Don’t let the title scare you away – this isn’t just for Headbangers. I have only used Aleve a few times for relief from headaches and minor joint pain after working out. However several of my friends recently suggested that I try it for a toothache that I have been dealing with for a few days so I am going to be a human guinea pig and test it out later in the review. I fear the dentist, so this was a welcome option over getting poked, told to spit into a small sink, x-rayed and having my mouth jacked open like the hood of a car.

What Is It?

Aleve is a pain reliever that can be used for minor aches and pains, toothaches, colds, menstrual pain, muscle aches, minor pain of arthritis and a temporary fever reducer. The common ingredients are: Naproxen Sodium, Magnesium Sterate, Microcryslalline Cellulose, Opadry YS-1415, Providone and Talc. Now that we have the two cent words out of the way, the more common name for the main ingredient is Naproxen, until recently only a prescribed drug – this has been called the gift of the new millennium – many people swear by it for pain relief – but we’ll see just how good it works for me.

The normal dose is 1 caplet [a caplet is a tablet in the shape of a capsule – cleaver marketing strategy – get your product to stand out as much as possible] every 8 to 12 hours while the pain is present. Remember, these are adult medicines and should never be used on children under the age of 12. The package insert says that two caplets may be used for the initial dose but should be taken one hour apart.

My Use

As I mentioned, I have only used this a few times for muscle aches and minor joint pain, most of which comes from the gym. While it doesn’t work as well as prescription anti-inflammatory medications, it does provide more relief than Tylenol or store brand generics. With the joint pain, it feels like your bones are being squeezed or compressed – this makes it hard to sleep or even get comfortable let alone do day-to-day tasks. I’ve never tried them for menstrual pain but my neighbor swears by them – she’s gone from a PMS Queen to a quiet little lamb thanks to Aleve.

As We Speak

At the present moment I have a mild tooth ache, nothing that makes me want to out right throw things to vent the pain – but the dull, consistent throbbing that can get in the way of simple tasks like drinking hot tea or biting into an apple. Since most over the counter medicines that tackle pain claim to temporarily relieve minor aches and pains [including toothaches] I am going to give this a try as I am writing the review. Hopefully this will give you, the reader, a better grasp on Aleve’s pain relieving power.

8:01 pm: Removed an Aleve from the child proof, adult proof, animal proof packaging. Little, blue, different

8:11 pm: Still some slight pain but about half of it is gone.

8:19 pm: Pain is almost completely gone. Great, now I have to finish the laundry.

8:53 pm No pain what so ever, completely forgot to update this, so I guess this stuff really does work for toothaches.

12:23 am Still have no pain, no throbbing and can now do household tasks. Wait a minute, is that a good thing?

1:32 am: I am still writing this review, save me. Still no pain.

Somewhat Useless Information

While trying to track down a bottle of Aleve I strolled down the trial sized aisle – a weakness of mine. Little sample sized containers shouting buy me Alex, buy me, with prices as low as .49 cents I can not understand why people will fork out $6.00 - $8.00 dollars on a product for the first time without trying a trial size first. Long’s drugstore has the absolute best selection of trial sized items – at least 50 the last time I was there. I came across the little blue and yellow box and thought it was a steal - priced at a moderate .99 cents for 8 caplets.

I would much rather buy my pain relief medicines in sample form / trail size for one simple reason; they either come in a small bottle or in blister packs. While these smaller sizes might not be cost effective in the long run, neither is paying upwards of $9.00 for 80 tablets, capsules or caplets if you are only going to use them occasionally. Plus, the smaller sizes and blister packets are great to carry with you or have in a first aid kit for your vehicle.

The Aleve blister packs are difficult to open – you have to peel off a silver backing then pop the caplet through a layer of material that can only be described as an alien-like membrane. This is great if you have kids around; chances are you won’t be able to open them without further aggravating your already pounding headache and neither will they.

How Do They Go Down?

The caplet that I took earlier went down fairly easy. The shape is small and looks like a little mini football – some pills – like Tylenol are oval and tend to stick in your throat. These don’t have a gel coating so drinking a gallon of water pre and post ingestion isn’t necessary. The Aleve caplets are by far one of the easiest to swallow – a plus for people who have a hard time taking oral medications. No after taste, chalk mouth or reflux from them [so far].

More Information

Some people have had severe allergic reactions to Aleve, including hives, shortness of breath, facial swelling and in extreme cases, shock. If you notice any of these symptoms please consult a qualified health care provider. As with all medicines, if you are having difficulty breathing, seek immediate emergency assistance. If you have ever had an allergic reaction to any other fever reducer or pain medicine the manufacturers suggest that you not take this product.

Overall View

Since Aleve managed to dull my toothache I am considering trying it for other ailments that may creep up in the future. I am still not ready to purchase an entire bottle – fear of commitment you know – so I will stick with the trial sized packages for now.

I am impressed with the overall product – it does what it claims. When you have a headache, or in my case a toothache, all you want is some relief – not to have to read the bottle and see what the product does. Aleve impresses me to be an all around cure all for minor aches and pains – but not to be abused, over used or taken for extended periods of time. I shouldn’t need to tell you this – but for the sake of the review I will – if you have a pain that doesn’t go away after seven days it might be time to call the doctor and go in for a tune up.

So there you have it – if your current brand of pain reliever isn’t cutting it anymore – give Aleve a try. I’ll be updating this review in about a week when I try mixing Aleve with DMSO [Dimethyl Suloxide] and using it on my knees as a topical healing agent.

As always, thanks for the read!

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2006 Freak369


Other "over the counter" reviews ...

Robitussin Expectorant Syrup
Tylenol Sore Throat
Orajel PM
Dimetapp Get Better Bear Sore Throat Pops
Mentholatum Cherry Chest Rub For Kids
Aflexa Glucosamine
Rite Aid Miconazole 3 Combination Pack
Rite Aid Complete Ready-to-Use Enema, Triple Pack
GasAid Maximum Strength
Rite Aid Senna-Lax Tablets
Tylenol Children's Plus Cold & Cough Chewable Tablets, Cherry Flavor
Mentholatum Cherry Chest Rub for Kids
Tylenol 8 Hour Extended Relief, Caplets
Advil Advanced Medicine For Pain 200 mg
Aspergum Aspirin Pain Reliever Orange Flavor









Recommended: Yes