Based on PubMed | Is it safe to drink green tea shortly before taking naproxen, or could it affect the medication’s effectiveness or increase the risk of stomach irritation?

Drinking a cup of green tea near the time you take naproxen is unlikely to change how well naproxen works, but it may modestly increase the chance of stomach upset in some people. Naproxen (an NSAID) already carries a known risk of stomach irritation and bleeding, and it’s generally advised to take it with food or milk to protect your stomach. ^{[1] [2]} If green tea upsets your stomach on its own (because of caffeine and tannins), pairing it right before naproxen could make discomfort more likely, even though there is no well‑documented, clinically significant interaction that reduces naproxen’s effectiveness at typical beverage amounts.

What we know about naproxen and the stomach

• Naproxen can cause stomach pain, indigestion, and, in higher‑risk cases, ulcers or bleeding. Taking it with food or milk is commonly recommended to reduce irritation. ^{[1] [2]}
• Warning signs that need urgent care include faintness, vomiting blood, black stools, or persistent stomach pain. If any of these occur, stop naproxen and seek medical attention. ^{[1] [2]}

What we know about green tea

• Green tea can cause nausea or stomach pain in some people, particularly when consumed on an empty stomach or in larger amounts, due to its caffeine and polyphenols. ^{[3] [4]}
• Green tea and its main polyphenol (EGCG) can influence certain drug‑handling proteins and enzymes in lab and animal studies, but meaningful effects at normal beverage doses are uncommon in humans and are more of a concern with concentrated supplements. ^[5]
• Green tea can reduce absorption of some drugs (for example, nadolol) by inhibiting certain transporters, but this has not been shown for naproxen. ^[6]

Could green tea affect naproxen’s effectiveness?

• There is no clear human evidence that drinking typical amounts of green tea reduces naproxen absorption or pain‑relief effectiveness. Most documented tea–drug interactions involve specific transporters/enzymes or occur with high‑dose extracts rather than standard brewed tea. ^[5]
• While green tea can alter levels of some drugs via enzymes (like CYP3A4) or transporters (like OATP1A2) in experimental settings, clinically relevant effects at beverage doses have been observed only in limited cases and not with naproxen. ^{[5] [6]}

Could green tea increase stomach irritation with naproxen?

• It’s reasonable to expect a small additive effect on stomach upset if green tea already bothers your stomach, because naproxen itself can irritate the gastric lining. Caffeine and tannins in green tea can contribute to nausea or stomach pain in sensitive individuals. ^{[3] [4]}
• On the other hand, some preclinical work suggests EGCG may protect the stomach from NSAID injury, but these findings are from animal studies using controlled doses, not from everyday tea consumption in humans. They should not be relied on for protection against naproxen‑related irritation. ^{[7] [8]}

Practical guidance

• If you tolerate green tea well: It’s generally reasonable to drink a small cup around the time you take naproxen, but consider taking naproxen with food or milk to reduce risk of irritation. ^{[1] [2]}
• If you have a sensitive stomach or a history of heartburn, gastritis, or ulcers: Try separating green tea and naproxen by at least 1–2 hours and always take naproxen with food or milk. If any stomach warning signs appear (e.g., black stools, vomiting blood, persistent pain), stop use and seek medical care. ^{[1] [2]}
• Avoid high‑dose green tea extracts near medications unless your clinician advises otherwise, because concentrated supplements are more likely to cause interactions than brewed tea. ^[5]
• Limit alcohol when using naproxen, as alcohol adds to stomach bleeding risk; keep overall caffeine moderate if you’re noticing stomach symptoms. ^{[1] [2]}

Bottom line

• For most people, a normal cup of green tea shortly before naproxen is unlikely to reduce naproxen’s benefit. ^[5]
• Because both can irritate the stomach in some individuals, taking naproxen with food or milk and spacing it from green tea if you’re sensitive is a sensible, low‑risk approach. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

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If you’d like help tailoring this advice to your routine or sensitivities, feel free to share how much green tea you drink and whether you’ve had stomach issues with NSAIDs before.