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Naproxen For Gout - Take It When The Pain is CRUSIFYING!


Sometimes, to be excellent means to be mediocre. You are not that amazing at what you do, but at least you are not bad. You are not bound to exceed expectations, but it is also less likely that you will overdo things (in a bad way). This is also true for medications. There are times that you will not look for the BEST medication but instead will embark on a search for a mediocre one for the sake of less side effects.
One such mediocre medicine is Naproxen. It is average when it comes to doing its job, but the side effects it induce is not as frequent as the side effects of others. This article aims to explain the use of Naproxen for gout.

When mediocre beats the excellent. . .

Naproxen is a medication that falls under a category of medications called NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). They all exhibit anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties. In human language, that means NSAIDs can reduce pain, inflammation and fever.  Naproxen is pretty much mediocre in all these stuff. It is not as excellent as indomethacin or diclofenac, but the gastrointestinal bleeding it induces is not as frequent as those of the other two. Instead, it falls in the boundary between “severe and frequent” and “weak and rare”. Hence, if you have a sensitive stomach or you are already suffering from ulcer, taking Naproxen for gout is relatively the better choice.



Naproxen Mechanism of Action

If you will observe the list of effects of Naproxen (anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic), you will see that the conditions it treats are simply auto-immune responses triggered by the body. The reason? Because Naproxen disrupts the auto-immune responses of your body.

The first thought that will come to mind will be “Hey! Without auto-immune responses, the pain and inflammation for gout will be gone!” Sadly, without the auto-immune response you will become sickly as well.

The key to your body’s auto-immune response is the enzyme called cyclooxygenase. By itself, it will induce neither pain nor inflammation. However, it plays an important role in the process. Why? Because it manufactures the substance responsible for all those blessings in disguise. Prostaglandins.
The process of producing prostaglandins is simple. First, it is simply arachidonic acid. By the help of cyclooxygenase, arachidonic acid is converted into prostaglandins! Prostaglandins comes in a variety each one have their own role in unleashing auto-immune responses.

Arachidonic acid is stored in the cells. Hence, they are released when cells die. For instance, when white blood cells attempt to engulf the uric acid crystal in the joints of a gout sufferer. The composition of the uric acid crystal can not be fought by the white blood cells hence they die in vain releasing arachidonic acid in the process. The next step will be the manufacturing of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins, unless Naproxen (or any other NSAIDs) comes in to inhibit cyclooxygenase.  This explains the properties that makes taking Naproxen for gout sensible.

Naproxen Side Effects

When cyclooxygenase is inhibited, no one maintains the epithelium of the stomach. Hence, the stomach becomes susceptible to being dissolved by your own gastric acid! This will cause gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcer. Fortunately, the mediocre cyclooxygenase-inhibiting capability of Naproxen also means a mediocre epithelium degradation. Hence, naproxen is a relatively safer NSAID (though ibuprofen is much safer and is less effective). It is ideal to take Naproxen for gout if you have a sensitive stomach and do not want to poke holes to your innards. Futhermore, Naproxen, just like all other cyclooxygenase inhibiting medications out there, can cause cardiovascular conditions that are usually fatal such as heart attack (myocardial infarction). The good news is, Naproxen is the NSAID with the least instance of cardiac side effects.

Conclusion

Naproxen may seem like an ideal solution for gout because of its relatively low side effects. In the first place, why look for more suffering if the pain and inflammation are more than enough? Unfortunately, Naproxen is not. Yes, it can temporarily relieve you of pain but is it what you really desire? Pain relief today and more pain tomorrow? Taking Naproxen for gout is not a cure. It is simply a makeshift solution that will not last long.

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