Inflammatory sources of pain that may respond to naproxen's anti-inflammatory activity are conditions such as migraine, osteoarthritis, kidney stones, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, menstrual cramps, tendinitis, and bursitis. Migraine is a common disabling neurological disorder with a serious socio-economical burden. By blocking cyclooxygenase nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are involved in the pathophysiology of migraine headaches. What is naproxen, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Naproxen belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ). Other members of this class include ibuprofen ( Motrin ), indomethacin ( Indocin ), nabumetone (Relafen) and several others. Sumatriptan, sold under the brand name Imitrex among others, is a medication used to treat migraine headaches and cluster headaches. It is taken by mouth, in the nose, or by injection under the skin. [2] Ask your doctor before using naproxen together with ethanol. Do not drink alcohol while taking naproxen. Alcohol can increase your risk of stomach bleeding caused by naproxen. Aspirin’s mechanism of action is probably similar to that of other NSAIDs that act on the anti-inflammatory response in migraine. 40, 41, 51 Clinical trials of aspirin have been conducted in patients with mild-to-severe migraine in both monotherapy versus placebo and in comparison trials with sumatriptan succinate (Imitrex, Glaxo-SmithKline) and ibuprofen. Mark G. Papich DVM, MS, DACVCP, in Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs (Fourth Edition), 2016. Pharmacology and mechanism of action. Naproxen and other NSAIDs have produced analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins. As you can see, NSAIDs like Voltaren can be used to treat an acute migraine attack and can also be used on a daily basis for migraine prevention. The mechanism of action would be the anti-inflammatory effect due to the inhibition of the production and release of prostaglandins. Sumatriptan is a novel, highly effective drug against migraine and cluster headache attacks. It shows a remarkably selective pharmacological profile in animals.