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A plain-language summary of the cited sources below. Informational only — not medical advice.
Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) — the same family of medicines as ibuprofen and aspirin. It works by blocking enzymes called COX-1 and COX-2, which stops the body making prostaglandins, substances that cause inflammation and pain. Scientists know this is how naproxen reduces inflammation, but the exact way it achieves its anti-inflammatory effect isn't completely understood. Naproxen stays active in the body for around 14 hours in adults, which means it usually needs to be taken less often than shorter-acting pain relievers.
Doctors prescribe naproxen to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout, as well as for bone pain, severe pain, and acute migraine attacks. It's particularly used for pain that has an inflammatory component — where swelling and inflammation are part of what's causing the discomfort.
Common side effects include constipation, heartburn, abdominal pain, nausea, and headache. More serious effects, though they occur less frequently, include stomach ulcers that can bleed or perforate, severe liver damage (fatal hepatitis has been reported), kidney failure, a severe skin reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and anaphylactoid reactions (severe allergic-type responses).
Naproxen shouldn't be given to children under two years of age, as its safety hasn't been established in this group. It's also not suitable for people who have had allergic reactions to aspirin or other NSAIDs (such as asthma, nasal polyps, rhinitis, or hives triggered by these medicines), those with active or previous stomach or gastrointestinal ulcers or bleeding (particularly if related to previous NSAID use, or if there have been two or more separate episodes), people with severe heart failure or severe liver impairment, anyone having surgery related to coronary artery bypass grafting, or women in the final three months of pregnancy.
Chronic arthropathies (including osteoarthritis) Clinical criteria: The condition must have an inflammatory component.
Bone pain Clinical criteria: The condition must be due to malignant disease.
“It inhibits prostaglandin synthetase, as do other NSAIDs, however, the exact mechanism of its anti-inflammatory action is not known.”
“The elimination half-life of naproxen is approximately 14 hours.”
A plain-language summary of the cited sources below. Informational only — not medical advice.
Naproxen is a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) of the propionic acid class. It reversibly inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, reducing prostaglandin synthesis; the precise mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effect remains incompletely defined. TGA-approved indications include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, acute gout, acute migraine, bone pain, and relief of acute or chronic pain states with an inflammatory component. The elimination half-life is approximately 14 hours in adults.
Common adverse effects include nausea, abdominal pain, heartburn, constipation, and headache. Serious adverse effects—peptic ulceration with bleeding or perforation, fatal hepatitis, renal failure, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and anaphylactoid reactions—require standard NSAID vigilance. Contraindications include hypersensitivity to naproxen or aspirin (particularly in patients with asthma, nasal polyps, rhinitis, or urticaria), active or history of peptic ulceration or gastrointestinal bleeding (including two or more distinct episodes unrelated to previous NSAID use), severe heart failure, perioperative CABG pain, severe hepatic impairment, age under two years, and third-trimester pregnancy.
Working under the parallel aged-care framework? Aged-care equivalent →
Severe pain Clinical criteria: Patient must be receiving palliative care.
Curated subset. The full adverse-effect list is in the TGA Product Information; click any citation above to open it.