Naproxen Withdrawal (Aleve)

[aaronc879]

I recently had back surgery (double fusion L4,5 & S1) two months ago and my back Dr. said NO NSAIDs whatsoever, it is thought to be detrimental to bone growth and healing. Tylenol is ok but nothing like Aleve or anything along those lines. Just FWIW.

When I had my hip replacement I was told no NSAIDs for the first 6 weeks because they can hinder the process of the bone fusing to the implant. When Work Comp sent me back to work at 7 weeks I had no choice but to start taking a lot of NSAIDs since they took me off the Oxy and I was still in too much pain to be at work all day with no pain relief. I took at least 6 Ibuprofen every day for many months.

 

[Sunset]

Here in Ireland Naproxen is not available either OTC. However there's Nurofen Plus, which is ibuprofen+codeine! They work really well together [emoji3] You can get it from the pharmacy and they give you a little lecture about not taking it for more than three days etc.

Canada has behind the counter (pharmacist approval) Acetaminophen 300mg + codeine 8mg + caffeine 25mg (legal requirement of 3 things).

Otherwise Naproxen is good.

But I avoid all these things when possible.

 

[Blueskies123]

Liver. Kidneys. Which do you want more?

All of these OTC drugs need to be used with care.

I avoided Tylenol like the plague after reading a newspaper article relaying a story of a young lady who popped 4 before going drinking to avoid a hangover the next day. Instead, she ended up on the liver transplant list.

But kidney disease is no fun either, and NSAIDs are hard on the kidneys.

So... moderation.

The liver can repair itself but the kidneys cannot. Do people not read the warning labels. It says not to drink and take Tylenol. There must be more to the story because doing this just once will not kill your liver unless you are doing it all the time or you have some other complications.

 

[RobbieB]

For me;

asprin works but does tear up my stomach
I could eat a jar of tylenol and not notice any improvement. But dead from liver damage eh?
I love ibuprofen it works with only 1 (200 mg) hit
naproxen doesn't work for me either

 

[JoeWras]

The liver can repair itself but the kidneys cannot. Do people not read the warning labels. It says not to drink and take Tylenol. There must be more to the story because doing this just once will not kill your liver unless you are doing it all the time or you have some other complications.

I agree. 2 grams plus a drinking binge shouldn't be enough to completely go to liver failure. I suspect she isn't telling the whole story, i.e., she probably drank a lot and had previous liver damage.

In any case, Tylenol will affect the liver and it is well documented. Keep it moderate.

 

[davebarnes]

Bad leg cramps - isn’t that a mineral deficiency? Like you need magnesium?

Which I take daily.
My leg cramps have been greatly reduced. But, about once every 6 weeks I reach for the naproxen.

 

[Winemaker]

Great information. I cannot take NSAID's. They're very bad for the kidneys. I stopped taking them a few years back. Over the counter pain meds have just as many side effects as prescription drugs. So many people think they're safe because they're over the counter available.

At my recent annual physical, my doctor said my blood work shows some kidney damage due to NSAID usage. Boy, was I pissed as she, and several orthopedes have advised me to take for back pain, and pre rotator cuff surgeries. Tylenol, never touched my pain, and since I imbibe on a daily basis, I don't ever take it.

 

[JoeWras]

At my recent annual physical, my doctor said my blood work shows some kidney damage due to NSAID damage. Boy, was I pissed as she, and several orthopedes have advised me to take for back pain, and pre rotator cuff surgeries. Tylenol, never touched my pain, and since I imbibe on a daily basis, I don't ever take it.

Really sorry to hear that, Winemaker.

I actually learned about NSAIDs and kidney issues years ago on another thread from our forum, right here on ER.org. This place is always a great resource. I was not paying attention to my intake until reading a few threads years ago.

With the so called "war" on opioids in force, we're going to soon have a whole population looking for kidneys. People are in pain out there. Once again a subset of the population ruins it for everyone.

 

[Athena61]

Joe, I could not get the link to work for the forum you mentioned. Would you repost it again, please? Thanks.

 

[triangle]

I do wish there was a concise write-up, maybe something like an "over-the-counter medication for dummies" or semi-technical white paper to help explain the spectrum of pain medicine, their side effects, how they can be substituted for each other or not, etc..

