Naproxen and Upset Stomach: What Users Say

• 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."

• Meo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 15, 2025

For Chronic Pain "I've had to use naproxen on and off for well over 30 years for chronic pain. Had to use 2 per 3 times a day with other OTC. Recent diagnosis: CT with neuropathic pain. Basically, my hands shoot nerve pain in my hands and fingers. To the point of waking up screaming and writhing. I now (hopefully) have the pain under control to even function daily. I make sure I eat or something before taking pills. These have a coating and that helps with stomach issues. It takes time to get into schedule. It allows me to do different daily tasks without pain. Hopefully this works with the combo."

• 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."

• Bud...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 3, 2020

For Back Pain "I've taken prescription 500 mg Naproxen twice a day, every day, for 4 years. If I miss a few days, my back begins to hurt. On the 1-10 scale, maybe 4. If I go a week, then it's a 7-8, and I can't straighten up or walk with pain. If I take 500 mg twice a day, I can go all day, work hard, and do it every day. I fear where I would be without Naproxen. A few stomach problems now and then, but Prilosec every day takes care of that."

• Sta...
• February 14, 2013

Naproxen for Tendonitis "Fell onto my shoulder off my son's skateboard. Initially, felt no discomfort, but my shoulder a week or so after began to become painful, enough to stop me swimming. Waited 3 months for it to go, no reduction in pain. Went to the doctor, who prescribed Naprosyn. Within a day or two, pain had eased. Carried on for 2 weeks and now swim regularly. Very slight discomfort, but take remaining pills as and when needed, but discomfort so small, rarely have to take them. Negatives, I think when taking medication, I suffered stomach discomfort."

• 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."

• Tom...
• February 2, 2021

For Pain "I’ve been using naproxen tablets for three months until one night I was sick, my vomit had red blood in it and blood that was a real black color, and I had stomach cramps. I saw my doctor, and he said I have had a bleed in the stomach to come off the tablet straight away. The naproxen tablets had caused a bleed. I am now on another lot of tablets to repair my stomach. Stay away from these tablets, do not use."

• shl...
• December 15, 2016

For Pain "I have severe back problems. I also have arthritis. The doctors kept giving me narcotics, so I felt like a zombie all the time and hated it. I decided to try some Aleve. It eased the pain enough that I can actually go out and do things I did before the back problems. No worries about being too drowsy to drive. Not everyone can take this, and you should ask your doctor before taking it. I was an emergency room nurse for 20 years, and I never had a patient with an allergic reaction to this type of medication, but it can happen. The most common side effect is stomach problems, so don't take it on an empty stomach."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2017

For Back Pain "Naproxen was the only medication that has worked with the excruciating right leg pain due to a herniated disk. The pain would keep me up all night crying. I am now into week 4 of physical therapy, I can now do all of the stretches. The only side effect I have is it did cause some stomach issues, but it was worth it to not have the nerve pain. Finally, seeing recovery in my future."

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2018

For Back Pain "I took naproxen 500 mg late Tuesday night with food, as told, and by the early hours of Wednesday, I was in real bad pain, stomach cramps, and wind, and it didn't help at all with the pain for my back. All day Wednesday, back pain was just as bad and cramps, too. The cramps stopped about 8 pm Wednesday night, and my stomach hasn't been right since, just wondering if anyone else has had the same thing happen to them."

• Joh...
• October 23, 2019

For Back Pain "Took naproxen x2 500 mg pills for ongoing back pain. The medication made absolutely no difference to the pain levels, and as an added bonus, my, oh my, did it upset my stomach. I had to leave work and rush home, most probably got a few speeding tickets on the way home, and I haven’t left the bathroom since. Might have to buy a new toilet once my system passes these. Back still hurts too, what a day."

• Sop...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 24, 2014

Naproxen for Pain "I have used most of the narcotics on the list, and now that I live in Florida, it is almost impossible to get a doctor to prescribe anything other than aspirin. Aspirin now has caused my stomach to act up due to ulcers, so now I also need to take Prilosec 40 mg. So far, this is the best of these medicines on the list."

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 18, 2019

For Back Pain "I was given naproxen by my doctor for lower back pain, and it really worked well. The pain reduced a lot, and I could sleep better. The only problem is that it makes my stomach feel uneasy and a little sick at times. It also gave me gas and changed my stool. I’d only ever take it again if the pain is unbearable, otherwise, I’d rather go through the pain until it gets better. However, very effective at reducing the back pain to almost no pain, and that’s why I rated it 8."

• joj...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2019

For Period Pain "I have extremely painful period cramps. So bad that I've even passed out from them. Every single month, I would throw up all day from the pain. I had tried every medication, then my doctor suggested naproxen 500 mg. What a miracle! Once it kicks in, I feel no cramps! And for me, one pill lasts for 12+ hours. I can finally live a normal life. :) The only downside is it does upset my stomach, so I take it with an anti-emetic."

