthritis set in due to an accident in my youth. My left leg has always been shorter, and I've had osteopath treatment off and on, though pain has never stopped me from leading a very active life. The pain now is appalling. Panadol and ibuprofen help, but I still limp painfully. Have a little indigestion as well. I thought the weight gain I was having was due to lack of mobility, but it was bloating, a side effect due to the ibuprofen. I can't take codeine, so I was prescribed naproxen as ibuprofen wasn't cutting it for the pain. Naproxen took a few days to even work, and the pain was not alleviated enough to warrant putting up with extreme queasiness, flatulence, and slight depression (can't afford to start down a negative track before my operation with so much pain ahead!). Back on ibuprofen despite the bloating."

• Anonymous
• October 26, 2008

For Tendonitis "I am taking this medicine for tendonitis from shoulder to wrist. Before naproxen, I had zero strength and very minimal movement. After a week on naproxen (after 2 hours), I have most movement and strength. Side effects are nausea, but it is mild. Apparently, the anti-inflammatory properties are just as beneficial to healing as is the pain relief (relaxation of tendons)."

• Lis...
• August 20, 2016

For Back Pain "Currently taking prescribed naproxen 500 mg twice daily for severe lower back pain. I feel a small amount of relief for 2 hours and then my back pain is in full force. I felt nauseous, and I did eat 20 minutes before taking this medicine. There has to be a better way!"

• You...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2015

For Back Pain "I was prescribed 500 mg tablets to help with a sprained lumbar. The pharmacist told me that at worst I would experience indigestion, and it should not be combined with other pain medication or else I'd deal with internal bleeding. What I wasn't ready for was crippling fatigue, vision impairment, nausea, urine darkening, cold sweats, and my back pain getting even worse. I looked up the side effects that the pharmacist didn't mention and found them listed under the uncommon and rare side effects, which means I'm just unlucky."

• shu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2018

Naproxen for Period Pain "This is my first time using Aleve, and it has worked wonders for me. I cannot believe how well it has worked so far! I have had severe cramps since I was 12 years old and have tried so many pain relievers that haven't worked so well. I took 2 pills about 20 minutes after I started cramping, and 20 minutes later, I was all good! For 24 hours! The third day is usually my worst, but I took two pills, and I was good for about 17 hours. Then I took 1 pill, and I was good for another 9 hours. And it doesn't make me nauseated! So glad I found this, I just hope it keeps on working like this."

• Smb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2015

For Back Pain "I am pretty sure this medication is just acid in pill form. And not the fun kind either. No. I took this medication for severe arthritis and fibromyalgia, and 15 minutes later my whole esophagus feels like it's on fire. I took the medication with food as prescribed, and still, this is the worst heartburn I have ever had in my life. I used to have severe ulcers, and I know when a medication is burning my stomach lining. No sir. No more ulcers for me, thank you. I also had the alarming sensation of hearing everything while underwater. I spent the whole week asking people to repeat themselves because their voices sounded muffled. That with severe ringing in the ears and persistent nausea - I quit this medication after a week."

• All...
• May 26, 2018

For Period Pain "Ever since I was 16 or so, I have had extremely painful menstrual cycles. I will feel uncomfortable a couple of days before bleeding and then hit like a freight train, the first day of bleeding and usually leading into day 2. The kind of pain where I can't think straight and feel the urge to vomit and poop all at once. I have often had to miss work due to the severity of pain. Finally, after being fed up with ibuprofen not working at all anymore, I went to a doctor and was prescribed naproxen 500 mg. I find that when I take one 500 mg pill at the first tinge of pain, I am usually experiencing relief within 30 minutes. I also find that when I drink lots of water with the dosage, it kicks in even sooner than 30 minutes. In hindsight, I wish I would have known about naproxen when I was in my teens."

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2016

For Muscle Pain "Had tennis elbow. Started taking naproxen. The pain started to gradually decrease after a couple of days. I also felt very tired and not much energy, falling asleep in the day. I stopped taking then, it really drained me."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 30, 2020

For Period Pain "My period pain is the absolute most painful thing. I get cold sweats, dizzy, nauseous. But when I talked to my doctor, they prescribed me naproxen at 500 mg, and when I take it 2 days before, I feel no cramps. You have to make sure to track your period so you don’t feel any pain and to get ahead of the pain."

• Mar...
• September 11, 2017

For Tendonitis "My doctor prescribed 500 mg twice a day as needed for my shoulder pain. I immediately had stomach pain and nausea, so I only took it once daily at bedtime, as my shoulder pain is worse at night. Pain went away, but the nausea and stomach pain are back, along with headaches. I quit completely three days ago; nausea and headaches are still present at times, but getting better. Naproxen is history for me, never again. Good old Tylenol will have to do from now on."