Naproxen
Ranked 3 of 6 pain relievers by recommenders
People recommend it as more effective than ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain and inflammation. The most common caveat is a higher risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding.
People recommend it as more effective than ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain and inflammation. The most common caveat is a higher risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 7
- approval share
- 53%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.1 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
More effective than ibuprofen or acetaminophen
“I weirdly always found Naproxen much more effective than ibuprofen”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” “I weirdly find Naproxen the most effective of all of these”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” “it feels an order of magnitude more effective”
Comment from 24 Jun 2026 in “You may be taking the wrong painkiller” Effective for inflammation and brief pain
“most effective way to control inflammation”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” “It's super effective for brief periods.”
Comment from 24 Jun 2026 in “You may be taking the wrong painkiller”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Stomach ulcers and GI bleeding
“It likely has a somewhat lower risk of serious renal and cardiovascular events, but higher risk of GI bleeds.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” “naproxen is a NSAID like ibuprofen and can cause all the same gastrointestinal issues”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” “Naproxen sodium has much higher risk of GI damage especially with long term use.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” - Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know”
- Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know”
- Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know”
Doesn't work for some pain
“paracetamol/ibuprofen/naproxen which did nothing”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know” “For some things Naproxen simply doesn't work.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “The Mystery in the Medicine Cabinet: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and what to know”
Other pain relievers people recommend
The four most recommended other pain relievers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibuprofen | 32 | 23 | 58% | 5 | — | — |
| Acetaminophen | 14 | 18 | 44% | 3 | — | — |
| NaproxenThis page | 8 | 7 | 53% | 2 | — | — |
| Paracetamol | 7 | 10 | 41% | 3 | — | — |
| Tylenol | 5 | 10 | 33% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
16 of the 17 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“it feels an order of magnitude more effective”
“It's super effective for brief periods.”
“For some things Naproxen simply doesn't work.”
“has a higher chance of causing ulcers”
“I weirdly find Naproxen the most effective of all of these”
“I weirdly always found Naproxen much more effective than ibuprofen”
“Spine issues are the single thing that pish me to ibuprofen or naproxen over acetaminophen.”
“to stop it burning holes in your stomach/intenstines”
“most effective way to control inflammation”
“paracetamol/ibuprofen/naproxen which did nothing”
“Naproxen sodium has much higher risk of GI damage especially with long term use.”
“It likely has a somewhat lower risk of serious renal and cardiovascular events, but higher risk of GI bleeds.”
“Naproxen has well-known gastric issues up to ulcers and stomach bleeding”
“Four ibuprofens or one naproxen? No brainer.”
“naproxen is a NSAID like ibuprofen and can cause all the same gastrointestinal issues”
“are bad for your kidneys especially in long term”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.