Generic Name: Naproxen for Period Pain (naproxen)
"Aleve is much more effective for me than Advil. Like everyone else, I've been dealing with extremely painful cramps my whole life. I was taking Advil but would always end up throwing up and bent over in excruciating pain. I switched to Aleve and at least now I can function during the first three critical days and not be stuck in bed throwing up. I still get bad cramps every now and then, so it's not perfect, but at least Aleve helps me get through it. I usually take two in the morning and two at night. There should be a support group for women that suffer from severe menstrual cycles. I feel like I'm the only one, but felt better after reading some of the other posts here; I'm not alone in my struggle."
"Since beginning my period at the age of 12, I have experienced tremendous pain. So much so that I'd miss school, work, events, etc. I'd be in bed writhing in unbelievable pain for the first day or two, on the toilet bent over in pain and passing clots, losing weight, having absolutely zero energy - it'd take me about a week to feel somewhat normal again after each period. I've tried everything - you name it, I've tried it. Since my new gynecologist prescribed naproxen, it has been LIFE CHANGING. The first time I took it, the beginnings of pain were gone in 20 minutes! So, for the first time in 22 years, I had NO pain with my period. That's a LONG time to have pain! I can't believe no one gave this to me sooner! It's GREAT!"
"So when I started getting my period at about 13 I had the WORST CRAMPS EVER. Like I'm talking over the toilet, in the shower, missing school, and stuff like that. Typically it was only the first, rarely the second, day of my cycle I would stay home or come home in bed feeling like my insides were flipping inside out. So after a couple of months of this, my mom got worried and took me to the doctor who told me I should go get an ultrasound on my uterus to make sure that there wasn't extra blood flow, extra lining, or anything. This is mostly because I didn't have blood clots, so she wanted to make sure there wasn't something that needed attention pronto. Nothing came up in the ultrasound. So I got prescribed naproxen and it's a LIFE SAVER!!!!"
"I'm 31 years old and I'm in the military. I always had severe and heavy periods with really bad cramps. Before I went in the military and had my periods, I used to just relax and take maybe 2 Advil, and it would pass. But now, every day I have to move, workout, and endure the pain, and it's horrible. So when I told my friend about that, she told me she was in the same situation, and she gave me naproxen, and it was a lifesaver. Now, I barely feel any cramps, and even my flow isn't heavy anymore! I can finally focus on my job. I am so happy this medicine works."
"First, let me say how bad the cramps are for me. They are the worst, like nothing else. I just cannot function on those days, my legs feel like heavy stones that can't be moved, and I feel dizzy. I don't want to say how bad the stomach cramps are. So, I've been taking ibuprofen for the last year, and it helped 3/10. Then, I decided to try Midol, which gave me the worst day of my life. I took it on an empty stomach, and I didn't get rid of ANY pain, it got worse, and I threw up like 10 times that day. So, I went to my doctor, who gave me naproxen. I got my period 6 hours before, and I took it immediately. The pain went away in 20-30 minutes, and I feel wonderful now. I don't even feel like I'm on my period. Also, I avoided caffeine in the last 10-12 days and exercised A LOT."
Aleve (naproxen) "I’ve always had horrible period pain which would ruin my day and sometimes I couldn’t eat because the pain was too much. Aleve has always been my go to drug ever since I started my period at age 14. Once I pop 2 pills within minutes the pain is gone and I feel so much better! Would recommend it to anyone!"
Anaprox-DS (naproxen) "Since high school, I had terrible cramps, fatigue, and nausea. I wasn't able to go about my normal activities. Until I switched doctors, and she prescribed me the naproxen. I take it a few days before I get my period (when I get 'warning' cramps). By the time my period comes, I have no nausea and no fatigue, the cramps are still there, but nowhere close to how bad I feel without the naproxen. I have to take this with food because if I don't, it messes with my stomach. Easy to take."
"I was prescribed 500 mg a day for a shoulder injury. I am so used to dealing with terrible period pain and extremely heavy flow that it wasn't the reason I went to see a doctor. Not only does it help with my shoulder pain, but my period has completely turned around into an experience I do not dread and worry about. I am so grateful to have been prescribed it. I don't have to put my life on hold to hide at home in pain and all around feeling terrible. When I started getting my period until I graduated high school, I would always end up missing a day or two because of how much pain I was in and how heavy my flow was. When I worked, I would dread the days with it and a lot of the time miss work because of it."
"My experience was my period was non-stop for almost 2 months. I went to my gyn and prescribed me naproxen for pain. It was so effective that my period went away in a week. Now when my period comes, I'll take it right away. Thanks, naproxen."
"After 2 decades of seeking relief from bad menstrual cramps and who knows how many gynos (who either accused me of drug-seeking or threw narcotics at me, then branded me noncompliant for refusing narcotics), I found a doctor who gave me naproxen. He explained something about its blood-thinning properties and how it thins the blood before it sheds from the uterus, as where blood clots the uterus when they shed. MADE SO MUCH SENSE! Especially after the wonderful results. Flow is extremely heavier for the first 2 days, then barely a streak for the next 5 days, but NO pain, not even a pinch! Miracle! Taken 3 days before also completely eliminates sore breasts and bloating. If I didn't bleed I wouldn't even know I was having a period. No joke."
"My period has been awful since the first time I got it at age 13. I've experienced a variety of symptoms each month that make my period unpredictable. Some months I feel fine and maybe just get a pimple, other months I'm a crying mess. There have been times where the pressure on my lower back and abdomen is so intense that I can't move: nausea, headaches, joint pain in my knees, etc. It got to the point where when I was 15, I started birth control. The birth control made me extremely emotional, so I stopped and continued with Advil, Midol, I tried bananas, warm compresses, exercise. Nothing worked. I started using naproxen, and within 10-15 minutes, my symptoms are alleviated, and I can go about my day."
