Side Effects

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

Like all medicines, Naproxen Tablets can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Medicines such as Naproxen may be associated with a small increased risk of heart attack (‘myocardial infarction’) or stroke. Important side effects to look out for: Stop taking Naproxen and tell a doctor straight away if any of the following side effects happen. You may need urgent medical treatment: Serious stomach or gut problems, signs include: · Bleeding from the stomach, seen as vomit which has blood in it, or bits that look like coffee grounds. · Bleeding from your back passage (anus), seen as passing black sticky bowel motions (stools) or bloody diarrhoea. · Ulcers or holes forming in your stomach or gut sometimes fatal particularly in elderly. Signs include upset stomach, stomach pain, fever, feeling or being sick. · Problems with your pancreas. Signs include severe stomach pain which spreads to your back. · Worsening of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, seen as pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss. Allergic reactions, signs include: · Sudden swelling of your throat, face, hands or feet. · Difficulty breathing, tightness in your chest. · Skin rashes, blisters or itching. Severe skin rashes, signs include: · A severe rash that develops quickly, with blisters or peeling of your skin and possibly blisters in your mouth, throat or eyes. Fever, headache, cough and aching body may happen at the same time. · Blistering of skin when exposed to sunlight (porphyria cutanea tarda) seen most on arms face and hands. Liver problems, signs include: · Yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice). · Feeling tired, loss of appetite, feeling or being sick and pale coloured stools (hepatitis) and problems (including hepatitis), shown in blood tests. Heart attack, signs include: · Chest pain which may spread to your neck and shoulders and down your left arm. Stroke, signs include: · Muscle weakness and numbness. This may only be on one side of your body. · A suddenly altered sense of smell, taste, hearing or vision, confusion. Meningitis, signs include: · Fever, feeling or being sick, a stiff neck, headache, depression, vertigo ,drowsiness, sensitivity to bright light and confusion (most likely in people with autoimmune conditions such as ‘systemic lupus erythematosus’). If you notice any of the serious side effects mentioned above, stop taking Naproxen and tell your doctor straight away. Other possible side effects: Stomach and gut · Heartburn · indigestion · gastritis (an inflammation of the lining of the stomach) · dry mouth · throat irritation · decreased appetite · stomach ache · feeling sick or being sick · constipation · diarrhoea · wind · inflammation of the food pipe (oesophagus) Side effects on the gut can be fatal, particularly in the elderly. Blood · a reduction in the number of platelets (thrombocytopenia) · decreased platelet aggregation · an increase or decrease in white blood cells · a reduction of the quantity of the oxygen-carrying pigment haemoglobin in the blood (anaemia) caused by decreased production (aplasia) or increased destruction (haemolysis) of red blood cells · high levels of potassium in the blood (hyperkalaemia) or inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis). Mental illness · Having difficulty sleeping or changes in your patterns of dreaming. · Depression. · Confusion or seeing and possibly hearing things that are not there (hallucinations). Nervous system · Headache. · Fits or seizures, feeling dizzy or light-headed or sleepy. · Pins and needles or numbness of your hands and feet. · Difficulty with your memory or concentration. Eyes and ears · Changes to your eyesight, eye pain. · Changes to your hearing, including ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss. · Dizziness that causes problems with your balance. Heart and circulation · Swelling of your hands, feet or legs (oedema), this may be with chest pains, tiredness, shortness of breath (cardiac failure). · A fluttering feeling in your heart (palpitations), slow heart beat or high blood pressure. · Problems with the way your heart pumps blood around the body or damage to your blood vessels. Signs may include tiredness, shortness of breath, feeling faint, general pain. Chest · Difficulty breathing, including shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing. · Pneumonia or swelling of your lungs. Skin and Hair • Skin rashes including redness, hives, pimples and blisters on your body and face • Bruising, itching, sweating, skin being more sensitive to the sun or hair loss. Urinary · Blood in your water (urine) or kidney problems Other · Thirst, fever, feeling tired or generally unwell. · A sore mouth or mouth ulcers. · Muscle pain or weakness. · Problems for women in getting pregnant. · ‘Systemic lupus erythematosus’ (SLE). Signs include fever, rash, problems with your kidneys and joint pain. Reporting of side effects If you get a