My brief personal story: I almost never took an any pain medicine until I hurt my knee. (it is fine now but took 3-4 years of slow recovery). When I saw my doctor he first told me to take Aleve and see how it goes for a week or so before taking additional steps. By the time I got to the store I recalled it as Advil (I had filed it in my brain under the very common pain medicine that started with the letter 'A'). The Advil did nothing and I went back for a follow-up visit in even more pain. The doctor corrected me to start Aleve and later physical therapy. I was astonished at how well the pill worked. When I take it I can almost sense it engaging in real time about 20 minutes later. Over the many months of recovery I was able to reduce the frequency and dosage.

Now I only take Aleve infrequently, and usually only a half pill. I might encourage anyone to try half-dosages since the drug is quite strong and effective. A half pill doesn't last as long but can be enough to get to sleep or get over the immediate pain hump.

 

[JoeWras]

Joe, I could not get the link to work for the forum you mentioned. Would you repost it again, please? Thanks.

Sorry, what I wrote was confusing. I edited it to this:

I actually learned about NSAIDs and kidney issues years ago on another thread from our forum, right here on ER.org.​

 

[Lsbcal]

I have always used Aleve as the label recommends. One every 8 hours.

I never use it for more then 48 hours. Usually this clears up any lower back pain as it reduces inflammation.

I record it in my exercise log and I take it only rarely. Better to use good habits and gym exercise to reduce my issues.

Regarding aspirin, for some years I was taking one baby aspirin every other day. But recently stopped it. I was getting "easy bruising" on the arms and this convinced me to stop. The easy bruising has gone away now.

 

[imoldernu]

An estimated up to 6 million adults have AFIB... not all diagnosed, and the chances for those over 65 having it, is fairly high. The first thing the doctor insists on, is withdrawal from NSAIDs is because this type of blood thinner can be very dangerous.

 

[Athena61]

Thanks, Joe.

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes, Nurofen Plus is available OTC here as well, behind the desk at pharmacies.

Even Miralax (Movicol here) is behind the counter so you have to get the little lecture each time you buy it.

But you folks can tubes of Votaren OTC with no lecture. Right?

 

[mountainsoft]

aspirin works but does tear up my stomach
I could eat a jar of tylenol and not notice any improvement. But dead from liver damage eh?
I love ibuprofen it works with only 1 (200 mg) hit
naproxen doesn't work for me either

I haven't taken aspirin since I was a kid. I don't know why I never even consider it. My wife takes 325mg daily after she went off Warfarin for a previous blood clot. The dosage seems really high to me, especially since she already has a sensitive stomach with acid reflux.

Tylenol doesn't seem to do anything. Two pills won't help with headaches or body pains, so I don't even bother.

Ibuprofin works great for headaches or to help reduce swelling. I also take a couple Ibuprofin when I notice the first hints of a cold. Maybe it's just coincidence, but that usually seems to stop the cold before it can develop. On the other hand, Ibuprofin doesn't seem to do anything for back pain or other body aches.

Naproxen works great for body aches and pains, but doesn't seem to do anything for headaches. One pill usually does the trick, occasionally a second pill later in the day if I'm really hurting.

Thankfully, I rarely need any of these. I might take one Advil (Ibuprofin) two or three times a month at most, usually less than once a month. I only take Aleve (Naproxen) when I have back or muscle pains, maybe two or three times a year.

 

[JoeWras]

But you folks can tubes of Votaren OTC with no lecture. Right?

Oral Voltaren rips my GI to shreds. Tried it once, never again.

Doc did suggest I try a tube of the gel (generic branded diclofenec). Insurance was reluctant to approve it. After 10 days (and apparent back office support from my doctor's office), they approved it.

I tried it when my knee was bothering me. No effect. Won't bother again.

 

[Chuckanut]

I tend to prefer Ibuprofen, when I am really hurting such as a twisted ankle or badly strained muscle. But, my doctor told me that Ibuprofen is mostly processed by the kidneys and Tylenol is mostly processed by the liver, so I alternate usage on the theory that each organ gets some down-time to rest a bit. I have no idea if this practice makes medical sense, but like so many things in the field of human health, it sounds right.

Mostly, I try to avoid taking too many OTC meds.

