Individuals using one of the UK’s most frequently prescribed painkillers should know about a rare side effect that can cause a severe burning sensation in the stomach. While this medication is widely used and taken regularly by many, health experts have now issued a warning regarding this potential reaction.

‘Burning Stomach’ Warning Over This Common Painkiller

Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), part of the same group as ibuprofen and aspirin. It helps reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling in muscles and joints. Doctors may prescribe it in tablet or liquid form for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, and menstrual cramps.

It’s also used to treat certain muscle or bone problems, including back pain, sprains, and strains. The duration of treatment can vary, some people only need a few days, while others may require longer-term prescriptions. If you take naproxen for an extended period, your doctor may also prescribe medication to reduce the risk of side effects.

According to the NHS, your naproxen dose depends on why you are taking it, your age, liver and kidney function, and how well it relieves your symptoms. Older adults and people with heart, liver, or kidney issues usually receive lower doses. For children, the dose is calculated based on weight.

Naproxen Side Effects

Like all medications, naproxen can cause side effects, though not everyone experiences them. Common issues, affecting about 1 in 100 people, include:

• Confusion
• Headache
• Ringing in the ears
• Vision changes
• Drowsiness or fatigue
• Dizziness
• Skin rashes

If any side effect persists or causes discomfort, speak with a doctor or pharmacist. In rare cases, naproxen can lead to severe stomach problems, such as intense indigestion, heartburn, or abdominal pain, which may indicate an ulcer or inflammation, according to the NHS.

Naproxen: NHS Issues Warning Over Naproxen

The NHS website claims: "Your doctor may tell you not to take naproxen if you have a stomach ulcer or you have had one in the past. If you need to take naproxen but are at risk of getting a stomach ulcer, your doctor may prescribe another medicine for you to take alongside naproxen to protect your stomach.”

The most common symptom of a stomach ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the centre of the stomach. But stomach ulcers are not always painful and some people may have other symptoms, such as indigestion, heartburn and feeling sick.

If you think you may have symptoms of a stomach ulcer, stop taking naproxen and contact your doctor. You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Menopause is often seen as the end of womanhood by many women, however, as Dr Archana Nirula, a gynaecologist & obstetrician, who specializes on women’s health, says, "menopause is not the end of woman's life". Thanks to the new drug Lynkuet, finally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, women can now actually believe so.

This is a nonhormonal medication, designed to treat hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal and perimenopausal women. The drug is developed by Bayer, and its main compound is elinzanetant. This is a novel therapy that could also help improve sleep disturbances commonly linked to menopause.

Why Is This Medicine A Breakthrough?

While most medicines treating menstrual-relating symptoms for women are heavy doses of hormones, leading to many side effects, Lynkuet stands out. It offers relief without using hormones, a much-needed alternative for women who cannot or prefer not to take hormone therapy.

What's Wrong With Hormonal Drugs?

while hormone replacement therapy (HRT), usually estrogen and progesterone, remain effective for many, it is not suitable for everyone. Women with a history or high risk of breast and ovarian cancer, or those wary of hormone-related side effects, often seek for better, safer and nonhormonal options.

Until recently, those options were extremely limited. The first nonhormonal drug, Veozah (fezolinetant), was approved in 2023, targeting only one type of brain receptor linked to temperature regulation. Before that, doctors mostly relied on low-dose antidepressants like paroxetine to manage hot flashes, an off-label approach with limited benefits.

How Does Lynkuet Work?

What makes this medicine different is the way it works on the brain. The drug is responsible for blocking two types of neurokinin receptors, namely: NK1 and NK3. These neurokinin receptors play a key role in regulating body temperature, mood, and sleep. By doing so, elinzanetant helps restore balance in the hypothalamus, which is brain's temperature control center. This usually becomes disrupted when estrogen levels fall during menopause.

This dual-action mechanism is what sets Lynkuet apart. Unlike Veozah, which targets only one receptor, elinzanetant’s two-receptor approach could mean broader benefits, not just reducing hot flashes and night sweats, but also improving sleep quality, which many women struggle with during perimenopause and menopause.

How Did It Pass The Clinical Trials?

Clinical trials for Lynkuet involved women aged 40 to 65 who experienced frequent and severe hot flashes. According to researchers, symptom relief began as early as one week after starting treatment.

By week 12, over 70% of women taking elinzanetant reported at least a 50% reduction in the frequency of hot flashes, compared to just over 40% in the placebo group. Sleep quality also improved significantly, with many participants reporting fewer disturbances at night.

At 26 weeks, the benefits persisted, more than 80% of participants maintained a 50% reduction in symptom frequency. Those who initially received the placebo and later switched to the drug showed similar improvements, underscoring its consistent efficacy.

Are There Any Side Effects?