• som...
• July 20, 2016

For Period Pain "I really love naproxen and taking it. It is really effective, especially with the fact that I get such strong cramps that usually keep me in bed all day. It lets me enjoy activities without worrying about pain and how to make myself feel better. Sometimes my cramps may get so strong that I can feel cramps through it, but it's almost not so strong, but occasionally strong. Naproxen just depends on the amount of pain you get, and it's always a mystery for me because I can never predict my cramps. But the point is, naproxen always makes me feel better no matter how strong my cramps are. I recommend people take it for ease of pain and always use it with food, trust me. I didn't once, and it took away the cramps, but I got such a weird stomach ache."

• Loz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2020

For Gout, Acute "Within hours of taking the naproxen medication, I felt relief from my gout. It does what it says, but along with that, I had to endure the worst stomach cramps, diarrhea, trapped wind, and gas all the time I was taking it. But I’ve not been able to walk well for a long time, so discovering I had gout and getting rid of the pain when walking my agility back is well worth it. I also had a frozen shoulder, which I could hardly move, and the naproxen got rid of that, which was an added bonus."

• AVO...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 20, 2016

For Pain "Dumb doctors prescribed me this junk for a week for my damaged rotator cuff that has started to act up with medium labor and caused my whole arm to go cold and throb with pain. My hand also is going numb towards the end of the day. It did not touch my pain whatsoever. Instead, it caused me to be fatigued, dizzy, raised my blood pressure, and made me feel like throwing up due to the terrible taste that lasted an hour and the upset stomach that I had while the 'medication's' effects lasted. This stuff is absolutely terrible, and so are any physicians that prescribe it. DO NOT TAKE IT. Ibuprofen lessened my pain at least a little bit with no side effects."

• Uni...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 31, 2020

For Back Pain "I take naproxen OTC generic products for arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, disk degeneration, etc. It relieves most symptoms better than any of the other anti-inflammatory drugs. Never had stomach issues from taking a dose of one 220 mg every 12 hours. Have taken a higher dosage for a herniated disk. Husband takes it also but for pain vs anti-inflammatory and finds it works well."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Started having naproxen 500 mg twice a day with omeprazole for the last five weeks. It seemed to work well with my arthritis in my hands and with my new replacement knee. I now have had to stop this medication due to stomach issues: pain in the stomach and tar-like stools (gastric bleed?). So it is back to the doctor to seek an alternative medicine."

• Lib...
• September 15, 2015

For Gout, Acute "Swollen and red lower legs, swollen eyelids. Doctor prescribed Naproxen Apo. After a couple of uses, swelling was reduced, but I got severe stomach cramps. I stopped using it after the second use, yet it bothers me day and night for a week now. Still experiencing pain in joints, swelling, and now the stomach ache."

• Lib...
• September 15, 2015

For Gout, Acute "Swollen and red lower legs, swollen eyelids. Doctor prescribed Naproxen Apo. After a couple of uses, swelling was reduced, but I got severe stomach cramps. I stopped using it after the second use, yet it bothers me day and night for a week now. Still experiencing pain in joints, swelling, and now the stomach ache."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2022

For Headache "Was prescribed 500 mg 2 times a day for head pressure I was having. OMG, I took just 2 pills and have the worst stomach cramps that feel like I’m having contractions. I thought I was starting my period, but nothing, it hurts so bad… Also, I can’t sleep at all and keep waking up out of my sleep, panicking and feeling weird, which is a known side effect. While it did help with my headache, there has to be a better way… My stomach hurts so bad I’m on vacation and want to go to the hospital, SMH. Be cautious using this, and I never have issues or experience much side effect with medication."

• Cat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 12, 2023

For Osteoarthritis "I started taking naproxen in 1992. I'd take 2 in the morning, 2 at noon or so, and 2 at bedtime for years, then increased the dosage to a 500 mg prescription morning and night. I have taken over-the-counter naproxen for years, then I started prescription naproxen. Doctors tried to switch me to other meds, even injections, and nothing has ever come close to taking away the pain other than naproxen. I always had stomach issues and acid reflux… I was addicted. I weaned myself off of it in 2022. Now I have pains and don’t sleep well at all. I started having heart issues in 2022 also… the doctor hasn’t said it’s from naproxen, but my whole family has heart issues, so I suspect hereditary, but who knows. Anyway, I love naproxen because it effectively eliminates most of my pain and allows me to live a relatively pain-free life. Nothing has ever compared to the relief it provides. However, since I haven't taken naproxen in a while, I can tell that it affects my stomach. I experience acid reflux as a result."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 7, 2021

For Period Pain "This has nothing but a miracle for me. Over-the-counter stuff didn't do anything, but naproxen helped me so much. The first day of my cycle is the worst, and this stopped the extreme throwing up, crying, pain I used to have with no diagnosis of endometriosis or anything. Be careful, though. It's very hard on the stomach if taken often, remember to take it with food. One or two doses really helped me with cramps when nothing else did."

• Man...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 20, 2020

Naproxen for Period Pain "Anaprox is a lifesaver for migraine and endometriosis. Allowed me to function on a daily basis until I got my endometriosis diagnosis. Didn’t completely alleviate my pain but made it manageable and didn’t make me too drowsy to go about my business. Also, it is great for migraines if I catch them early enough. The only downsides are that I did have to increase my dose over the years, and it is hard on the stomach."