ALEVE FDA MedWatch Direct Reports Summary
These tables and charts are created from 1,748 voluntary U.S. reports for ALEVE (NAPROXEN SODIUM) reported by individuals to the FDA via the MedWatch Reporting System from 2004 through April 28, 2026.
For a summary of adverse events including mandatory reports submitted by pharmaceutical companies (all countries and all reporter types) to the FAERS database, View FDA FAERS ALEVE Report.
Top Adverse Effects Associated with ALEVE (from U.S. FDA Medwatch Reports)
Side Effect # of FDA Reports 1 FATIGUE 135 2 NAUSEA 133 3 HEADACHE 129 4 DIZZINESS 121 5 PAIN 121 6 JOINT PAIN 107 7 DRUG INEFFECTIVE 87 8 SHORTNESS OF BREATH 86 9 VOMITING 83 10 DIARRHEA 82 11 INSOMNIA 81 12 PAIN IN EXTREMITY 78 13 PRODUCT SUBSTITUTION ISSUE 77 14 LACK OF STRENGTH AND ENERGY (ASTHENIA) 75 15 ANXIETY 70 16 ITCHING 70 17 RASH 57 18 MUSCLE PAIN 55 19 FEELING ABNORMAL 54 20 GAIT DISTURBANCE 54 21 MUSCLE SPASMS 54 22 BACK PAIN 51 23 DEPRESSION 50 24 EXCESS SWEATING 46 25 DISEASE PROGRESSION 43
ALEVE Total Medwatch Safety Reports by Patient Sex
| Male | Female | Unknown | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 510 | 1206 | 32 | 1,748 |
| Medwatch Reporter Type | Count |
| Consumer | 855 |
| Physician | 50 |
| Pharmacist | 221 |
| Other Health Professional | 170 |
| Top Indications | |
| Pain | |
| Product used for unknown indication | |
| Headache | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | |
| Back pain | |
Type of Outcome Reported
Serious: 1206
Not Serious: 542
Note: A serious outcome means the adverse event resulted in death, a life threatening condition, hospitalization, disability, congenital anomaly, or other serious condition.
Suspected Role
Primary Suspect: 1747
Concomitant Drugs: 1648
Note: A single MedWatch report can list more than one drug. This summary includes ALEVE identified as the suspect drug or as a concomitantly taken drug.
FDA Safety-Related Labeling Changes
ALEVE (NAPROXEN SODIUM) Over-the-counter Drug:
FDA Safety Communication
FDA recommends avoiding use of NSAIDs in pregnancy at 20 weeks or later because they can result in low amniotic fluid; NSAIDs may cause rare kidney problems in unborn babies
ALEVE (NAPROXEN SODIUM) Over-the-counter Drug:
FDA Safety-related Labeling Changes
Have experience (good or bad) with ALEVE? Rate ALEVE at Ask a Patient.
For serious adverse events, report them to the FDA by contacting the drug manufacturer or report directly through the MedWatch voluntary reporting form.
NOTES
This report, created by AskaPatient.com, is derived from U.S. drug-related adverse event cases that were reported directly to the FDA using the voluntary MedWatch online or paper reporting system. MedWatch is the voluntary FDA system for consumers, physicians, and others to directly report adverse reactions. The Medwatch initiative was launched in 1993 as a voluntary reporting program for consumers, physicians and other healthcare practitioners.
After processing the received forms, the FDA adds the MedWatch reports to the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System(or FAERS database.) Click here for the complete FAERS report summary, which includes mandatory reports submitted by pharmaceutical companies (worldwide) combined with the MedWatch reports. MedWatch Reports only represent about 5% of the FAERS database. For more, read "Does the FDA's Rapidly Growing Database of Adverse Events Improve Drug Safety?"
The data in this report was obtained from Open FDA. Data was last updated to include reports through January 27, 2026. The reactions, side effects, or "adverse events," represent up to the 20 most frequently occuring events in the database for a drug related to the event.
Open FDA states that it only includes the most recent version of a case report. It also adds the disclaimer: "Do not rely on Open FDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated."
FDA uses the "MedDRA" classification system to describe reported adverse
reactions. MedDRA is a standardized medical terminology that facilitates
sharing of regulatory information internationally. In some cases, "patient
friendly" terms for the layman designated by MedDRA have been substituted
for medical jargon. Please
contact us
with questions about this report.
