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Summary NSAIDs are most effective for mild to moderate pain accompanied by swelling and inflammation. These drugs relieve pain by inhibiting an enzyme in your body called cyclooxygenase. This enzyme makes hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which are involved in the development of pain and inflammation. NSAIDs are especially helpful for arthritis and pain resulting from muscle sprains, strains, back and neck injuries or cramps. When taken as directed, NSAIDs are generally safe. But if more than the recommended dosage is taken — and sometimes even the recommended dosage — NSAIDs may cause nausea, stomach pain, stomach bleeding or ulcers. Large doses of NSAIDs can lead to kidney problems and fluid retention. Risk increases with age. If you regularly take NSAIDs, talk to your doctor so that he or she can monitor you for side effects. NSAIDs have a so-called ceiling effect, or limit to how much pain they can control. This means that beyond a certain dosage, they don't provide additional benefit. If someone has moderate to severe pain, exceeding the dosage limit may not help relieve the pain. Many NSAIDs require a prescription, but some lower-dose NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, are available over-the-counter.
Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used for the reduction of moderate to severe pain, fever, inflammation and stiffness caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, injury (like fractures), menstrual cramps, tendinitis, bursitis, and the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. Naproxen and naproxen sodium are marketed under various trade names including: Aleve, Anaprox, Naprogesic, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Synflex. Naproxen was first and originally marketed as the prescription drug Naprosyn in 1976 and naproxen sodium was first marketed under the trade name Anaprox in 1980. Risk of heart attack or stroke The National Institutes of Health prematurely terminated a randomized clinical trial of naproxen and celecoxib for prevention of Alzheimer's disease, after preliminary data suggested an increased risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke, in patients taking naproxen. However, recent meta-analyses which took into account all data from significant clinical trials of naproxen, including randomized clinical trials and observational trials concluded that naproxen carries no increased risk of heart attack or stroke at any commonly used dose. This stands in contrast to other NSAIDS, such as rofecoxib (Vioxx), celecoxib (Celebrex), and diclofenac, which did show significantly increased risk at some or all dosages. In February of 2007, the American Heart Association released a scientific statement advising that, when possible, physicians should avoid using NSAIDs in patients at high risk for heart disease. When pain relief is necessary, the AHA advises that doctors should preferentially use acetaminophen or certain older, non-COX-2 selective NSAIDs.
Source: Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., Chronic Pain Management Programs: A Market Analysis, Wikipedia, various other sources
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