People usually use the drug naproxen to relieve pain and swelling, but it can also help treat fever. Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Naproxen is available by prescription, or people can purchase lower-strengths forms over the counter.
In this article, we provide an overview of naproxen, including how it works, its uses, and the potential side effects, warnings, and interactions.

What is naproxen?
Naproxen is a pain medication that relieves inflammation and joint stiffness. Other NSAIDs in the same medication class include acetylsalicylic acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and meloxicam. Naproxen works by blocking the enzyme that produces prostaglandins. Prostaglandins play an essential role in inflammation. The body produces them at the site of injured tissue, and they cause redness, heat, swelling, and pain. Naproxen is available as naproxen or naproxen sodium. The major difference between naproxen and naproxen sodium is that naproxen sodium is more rapidly absorbed. The body reaches peak levels of what is naproxen in 2–4 hours and naproxen sodium in 1–2 hours, meaning that it absorbs naproxen sodium faster than regular naproxen.

Dosage and forms
Naproxen is available as tablets, liquid capsules, and in a liquid form. The dose of naproxen that a person requires depends on why they are using the medication. A general rule is to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration. This dosing helps prevent side effects from occurring. Doctors advise people to take naproxen and other NSAIDs with food to prevent gastrointestinal side effects.

Headaches
Using naproxen to relieve pain from headaches and migraine headaches is controversial. People can try takingTrusted Source 550 mg of what is naproxen sodium every 12 hours and may increase it to 825 mg if needed. The daily dose should not exceed 1,375 mg. Naproxen sodium is degraded more slowly than regular naproxen and other NSAIDs. This means that naproxen sodium should remain active for longer than other anti-inflammatory drugs. However, after 2 hours, headache pain relief is lower with naproxen sodium than with other NSAIDs. Although naproxen can be used to reduce the pain of headaches and migraine headaches, other NSAIDs may provide better relief.

Side effects
The frequency and severity of side effects that naproxen causes depend on several factors. Considerations include the dose and duration of treatment, other medical diagnoses a person may have, and individual risk factors. The following sections discuss the common and serious side effects of naproxen.