Naproxen

[FutureMarchionessOfVidal]

I am waiting for a hip replacement (hoping not to die of old age) and had been taking naproxen at least twice a day.

A GP I saw a few weeks ago was concerned about this as I also take carbocisteine (both can damage stomach). So I have dropped the naproxen (though both had been prescribed by another GP at the surgery.)

But oh the agony! I can’t walk at all, honestly I could cry with pain. My groin, outer hip, upper leg & buttock are just screaming at me. I have given up & am just on the sofa for the rest of the day.

Is naproxen really that bad? So dangerous? Has anyone here actually ever had any stomach issues with it?

Where I am from is an over the counter medicine as much as ipobrufen

I got given naproxen and it made me feel so nauseous I couldn’t eat
for 48 hours but if you had tolerated it before not sure why you should have to give it up?!

I’m on it for arthritis pain but only in short term bursts of around 10 days at a time. I have lansoprosole with it. It stops working after a while anyway but takes the edge off a bit while I’m on it.

I was advised to give it up as I’m also taking a lung medication that can affect the stomach and cause gastric bleeds - as can naproxen apparently. I will have to ask again though as this pain is not sustainable!

Has anyone found that amitriptyline helps with osteoarthritis pain?

have you had any hip injections? might be worth exploring as a holding measure until you get your THR if your general health makes medications/interactions complex. The GP is right that you have to be very careful combining meds that can cause GI bleeding.

I am awaiting a hip replacement after years of misdiagnosis.

I have end stage bone on bone and my hip has disintegrated so that my left leg is not supported and has moved up to my pelvis so I can no longer stand with both feet flat on the floor at the same time and one leg is almost two inches shorter than the other.

I can’t walk without crutches or a rollator.

I was prescribed Naproxen for about seven years. Was also prescribed Omeprazole as a stomach protectant.

Initially Naproxen was a great painkiller but after many years I was in such pain that I stopped taking it to see if it was making any difference and it wasn’t so I stopped the prescription for both Naproxen and Omeprazole.

I was made aware of the potential for bleeds in my stomach but reassured that Omeprazole would prevent that.

What I was not warned about was the potential of kidney stones (amongst other nasty things) from longterm Omeprazole.

When I stopped Omeprazole I started getting acid reflux. Something I had never had before.

I found I had to reintroduce Omeprazole and then wean myself off slowly.
The acid reflux gradually stopped.

About a year after this I got kidney stones.

I can honestly say it was the most painful experience of my life.

I later found out that longterm antacid use including Omeprazole can cause this horrible condition and that once you have had a kidney stone your risk of having more in future is increased by 60%.

I would tell anyone to avoid longterm Naproxen and the stomach protectors it necessitates.

Pain relief wise I find Buprenorphine patches help me to some degree.

I also have Amitriptyline for nerve pain which I get at night.

Of course if the NHS gave us the bloody new hips we need in a reasonable timescale we wouldn’t need to risk our health on certain pain medication regimes for so long.

I used to take carbocisteine and had no idea of it's effect on the stomach.
I've had naproxen in the past - it's an NSAID like a stronger version of ibuprofen and known to irritate the stomach.
I got dreadful gastritis two years ago after taking too much ibuprofen. It took months to heal and comes back periodically.
It's fine until it isn't. Once you get inflammation in the stomach or gastric tract in general it seems you are prone to it forever after.
I'm currently struggling with pain from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Pain in one hip but all other joints. I can't take NSAID. I've got codeine but only take it occasionally at night if desperate.
I'm very wary of PPIs because they have long term implications on bone density and also they are difficult to stop.
I don't know what the answer is.

I love your user name! Tim Hortons inspired, I presume? Guessing you are also from Canada!

I can't take naproxen any more as it affects my liver. I'm on Zapain instead but its nowhere near as effective. The most effective pain treatment I've had is losing weight, although I think the damage is too much for my current weight as the pain is starting up.

This is so horrendous. I am so sorry for the awful experience you have had & the effect it must have had on your life. Thank you very much for giving this information about the dangers of omeprazole.

I really hope your HR is soon and that you are supported meanwhile 💐.

@realsavagelike- I'm a British transplant but my husband & kids are Canadian so I'd consider myself an honourary Canadian. I went home recently for a visit and to my amazement there was a Timmy's in my home town. I was craving a DD so bad but can you believe I ordered a DoubleDouble and they didn't know what it was and didn't have cream for coffee!!. I was Doubledoubledown that day and a new user name was created.

That's great! I'm also British, but my kids are Canadian. I was in the UK this past summer and we stopped at a Timmy's too. I was a little taken aback by their claim that it was Canada's favourite coffee. Ashamed to say I am a Starbucks person...

As long as you never take it on an empty stomach & take something like omeprazol to protect your stomach NSAIDS are an excellent way to manage joint pain & arthritis.

Diclofenac is the mutts nuts. Magic stuff. Doesn't make me pukey like Naproxen