Naproxen
In this section
Does it work?
What is it?
How can it help?
Why should it work?
Can it be harmful?
What's the evidence?
Does it work?
If you take naproxen, your migraine attack is likely to get better.What is it?
Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It is sometimes called naproxen sodium. You can get this treatment only with a prescription from your doctor.The brand names are Naprosyn and Synflex. You can also get it as naproxen.
How can it help?
Naproxen can make your migraine attack less severe.1 2 3 If you take it you are less likely to need another treatment for migraine.2Some studies have found it works better than a treatment called ergotamine.4 5
Why should it work?
Like other NSAIDs, naproxen works by stopping your body making chemicals called prostaglandins. Your body makes these chemicals when you are in pain or injured. Prostaglandins cause inflammation and make you more sensitive to pain. By stopping the prostaglandins, naproxen helps you feel better.Can it be harmful?
The drawback of naproxen and other NSAIDs is that they can irritate the lining of your stomach. This may cause stomach ulcers or bleeding in your stomach. It's usually best not to take NSAIDs if you have a stomach ulcer or if you've had one in the past.A study that included only a small number of people showed that 1 in 6 people taking naproxen had side effects. Stomach pain and indigestion (dyspepsia) were the most common problems.1
In another study comparing naproxen with an ergotamine drug, about 1 in 3 people on naproxen stopped taking it, presumably because of the side effects.5
Other less common side effects include vomiting (about 1 in 10 people got this), diarrhoea, dizziness, nausea, shivering and sweating. In one study, about 2 in 100 people stopped taking the drug because of these side effects.3
Guidelines for doctors say that if you need to take an NSAID, you should:
- Start on the lowest recommended dose
- Not use more than one NSAID at a time
- Not use NSAIDs at all if you have or have had an ulcer.
Taking high doses of NSAIDs every day for a long time may increase your risk of a heart attack or a stroke. This is unlikely to be a problem with the doses you take for a migraine. But if you'd like to read more, see Warnings about side effects of NSAIDs.
What's the evidence?
What's the evidence for naproxen?Sources for the information on this page:
- Andersson P, Hinge H, Johansen O, Andersen C, Lademann A, Gotzsche P Double-blind study of naproxen v placebo in the treatment of acute migraine attacks Cephalalgia 1989;9:29-32[PubMed]
- Nestvold K. Kloster R. Partinen M. Sulkava R. Treatment of acute migraine attack: naproxen and placebo compared. Cephalalgia. 5(2):115-9, 1985 Jun.
- Sargent JD, Baumel B, Peters K, et al. Aborting a migraine attack: naproxen sodium v ergotamine plus caffeine. Headache. 1998; 28: 263-266.
- Pradalier A, Rancurel G, Dordain G, et al. Acute migraine attack therapy: comparison of naproxen sodium and an ergotamine tartrate compound. Cephalalgia. 1985; 5: 107-113.[PubMed]
- Treves TA, Streiffler M, Korczyn AD. Naproxen sodium versus ergotamine tartrate in the treatment of acute migraine attacks. Headache. 1992; 32: 280-282.[PubMed]
- British National Formulary. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Section 10.1.1. BNF 55. March 2008. British National Formulary. Available at: http://www.bnf.org/ (accessed on 24 July 2008).
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