Naproxen with Prednisolone

Posted , 9 users are following.

Can anyone tell me if it is safe to take Naproxen with Prednisolone? I am currently on 7mg of pred. I am on holiday abroad and have developed a very painful back with siatica, brought on I think by doing a lot of walking. I'm sure it's not PMR related as the pain is different and I don't feel stiff. Also I've tried increasing the steroid dose to no effect. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thank you.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Posted

    I was prescribed naproxen prior to being diagnosed with PMR, needless to say it did nothing.  I was told not to take it once I started taking the prednisolone. The drugs are classified as having a moderate interaction which means they should only be taken together under special circumstances as there is a danger risks could outweigh benefits.  I would speak to a pharmacist before doing anything, they are the experts after all. Read up on Spoon Theory too.  I know all too well its easy to go mad on a good day and pay the price later.  Hope you have a great holiday despite everything.  Rose
  • Posted

    Many doctors do approve using the two together although the general opinion is that NSAIDS and pred shouldn't be used together as both alone can irritate the stomach, both together makes it more likely. Naproxen is claimed to be "less gastro-irritant" - less doesn't mean "not"!

    Does paracetamol/acetamiophen help? It is probably safer but the occasional dose of Naproxen taken with a meal and at a different time from pred will probably be OK.

    • Posted

      Thank you Eileen. I've never heard of acetomiophen so no I haven't tried it. I 'm in Spain at the moment and went to see a pharmacist here this morning but she wasn't very helpful. I ended up buying a mixture of paracetamol and codeine which haven't helped much so far.

    • Posted

      That's the other name for paracetamol (and I spelt it wrong, oops,  acetominophen) - they haven't heard of paracetamol in the USA where they also call it Tylenol.

  • Posted

    I no longer take naproxen although some years ago when it was still a prescription (available now otc as aleve) it was like a magic cure for migraine.  But at some point I had a serious stomach bleed.  However I do take aspirin which is also bad for the stomach.  I'm very careful, never take it near my pred dose, and as others have found yoghurt helpful for taking their pred with in the very early morning I thought I would start to eat a little yoghurt at the same time as having any aspirin, which I sometimes need for headache.  I've found tylenol to be helpful sometimes, but it depends, sometimes only aspirin or even codeine (I can get codeine from behind the counter in combination with aspirin or acetaminophen) are all that will touch a bad headache if I haven't caught it in time.  I know the "mechanism" behind sciatica is very different from headache so your experience will be different.

  • Posted

    Took took both without any serious difficulties. I recently was tasking large doses of tumeric to fight inflammation and was getting serious acid indigestion in the night.

    Eating an apple before going to bed worked.

  • Posted

    My doctor said she would have liked to give me Naproxen when I got sciatica recently, but said she would prefer not to as I was taking steroids. I found the only thing that worked in the end was physio. 
    • Posted

      I have both osteoarthritis and pmr. I take prednisone for the pmr and I am doing physical therapy for the osteoarthiritis. Both are working well for me.
  • Posted

    Have you ever tried a pain relieving patch like "thermocare" or from "Tiger Balm"? It can help relaxing your lumbar area.

    For the sciating pain try to role a tennisball with your buttock on a wall. This would loosen up the area where the sciatic Nerv often get pinched or squeezed from tight muscles.

    This is an option to avoid the pain killers and their side effects or interactions.

  • Posted

    I took
    • Posted

      I took co-codalmol when I fractured shoulder and had no problems as all The one NOT to take is Ibrufen as it is a lower dose of anti-inflamatory

      but Paracetamol and the like is ok

      I have been on Preds for over 8 years for Temporal Artertis.

      also be aware if you develope eye problems to see your doctor asap or your  hospital asap.

    • Posted

      Sadly I found paracetamol and co-codamol totally useless for my sciatica. 

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