Patient was educated on how to take Naproxen as follows:
- Take Naproxen pill with or without food along with a full 8 oz. glass of water. Taking the medication with food helps prevent any nauseating sensation and stomach upset.
- Evenly space out the doses of pain pill and take the dose at the scheduled time every day.
- Keeping to the schedule of pain pill intake helps to avoid forgetting the medication.
- If you are taking Naproxen on an as needed basis, do not wait for the pain to peak to have your pill. Pain medications work best when taken at the first appreciation of pain, before the pain peaks
- Do not crush or chew the Naproxen pill. Swallow it whole. Crushing the pill can damage the enteric coating on the pill, which can expose the stomach to the medication, when swallowed. This can result in reduced synthesis of prostaglandins, that protect the stomach lining. This can lead to increased exposure of the stomach lining to gastric acid in the stomach, leading to the development of gastric ulcers.
- Breaking the pill may cause too much of the drug to be released too quick at one time, thus compromising the therapeutic effect of Naproxen.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of Naproxen as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication. Noncompliance with recommendation on Naproxen intake can result in ineffective pain control.
- Do not change the dose on Naproxen without consulting your doctor.
- Do not share your pain pills with any family and friends.
- Do not take the pill with alcohol, as this can increase the chance for gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Do not abuse Naproxen by continuing to take the medication, even after the pain resolved. Naproxen carries significant risk for compromising renal function leading to renal failure.
- Watch out for any continuing or worsening pain, to report to your doctor immediately, so that, a change in plan could be considered.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
