Naproxen: uses, dosage and side effects
Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine used for pain, inflammation and stiffness, particularly in arthritis, gout and musculoskeletal injury. It is prescription-only in Ireland. This page covers what naproxen is used for, how it is taken, the stomach, heart and kidney risks set out in the product information, and how continuation of a long-term regimen works.
What naproxen is used for
Naproxen is used for pain and inflammation. It blocks cyclo-oxygenase enzymes and so reduces prostaglandins, the signalling molecules behind swelling, heat and pain, which is why it helps conditions where inflammation is the driver rather than simple discomfort. Typical uses are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, acute gout, soft tissue injury such as a sprain or strain, and period pain. Naproxen is longer-acting than ibuprofen, which is why it is usually taken twice a day rather than three or four times. It relieves symptoms; it does not change the course of arthritis, and it is not a treatment for infection. For simple pain without inflammation, paracetamol is often the first step, and many people use it alongside an anti-inflammatory on the advice of their GP or pharmacist.
Side effects of naproxen
The side effects listed in the product information include indigestion, heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation, headache and dizziness. The important risks are less visible. Anti-inflammatory medicines can cause ulcers and bleeding in the stomach or intestine, sometimes without warning pain, and the risk rises with age, with higher doses, with longer use and when combined with steroids, anticoagulants or certain antidepressants. They can also raise blood pressure, cause fluid retention and reduce kidney function, and long-term use at higher doses is associated with a small increase in cardiovascular events. Stop taking naproxen and seek urgent help for black or tarry stools, vomiting blood or material like coffee grounds, severe abdominal pain, chest pain, sudden breathlessness, a spreading or blistering rash, or swelling of the face and throat. Suspected reactions can be reported to the HPRA.
Dosage and how to take naproxen
The prescriber sets the dose, which differs between a short course for an injury, treatment of an acute gout attack and long-term use in arthritis. The general principle across every anti-inflammatory is the lowest dose that controls symptoms, for the shortest time that is reasonable, with a review rather than an indefinite continuation. Naproxen is taken with or just after food, with a full glass of water, and enteric-coated or gastro-resistant tablets are swallowed whole rather than crushed. Many people at higher risk of ulcers are also prescribed a stomach-protecting medicine, and that is not optional when it has been prescribed. Do not take naproxen alongside another anti-inflammatory, including one bought over the counter or a cold-and-flu preparation that contains ibuprofen, because the risks add up without extra benefit. Never take more than the prescribed daily amount.
Is naproxen prescription-only in Ireland?
Naproxen in the strengths and pack sizes used for arthritis and injury is a prescription-only medicine in Ireland. That is a different position from ibuprofen, which is available in limited strengths from a pharmacy without a prescription, and the distinction reflects the doses involved and the duration of use rather than a difference in kind. The reason for prescriber control is the risk profile described above: the same medicine that settles an inflamed joint can cause a bleeding ulcer, worsen heart failure or push borderline kidney function over an edge, and whether that trade is reasonable depends on your age, your other conditions and your other medicines. If you are unsure whether an anti-inflammatory suits you at all, your pharmacist can advise and your GP can assess.
Continuing naproxen and getting a repeat prescription
If a doctor in Ireland already prescribes naproxen for an ongoing condition such as inflammatory arthritis, the plan has not changed and your supply is running low, you can ask a doctor to review a continuation through our online medical questionnaire. There is no video consultation and no phone appointment: you complete a structured medical questionnaire, a doctor reviews it, and if continuation is appropriate you receive a prescription document by email as a PDF laid out to the Annex of Directive 2012/52/EU. You bring it to any pharmacy with photo identification. There is no PIN code and no national identity number on it. The assessment costs 19,90 €. The fee covers the medical assessment, not the issuing of a document. If the doctor declines on medical grounds, the fee is refunded. If you do not supply the documentation the doctor asks for, the fee is not refunded. Expect the questions to be pointed: your age, your blood pressure, your kidney function results, whether you take a stomach-protecting medicine, an anticoagulant, a diuretic or a blood pressure medicine, and whether you have ever had an ulcer. A doctor who cannot see that picture will decline rather than guess. New, undiagnosed or worsening pain is not a repeat prescription and needs to be assessed by a clinician who can examine you.
Cost and reimbursement in Ireland
Naproxen is genericised and generally inexpensive, but the amount you pay depends on the strength, whether the product is gastro-resistant, the pack size and the HSE arrangement covering you. Medical card holders receive prescribed items under the General Medical Services scheme with the charge applying at the time. Everyone else can register with the HSE for the Drugs Payment Scheme, which caps what a person or family pays for approved prescribed items in a calendar month; if you also take a stomach-protecting medicine and treatment for another long-term condition, that cap is the figure that matters. Ask your pharmacist what your combination costs under your arrangement. Charges and thresholds are published by the HSE and change over time, so check the HSE rather than any commercial site.