The most common side effects reported are mild headache, fatigue, and joint pain. A few participants also reported elevated liver enzyme levels, however there was no serious toxicity observed.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 17.3 degree Celsius, which is 0.1 degrees above the season's average. While the maximum temperature is expected to be around 29 degree Celsius, there is a rain forecast too, with humidity level at 94% at 8.30 am on Monday. Despite this, the air pollution continues to persist, thanks to the thick layer of smog and persisting air pollution. The firecrackers continue to burst even days after Diwali, in fact, as notes the Indian Rice Exporters Federation, stubble burning incidents have declined by 68% in North India, this year. Despite all, Delhi has still recorded the most toxic post-Diwali air in five years, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Pollution Levels In Delhi

• As per the National Air Quality Index, as of 6.30 am, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 348, putting it under the 'very poor' category.
• Kashmere Gate recorded AQI of 299, under 'poor' category
• Rohini recorded an AQI of 346, under 'very poor' category
• Nangal Thakran, an area in Delhi recorded an AQI of 401, placing it under 'severe' category
• ITO recorded an AQI of 336, placing it under 'very poor' category
• Nazafgarh recorded an AQI of 307, placing it under 'very poor' category
• Azadpur recorded an AQI of 351, placing it under 'very poor' category

Health Impact Due to 'Very Poor' AQI

As per a recent survey, conducted by LocalCircles, based on the data from the CPCB, as reported by PTI, after Diwali, PM2.5 levels touched 488 micrograms per cubic metre. This is the highest in five years and over three times the pre-festival level of 156.6 micrograms per cubic metre.

The pollution levels rose on Diwali night on October 20 and next day in early morning.

The survey analyzed responses from residents across Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad, to reveal that 42% of the households reported that one or more members had a sore throat or a persisting cough. The survey also notes that 25% of the family members suffered from conditions like burning eyes, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. 17% of them reported breathing difficulties or aggravated asthma.

As per the LocalCircles survey, 44% of households are trying to reduce their outdoor exposure and increase the intake of immunity-boosting foods and drinks to cope with poor air quality. However, as Health and Me reported previously, even the air inside the house is not safe to breathe.

Studies have found that air inside the city homes have 12 times more fungal spokes than the WHO safety limits. They can cause skin allergies, respiratory issues, and anxiety. As per a 2021 study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India), PM 2.5 levels for low-income and high-income households in Delhi were high during the winters. The concentrations reported 23 and 29 times higher than the WHO safe limits, respectively. These findings also suggested that high-income households were 13 times more likely to own air purifiers than low-income households. Another study titled Microbial Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Health Correlations in Densely Populated Urban Areas of Delhi, India found that fungal and bacterial levels inside homes were several time higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)'s safe limits.

Read More: Think You’re Safe Indoors? Study Says Delhi’s Winter Pollution Follows You Home

How Can You Read AQI?

As per the CPCB, here's how the data on AQI can be interpreted

• 0-50 is considered ‘good’
• 51-100 is considered ‘satisfactory’
• 101-200 is considered ‘moderate’
• 201-300 is considered ‘poor’
• 301-400 is considered ‘very poor’
• 401-500 is considered ‘severe’

The new 'Frankenstein' variant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. It has been largely ignored, however, this new SARS-CoV-2 variant is causing high levels of sickness absence in nurseries, schools and care facilities and will also increase the number of long COVID patients.

It is the same as the Stratus variant, scientifically known as XFG. It is nicknamed as 'Frankenstein'. Many are also calling this variant the "Halloween Monster in the Air", as it has led to a 37% spike in hospital visits in France.

What Is Happening In The World?

In a very short time, the "Stratus" variant has become the dominant strain. In Germany, it has accounted for 84% of identified SARS-CoV-2 variants at the beginning of October 2025. This variant is also the dominant one in Austria and Switzerland, making up for about 80% of viral load in wastewater.

As per the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it has also led to rise in acute respiratory illnesses since September. The Frankenstein virus has affected people across ages.

Why Is It Called 'Frankenstein' Variant?

The new variant gets its name 'Frankenstein' due to its genetic fusion of components from different virus types, which makes it an accurate description of a genetic monster. The new 'Frankenstein' Covid variant is a recombinant variant formed from the Omicron lineages LF.7 and LP.8.1.2. The fusion has led to a more resistant and "fitter" strain.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the rise in Covid-19 cases are also associated with the same variant. It has been classified by the WHO as a variant under monitoring since June 25, 2025. The evidence while show that the additional public health risk is low worldwide, the mutation makes it more contagious, thus the growing number of cases.

What Makes The New 'Frankenstein' Covid Variant So Unique?

The symptoms, while some of them are quite similar to that of we know from COVID-19, there are some unusual symptoms too, which were often associated with a common cold:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose and congestion
• Dry cough
• Fatigue and muscle pain
• Mild fever
• Loss of appetite
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• High fever in people with lower or weakened immunity system

What Are The Ways You Could Prevent The New 'Frankenstein' Covid Variant?

At present, there is no specific treatment available for the Frankenstein variant. The approach remains similar to that for other COVID-19 strains, focusing on managing symptoms according to how the illness progresses.

Vaccination: Current vaccines are believed to help reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization. While their effectiveness may slightly decrease against new variants, they continue to play a crucial role in prevention.

Supportive care: Simple measures such as taking fever-reducing medications, staying well-hydrated, getting enough rest, and using cough suppressants can help ease symptoms.

Preventive practices: Wearing a mask, maintaining proper hand hygiene, avoiding crowded spaces, and keeping a safe distance from others remain key protective steps.

As research on the Frankenstein variant continues, individual protective measures are vital. Because the illness can affect each person differently, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional if symptoms appear.