Can You Get A Yeast Infection By Taking Alieve?

One frequently asked question I get, “Can you get a yeast infection by taking Alieve?” It seems there’s a rumor going around saying Alieve causes yeast infections.  With the variety of things, which can lead to a yeast infection, it’s understandable why people are asking the question.

Naproxyn is the chemical or generic name for Aleve.  It does not contain yeast so it is not able to infect you with a yeast infection. Other names for napoxyn include Naprelan, Anaprox DS, Aleve, Anaprox

What is Alieve?

Alieve is an over the counter drug which people take for aches, pain, fevers and inflammation. It is considered to be a non-steroidal anti inflammatory medication. Introduced to the market in 1994.

Alieve is widely used for menstrual cramps, and arthritis pain.  Alieve is an over the counter form of the prescription drug Naprosyn. Many people count on Alieve as one of their standard medications keeping it in their medicine cabinet for life’s little aches and pains.

Can You Get A Yeast Infection By Taking Alieve?

There is no demonstrated link between yeast infections and Alieve. So taking Alieve does not increase your risk of yeast infection. The rumor of the connection between Alieve and yeast infections probably came happened when someone didn’t understand the difference between antibiotics and anti inflammatory medications.

What Is An Antibiotic?

An antibiotic kills bacteria  in your body. Antibiotics can either be broad-spectrum killing off many different types of bacteria or more targeted for a particular type of bacteria.

What Is An Anti Inflammatory Medication?

An anti inflammatory medication is a drug, it can be prescription or over the counter, which decreases fevers, inflammation like arthritis or achy muscles.

Many Bacteria Are Helpful

Our bodies when in a good state of health maintain a balance between harmful bacteria and helpful bacteria. For example, a bacteria in the vagina called lactobacillus helps to keep the vagina in its preferred acid state. The acid state makes it difficult for other bacteria and yeast to easily grow.

So What’s The Problem?

The problem happens when someone takes an antibiotic for a urinary tract infection, strep throat or other infection. The antibiotic in many instances kills off not only the harmful bacteria causing the infection but some of the protective bacteria as well. The antibiotic disrupts the balance of the body allowing the yeast to overgrow causing the condition we call a yeast infection.

Protecting Yourself

Since Alieve does not cause yeast infection you don’t have to worry when taking Alieve. If you are having a lot of pain you should check with your healthcare provider. Pain can be caused by any number of reasons.
When you need to take  an antibiotic consider boosting your immune system by making it more difficult for yeast to grow. You can do this by healthy eating, minimizing stress, and getting extra sleep.