Interactions and alcohol
Naproxen has interactions that matter in ordinary life. Combining it with another anti-inflammatory, with low-dose aspirin, with an oral corticosteroid, with an anticoagulant such as warfarin or a direct oral anticoagulant, or with an SSRI antidepressant raises the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Taken together with an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker and a diuretic, it can reduce kidney function, a combination clinicians watch closely, especially in dehydration or illness. It raises lithium and methotrexate levels and can reduce the effect of blood pressure medicines and diuretics. Tell your pharmacist about every product, including cold remedies that contain an anti-inflammatory. Alcohol adds to the risk of stomach irritation and bleeding, so keep it low; heavy drinking with a regular anti-inflammatory is a combination worth avoiding.
Who should not take naproxen
Naproxen is contraindicated in anyone who has had asthma, urticaria or an allergic-type reaction to aspirin or another anti-inflammatory, in active peptic ulceration or gastrointestinal bleeding, in a history of bleeding or perforation related to previous anti-inflammatory treatment, in severe heart failure, in severe liver or kidney impairment, and in the third trimester of pregnancy. It is used with caution in older people, in asthma generally, in inflammatory bowel disease, in established cardiovascular disease, in high blood pressure and in anyone with reduced kidney function or dehydration. The picture is cumulative rather than single-factor: several moderate risks together can be as significant as one contraindication. The full list is in the leaflet for your product, and the judgement belongs to your prescriber.
Generic and brand names
Naproxen is the international non-proprietary name of the active substance and the name any European pharmacy recognises. In Ireland it is supplied under the substance name by several manufacturers and under brand names, as plain tablets and as gastro-resistant tablets, in more than one strength. Some products contain naproxen together with a stomach-protecting medicine in a single tablet, and those are not interchangeable with plain naproxen. Naproxen sodium and naproxen base appear in different preparations and the numbers on the box are not directly comparable, so read the carton rather than assuming. Do not take a prescribed naproxen alongside an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory. On a cross-border prescription the substance is written by its international name with strength and form, which is what makes it dispensable in Ireland.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Naproxen is contraindicated in the third trimester of pregnancy, where anti-inflammatory medicines can affect the baby's circulation and kidneys and can delay or prolong labour. Use earlier in pregnancy is avoided unless a doctor judges it necessary, and there are safer options for most pain in pregnancy, so ask before taking anything. Anti-inflammatory medicines can also make conception more difficult, which matters if you are trying to become pregnant. If you discover you are pregnant while on naproxen, contact your GP or maternity service for advice. Small amounts pass into breast milk; short-term use is sometimes considered acceptable by a clinician who knows the case, but that decision belongs to them rather than to a leaflet or a web page.
Patient information leaflet
The patient information leaflet in your pack is the authoritative document for the naproxen product you hold. It carries the licensed indications, the strengths, the full list of side effects with their frequency categories, the warning signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, the cardiovascular and kidney warnings, and the interactions. The HPRA publishes these leaflets and the fuller summary of product characteristics for medicines authorised in Ireland, and the same documents appear on the Irish medicines information portal. Read the leaflet for the exact preparation you were given, because plain and gastro-resistant tablets and combination products differ, and pay particular attention to the section on when to stop and seek help. Keep the leaflet with the pack for as long as you are taking the medicine, and where anything here differs from the leaflet or from your prescriber, follow them rather than this page.
About this page
This page was written by the medical team at MEDINOW Sp. z o.o. and reviewed by lek. Damian Wojno, a doctor registered in Poland, PWZ no. 3211301. He holds a Polish licence to practise; he is not on the register of the Irish Medical Council, and this page does not suggest otherwise. Content verified on 29 August 2026 against the summary of product characteristics and the patient information leaflet published for the Irish market, and against public guidance from the HPRA and the HSE. This page is information, not advice for your particular case, and it is not an advertisement for a prescription medicine. Nothing here replaces an assessment by your own GP or a hospital clinician. If you are unwell and need urgent help, contact your GP, an out-of-hours service, or call 112 or 999.
Is naproxen prescription-only in Ireland?
Naproxen in the strengths and pack sizes used for arthritis and injury is prescription-only in Ireland. Ibuprofen is available from a pharmacy in limited strengths without a prescription, which is a difference of dose and duration rather than of kind. Ask your pharmacist if you are unsure what suits you.
How long does naproxen take to work?
Pain relief usually begins within a few hours of a dose, while the anti-inflammatory effect on a swollen joint builds over a few days of regular use. If an acute problem is no better after the period your prescriber set, go back to them rather than increasing the dose.
What are the common side effects of naproxen?
Indigestion, heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain, bowel upset, headache and dizziness are listed in the product information. The serious risks are ulcers and bleeding in the gut, raised blood pressure, fluid retention and reduced kidney function. Black stools, vomiting blood or severe abdominal pain need urgent help.
Can I drink alcohol while taking naproxen?
Alcohol adds to the risk of stomach irritation and bleeding, so keep it low. Regular heavy drinking alongside an anti-inflammatory is a combination best avoided, particularly if you have ever had an ulcer.
How do I get a repeat prescription for naproxen?
If an Irish doctor already prescribes naproxen for an ongoing condition and the plan is unchanged, you can ask a doctor to review a continuation through our questionnaire for 19,90 €. The fee covers the assessment, not the issuing of a document; it is refunded if the doctor declines on medical grounds and is not refunded if you do not supply the documentation requested. New or worsening pain needs to be assessed in person.