You can take up to 3 Aleve (220 mg) tablets in a 24-hour period. For your first dose, you can take 2 tablets within the first hour. After that, take 1 tablet every 8 to 12 hours as needed, with a maximum of 2 tablets in any 8- to 12-hour window.
The Standard Dosing Schedule
Aleve contains naproxen sodium, which stays active in your body longer than most over-the-counter pain relievers. Its half-life is approximately 15 hours, meaning it works for an extended period and doesn’t need to be taken as frequently as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Here’s how the dosing breaks down for adults and children 12 and older:
- First dose: Up to 2 tablets (440 mg) within the first hour
- Following doses: 1 tablet (220 mg) every 8 to 12 hours
- Maximum per 8- to 12-hour period: 2 tablets
- Maximum per 24 hours: 3 tablets (660 mg)
The loading dose of 2 tablets up front helps the drug reach effective levels in your bloodstream faster. After that, a single tablet every 8 to 12 hours is enough to maintain relief because of naproxen’s long duration of action.
Dosing for Adults Over 60
If you’re 60 or older, the recommended maximum drops to 1 tablet (220 mg) every 12 hours. This lower ceiling exists because older adults face a significantly higher risk of serious stomach bleeding from NSAIDs like naproxen. The risk increases further if you take blood thinners, use steroids like prednisone, or have a history of stomach ulcers.
Children Under 12
Over-the-counter Aleve is not labeled for children under 12. If your child is younger than that, a pediatrician can determine whether naproxen is appropriate and provide a weight-based dose.
Taking Aleve With Food
Naproxen doesn’t interact with any specific foods or drinks, but taking it with food or milk can help prevent stomach upset. This is especially worth doing if you’re taking it multiple times over several days, since repeated doses on an empty stomach increase the chance of irritation to your stomach lining.
How Long You Can Keep Taking It
The label doesn’t specify a hard cutoff in days, but the general guidance for any over-the-counter NSAID is to use it for the shortest time needed to manage your symptoms. If you find yourself reaching for Aleve daily for more than 10 days for pain (or more than 3 days for fever), that’s a signal to talk with a doctor rather than continuing to self-treat.
Who Should Avoid Aleve
Naproxen is not safe for everyone. You should avoid it or get medical guidance first if you have kidney disease, liver disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, a history of stomach ulcers or stomach bleeding, or if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke. People who have undergone heart bypass surgery within the past two weeks should not take it at all.
Aleve also interacts with a surprisingly long list of medications. Blood thinners, blood pressure medications, lithium, methotrexate, other NSAIDs (including ibuprofen), aspirin, certain antidepressants, steroids like prednisone, and diuretics can all cause problems when combined with naproxen. Even some common supplements, including garlic, ginger, and ginkgo, may interact. If you take any of these regularly, check with a pharmacist before adding Aleve to the mix.
Signs You’ve Taken Too Much
Taking more than the recommended 3 tablets in 24 hours raises the risk of overdose. Symptoms include severe headache, drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and labored breathing. In serious cases, seizures or loss of consciousness can occur. If you or someone else has taken a large amount, contact Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or seek emergency care immediately.