Aleve (naproxen) "This medicine saved me. Starting about the age of 15, I began to experience menstrual cramps for the first time. It was the very worst pain I had ever felt at that time. Not content to only hurt in my lower abdomen, the pain radiated all the way down the front of my legs to my ankles. I couldn't sit still. All I could do was pace back and forth, crying. I couldn't find a single pain reliever that worked; we had the usual in the house: aspirin, ibuprofen, even Midol. Finally, my mother became so worried she took me to the doctor. I thought I was going to have to be on some kind of strong prescription medication. What does he do? He returns to the room with about 50 samples of Aleve, and it has been my miracle drug ever since."
"When I take naproxen for period cramps, it takes around an hour for it to kick in. My doctor recommended I take it every 12 hours (twice a day dose) but the pain comes back in less than 8. I do not think it would be safe to take it 3 times a day, so I suffer in pain for a few extra hours until it is time for my next dose. My cramps hurt the most in the middle of the night because the medicine wears off and I am sometimes woken up out of my sleep because of it."
"I have extreme nausea a few days before and during my period. I tried so many things, but nothing worked. My gyn wrote me a script for 550 mg of naproxen twice daily, and I took it 3 days before my period and during my period. It worked!! I feel 100% better than the previous month."
"As I got older and seven kids later, my menstrual pain took a turn for the worst. I have severe cramping and fatigue. This medication was never prescribed to me after being rushed to the emergency room numerous times. My husband was given this medication for back pain, and I was in so much pain that I decided to try it. This medicine has saved my life. I will go get my own prescription!"
"I have been suffering with period pain and heavy bleeding for 3 years (since the birth of my last baby). I read a study on using Naproxen at the onset of your period for 5 days to help with pain and bleeding, so I decided it was worth a try. I took 500 mg twice a day. The results are nothing less than amazing! No clots, no need to stay at home and near a bathroom, no sleeping with towels under me at night, no pain and stress. I feel like a normal human being!"
"I was passing out from the sheer pain that radiated from my lower abdomen to my lower back and so on. I had quite the pain tolerance, yet this pain was like no other. Hot water bottles, home remedies, Motrin, nothing worked. When I spoke to my doctor, she recommended the pill but my mother was against this because of my age. After I turned 13, my doctor decided to prescribe me naproxen, 250 mg, take 2 at onset of cramps and then 1 pill every 6-8 hours as needed. It was magical, I mean within 10-20 minutes of me taking it, the pain went away. How? Naproxen is a NSAID, it reduces inflammation in the uterus. That simple. Highly recommend, but use carefully so as to not damage your liver. Seriously."
"I have tried everything but only with this painkiller I can function on first day of my period. I still feel little pain but bearable. I can go to job. Until I discover this drug I was every month minimum one day in bed vomiting, screaming and crying. Other pills never helped this much."
"Naproxen is excellent for period pain. I have a heavy 5 day flow with excruciating cramps. I read a study about higher does of naproxen being taken a few days BEFORE your period starts, as a way to reduce flow. Well it worked for me! Days before I'm scheduled to start my period, I take 880mg of naproxen, once a day for no more than 2 days. It reduced my period significantly. By day 3 there's hardly any bleeding at all. I'm no longer bed bound or writhing in pain and can enjoy my day. I wish I had known about it sooner."
"I have been using naproxen 500 mg for at least 8 years. I find this product very helpful for period pain, although if you take it too late, it sometimes takes up to an hour to relieve the pain, but when it goes, it takes a long time to come back. I haven't had any side effects or none that I've noticed."
"WARNING to the user of Naproxen who posted on here, that after taking naproxen, they experienced hives and weakness. This means you are allergic to it and should consult your doctor immediately. Taking Benadryl may alleviate the symptoms but the symptoms may worsen over time. It may not be the medicine for you. Please consult your doctor. "
"Doctor prescribed me naproxen sodium since I have endometriosis and it helps my cramps a lot. My cramps before were so bad they made me stay in bed and made me nauseous. This stops/slows the cramps thus eliminating all my other period pains. Definitely recommend this to other women with the same problem."
"I have had some very bad periods, luckily the cramps usually only last the first day but I’d be close to passing out from pain. Throwing up, hot flashes, unable to so much as stand, etc. When my doctor couldn’t come during a consultation, a nurse who had a daughter with similar problems put in a prescription for 500mg of Naproxen, and it was heaven sent. Ibuprofen could only get the pain down to a 4, but with Naproxen, I didn’t even feel the pain. I’m looking into possible endo and other problems, but at least for the time being, I’m not gonna be in excruciating pain."
"Girls... If you want to be able to function and actually get out of bed this is the solution for you. I have unbearable cramps to where I'm stuck in bed and cry all day from the pain. I've tried everything over the counter and nothing has worked. I was prescribed the 550 mg and my life has changed. Even though there are times where I still have pain it's not as bad as it was. I don't experience any real side effects except sometimes I get a little tired, but it's not horrible."
"I have always had severe period cramps, fainting, nausea, and stabbing pains. Naproxen 500 has been the only (non birth control remedy) that greatly relieves my pain. It's tricky because you have to get the timing just right, not too soon before period cramps start or too late after they already started. You must start it the moment you feel cramps. Starting before your period isn't as effective because that's not how this medication works best."
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