 

[aaronc879]

I tend to prefer Ibuprofen, when I am really hurting such as a twisted ankle or badly strained muscle. But, my doctor told me that Ibuprofen is mostly processed by the kidneys and Tylenol is mostly processed by the liver, so I alternate usage on the theory that each organ gets some down-time to rest a bit. I have no idea if this practice makes medical sense, but like so many things in the field of human health, it sounds right.

Mostly, I try to avoid taking too many OTC meds.

Makes sense but for me chronic pain barely makes life worth living. I will take as many OTC pain relievers as I need to to make the pain tolerable. If that takes a couple years off the end of my life, so be it. Those years will suck anyway.

 

[JoeWras]

Makes sense but for me chronic pain barely makes life worth living. I will take as many OTC pain relievers as I need to to make the pain tolerable. If that takes a couple years off the end of my life, so be it. Those years will suck anyway.

I know what you mean. When I was suffering with my back, I didn't give a rat's behind about anything else. I had to live.

I've been fortunate lately to be able to manage the little pain I have from OA, but the good days will end, I'm sure.

That's why I'm mad about the whole opioid thing. This was and is an important alternative for many people, and it is being taken away due to abuse of the system by some bad actors.

 

[Amethyst]

I could hardly have made it through decades of monthly PMS without ibuprofen (aspirin did nothing); fortunately that issue ceased some time ago.

I've been extended courses of Meloxicam for shoulder pain. That stuff is effective! But the latest doctor lectured me sternly on the possibility of getting "addicted" to a drug that can and will harm your heart and kidneys. Plus, my last bloodwork came in a little too high on the kidney side...possibly dehydration, but I'm not taking any chances. No more Meloxicam for me.

 

[JoeWras]

I've been extended courses of Meloxicam for shoulder pain. That stuff is effective! But the latest doctor lectured me sternly on the possibility of getting "addicted" to a drug that can and will harm your heart and kidneys. Plus, my last bloodwork came in a little too high on the kidney side...possibly dehydration, but I'm not taking any chances. No more Meloxicam for me.

Yeah, back in my bad pain days, doctor had me try this after Voltaren didn't work for me. Same problem, tore up my GI. I have a friend who swears by the Meloxicam for knee issues.

Naproxen really does the trick for me without GI issues. I just limit it due to the kidney thing, and fortunately I'm in a low pain period right now.

 

[W2R]

I could hardly have made it through decades of monthly PMS without ibuprofen (aspirin did nothing); fortunately that issue ceased some time ago.

I've been extended courses of Meloxicam for shoulder pain. That stuff is effective! But the latest doctor lectured me sternly on the possibility of getting "addicted" to a drug that can and will harm your heart and kidneys. Plus, my last bloodwork came in a little too high on the kidney side...possibly dehydration, but I'm not taking any chances. No more Meloxicam for me.

I was prescribed Meloxicam for my knee by another (now retired) orthopedic surgeon, before I found my present surgeon and had my knee replaced.

Meloxicam did work quite well! But despite the claims that it will not bother the stomach like other NSAIDs, I felt like it was bothering my stomach enough that I didn't want to risk trying to take it for the rest of my life. So, after 2-3 months I stopped taking it and just endured the pain.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) never worked for me in the past but it has been helpful for occasional very minor pain after my knee surgery.

Normally I don't take OTC meds at all, but the knee changed my attitude temporarily.

 

[Winemaker]

Meloxican/naproxen were the NSAIDS I was prescribed/advised to take. Luckily, since I don't spend time underground anymore, I won't have to take it. The doc said that the damage has ceased and appears that it has stabilized. Who knows what to think or do?

 

[Just_Steve]

Following the direction on the label is a sure fire way not to have an issue with Aleve. What a novel idea.

What are the daily and maximum doses for adults?
Take one tablet, caplet, gelcap or liquid gel every 8 to 12 hours while symptoms last. For the first dose, you may take 2 pills within the first hour.

Do not exceed more than 2 tablets, caplets, gelcaps or liquid gels in 12 hours, and do not exceed 3 tablets, caplets, gelcaps or liquid gels in 24 hours. The smallest effective dose should be used. Drink a full glass of water with each dose.

Do not take for more than 10 consecutive days for pain or 3 days for fever, unless directed by a doctor.