In the years that I’ve been taking Naproxen I’ve not looked at a single Patient Information Leaflet that comes in every pack since I got the first pack. I’ve long forgotten what it said and just assumed it’s safe as I’m being prescribed it and it probably just says everything from headache to death anyway. Well having read a lot recently about side effects of alternative medicines I thought I should remind myself of the side effects of the medicine I’m already taking.
Effects on driving or operating machinery:
Naproxen Tablets may make you feel dizzy, tired, drowsy, or depressed or have problems with your eyesight and balance, or have difficulty sleeping. If you think this medicine has effected you do not drive or operate machinery.
That’s just for starters! The main course is on the reverse of the leaflet and takes up half the page!
This is not a comprehensive list or medical advice and not everyone will get these but if you do, STOP TAKING the medicine and seek IMMEDIATE medical help!
- pass blood in you faeces or vomit any blood as these can be signs of a stomach ulcer or bleeding in your stomach
- indigestion or heartburn
- abdominal pain
- allergic reactions including skin rash, itching, bruising, peeling or blistering, shortness of breath or swollen face, throat, lips, hands or fingers
- blistering of skin when exposed to sunlight
- yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes and/or dark urine, loss of appetite as these may be signs of liver problems
- inflammation of the pancreas causing severe pain in the abdomen and back
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis (serious illness causing blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals)
Other effects include:
- high blood pressure, heart failure
- high levels of blood potassium which can cause abnormal heart rhythm
- feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, sore mouth, mouth ulcers, irritation or swelling of the oesophagus
- worsening of the symptoms of colitis and Crohn’s disease
- blood disorders
- hives, sweating, tender red lumps on the shins, itchy swollen rash on the skin or in the mouth, blisters or pimples containing pus, increased sensitivity to light or loss of hair
- headache, confusion, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating, feeling of dizziness or ‘spinning’, changes to your hearing including ringing in your ears and hearing loss, drowsiness, light headaches, fits, eyesight problems, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
- difficulty sleeping, changes in your patterns of dreaming, confusion, depression, hallucinations
- shortness of breath, asthma, cough, coughing up blood, excessive sweating, anxiety
- muscle pain or weakness, tiredness, feeling generally unwell, thirst, fever
- inflammation of the blood vessels
- aseptic meningitis
and lastly…
- medicines such as naproxen may be associated with a small increased risk of heart attack or stroke
That’s the death thing covered… and then some!
Now if someone offered you a drink that came with the same risks would you drink it?…. twice a day?