symptoms caused by arthritis (rheumatism), such as inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain. However, this medicine does not cure arthritis and will help you only as long as you continue to take it. Some of these medicines are also used to relieve other kinds of pain or to treat other painful conditions, such as: gout attacks; bursitis; tendinitis; sprains, strains, or other injuries; or menstrual cramps. Ibuprofen and naproxen are also used to reduce fever. Meclofenamate is also used to reduce the amount of bleeding in some women who have very heavy menstrual periods. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. Any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug can cause side effects, especially when it is used for a long time or in large doses. Some of the side effects are painful or uncomfortable. Others can be more serious, resulting in the need for medical care and sometimes even death. If you will be taking this medicine for more than one or two months or in large amounts, you should discuss with your doctor the good that it can do as well as the risks of taking it. Also, it is a good idea to ask your doctor about other forms of treatment that might help to reduce the amount of this medicine that you take and/or the length of treatment. One of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, phenylbutazone, is especially likely to cause very serious side effects. These serious side effects are more likely to occur in patients 40 years of age or older than in younger adults, and the risk becomes greater as the patient's age increases. Before you take phenylbutazone, be sure that you have discussed its use with your doctor. Also, do not use phenylbutazone to treat any painful condition other than the one for which it was prescribed by your doctor . Although ibuprofen and naproxen may be used instead of aspirin to treat many of the same medical problems, they must not be used by people who are allergic to aspirin. The 200-mg strength of ibuprofen and the 220-mg strength of naproxen are available without a prescription. However, your health care professional may have special instructions on the proper dose of these medicines for your medical condition