Prolonged use of Naproxen

Fionabee

Hello, have not posted on here for sometime. Has anyone been taking Naproxen long Term? I’ve been taking Naproxen 500mgs twice a day for back pain (Uncorrected scoliosis & spinal stenosis) for about 6 years, I take Omeprazole with it. I know it is usually only prescribed to get over a hump or flare up, somehow I have it on repeat prescription. Over the last 8years or so I’ve been been on Tramadol, gabapentin & amitriptylline, eventually I came to the conclusion they weren’t really helping & weaned myself off them. Naproxen is the one I just keep re starting, after 4 or 5 days without it I’m shuffling round, every movement feels stiff & creaky, being on my feet is acutely painful & carrying on with work & home feels like an impossible task. I take co codamol 3o0/500 occasionally, but try to keep it to a minimum cos it just bungs me up! I know there are risks connected with long term use, but the benefits to me outweigh them, I’m just concerned that at some point someone is going to say no more. I do keep active & walk & cycle most days.

stickywicket

I think this is really a discussion you need to have with your GP. Obviously it's best to take all meds for as short a time as possible but, for us, that equals a long time :roll:

I took nap or other anti-inflammatories for years on end because there was nothing better for my RA back in the day. Neither did I get a stomach- protecting med with it such as omep because the penny hadn't totally dropped and they weren't around anyway. The consequence was gastric erosion, stomach ulcers and now having to take omep permanently despite not being able to take NSAIDS (naproxen and its ilk) at all any more.

You have done extremely well to get off the trammies, gabapentin and amitryp and I should imagine the benefits of that will outweigh any detrimental possibilities of the regular naproxen but, as I said, it's best to ask your GP.

The reason why the nap works better is because it's an anti-inflammatory drug whereas the others are painkillers (allegedly :roll: ). Anti-inflamms do deal with the pain too but they do so by reducing the inflammation itself.

I think it would be a really good idea to have a chat with your GP about it. He / she will be more clued up than I am. Frankly, there are risks connected with long term use of most meds but, hey, we have a long term disease. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Airwave!

I can't take NSAIDS because of osteoporsis but I have found that two tablespoons of plain yoghurt every day helps the course of nature and stops us getting bunged up.

Might just be me but interesting?

dreamdaisy

I take 30/500 Cocos every day for pain dulling and have done for far too many years to count. I counter-act the drain-blocking effects by eating plenty of fibre (youghurt with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, flaked almonds and pistachios, muesli to which I also add nuts and seeds) and drink plenty of water. Constipation is easily remedied, arthritis and pain cannot be.

My husband takes naproxen every now and again because he has gout which appears once In a blue moon and has the decency to go away. Arthritis is daily and doesn't.

Who cares how something is prescribed for others? Do they have what you have? Probably not. You have weaned yourself off the other junk - well done, giving up meds is sometimes very hard to do, possibly a little easier if you are not feeling a benefit - but it's obvious the nap is effective for you: we're pretty clued up on here about meds but we are not doctors and cannot say what the best course of action is for an individual.

I had my first steroid inhaler aged twelve, here I am forty-seven years later still inhaling a daily dose of steroids because it's necessary. It's such a tiny dose it does nothing for the arthritis but it certainly helps to improve my breathing. Long-term chronic conditions require long-term treatment. Millions before us have had similar conditions without meds, far better to be in our situation, yes? DD

Elmbow

Hi. It seems to be one rule for people with chronic inflammatory conditions and another rule for everyone else. I also have naproxen on long-term repeat, 500mg twice a day. I think it's a case of the benefits outweighing the risks, which you have identified. But if you're worried about the long-term effects then talk to your GP.

You should be having a medication review with the GP at least once a year; that's the time to talk about whether you can adjust the dose perhaps or make sure your stomach isn't suffering.

One thing to remember: any decision about whether the benefits outweigh the risks is yours to make, not the doctor's. Because the benefits are to you and so are the risks; so only you can weigh them up.

jayjay

Hi there
I am new to the forum. I have been on the US version and it is interesting to read what happens there
I have just started taking Naproxen (reluctantly) but it is defintiely helping. The side effects are always a concern. Has anyone taken them for a seriously long time? Should I have another tablet to protect my tummy too? Or that later?
Thanks everyone

[Deleted User]

Hi jayjay and welcome to the Versus Arthritis forums.

Naproxen is a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and its good to hear that it is having a positive effect in controlling your pain.

Taking such a drug over a long time may have an effect on your digestive system and hence the comments in this thread about taking an additional medication for protection.

You can read a lot more about side-effects and risks on the website: https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-nsaids/

Members who use/have use naproxen will also relate their personal experiences, I'm sure.

If you have serious worries about your medication, then this is a discussion you should have with your prescribing GP who is best qualified to answer your particular questions relating to your condition.

Do come back and tell us how you get on.

Best wishes
Brynmor

dreamdaisy

Hello, when I began nap it was after I had taken a different kind of NSAID for a year or so (one prescribed by the hospital which did not need a protector, then after rule changes my GP surgery could not afford it so I was shifted to the cheaper option) thus it was already established I would be on it for some time. I think if you are taking it for a short spell, to see if it is of value, then a protector such as omeprazole (omep) will be given too. My husband takes it when his gout flares and finds it effective but he already takes omep because he has gut issues.

Side-effects are not guaranteed but one has to be sensible. Some of the meds I take for my psoriatic arthritis raise my risk of contracting a cancer but that is a disease that is becoming increasingly curable, unlike arthritis. I have been dependent on medication since I was 12 to lead as good a life as is possible given my health, for me it's about making the present better, the future is neither here-nor-there, after all I could die this afternoon from something which is nothing to do with the meds or the disease. DD

stickywicket

Hi. It's good to hear the meds are helping but, yes, if you're taking naproxen regularly, you must ask your GP for a stomach protecting med such as omeprazole or lansoprazole.

Being ancient I was on NSAIDS such as naproxen for years before the stomach protectors became available. The result was ulcers and gastric erosion and now I can take NSAIDS at all but still need the stomach protector daily. So please don't wing it. Better a visit to the doc now than later with a stomach problem.

speedalong

When my OA was raging, (before the offending joints were disposed of and replaced with metal,) I couldn't have survived without anti-inflammatories. I took them for several years. Some are better for longterm than others, do definitely worth discussing with GP. It was quite a few years ago now, but I swore by Arcoxia, which my ( now retired, lovely GP,) recommended as they are better for longer term use and also have great pain relieving properties.
I sciatica on and off for about 6 months this year and when I gave up and went to the GP he gave me naproxen, it did work, but the side effects were more noticeable than with arcoxia.

Speedalong