HPR 250 mg Tablets, 100’s pack

Mefenamic acid is used in mild to moderate pain including headache, dental pain, postoperative and postpartum pain, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia, in musculoskeletal and joint disorders such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; and in children with fever and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Drugs for Osteoarthritis, Drugs used for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Mefenamic acid, an anthranilic acid derivative, is a prototypical NSAID. It reversibly inhibits the cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-1 and COX-2) enzymes, thus resulting in reduced synthesis of prostaglandin precursors. It has analgesic and antipyretic properties with minor anti-inflammatory activity.

As with other NSAIDs, the lowest dose should be sought for each patient. Therefore, after observing the response to initial therapy with Mefenamic acid, the dose and frequency should be adjusted to suit an individual patient’s needs. Administration is by the oral route, preferably with food.

Adult: A 500 mg dose should be given to adults up to three times (1.5 g total) per day.

Infants over 6 months: 25 mg/kg of body weight daily in divided doses for not longer than 7 days.

Concomitant use with CYP2C9 isoenzyme inhibitors may alter safety and efficacy of mefenamic acid. May enhance methotrexate toxicity. Reduced BP response to ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Increased risk of serious GI events with aspirin. May reduce the natriuretic effects of furosemide or thiazide diuretics. Reduced renal lithium clearance and elevated plasma lithium levels. May enhance anticoagulant effect of warfarin.

Mefenamic acid is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to Me Mefenamic acid acid. Mefenamic acid should not be given to patients who have experienced asthma, urticaria, or allergic type reactions after taking aspirin or other NSAIDs. Rarely fatal, anaphylactic like reactions to NSAIDs have been reported in such patients. Mefenamic acid is contraindicated in patients with active ulceration or chronic inflammation of upper gastrointestinal tract and should not be used in patients with preexisting renal disease.

In patients taking Mefenamic acid or other NSAIDs, the most frequently reported adverse experiences include : abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, flatulence, gross bleeding/perforation, heartburn, nausea, GI ulcers, vomiting, abnormal renal function, anaemia, dizziness, oedema, elevated liver enzymes, headache, increased bleeding time, pruritus, rash and tinnitus.

Pregnancy: In late pregnancy, as with other NSAIDs, Mefenamic acid should be avoided because it may cause premature closure of the ductus arteriosus. In general there are no adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant women. Mefenamic acid should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the foetus. Rated as Pregnancy Category C.

Lactation: Trace amounts of Mefenamic acid may be present in breast milk. Taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother , decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug.

NSAIDs should be prescribed with extreme caution in those with a prior history of ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding. To minimise the potential risk for an adverse GI event, the lowest effective dose should be used for the shortest possible duration. In cases with pre-existing advanced kidney disease, treatment with Mefenamic acid is not recommended.

Symptoms: Headache, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, GI bleeding. Rarely, diarrhoea, disorientation, excitation, coma, drowsiness, tinnitus, fainting, and occasionally convulsions.

Management: Symptomatic and supportive treatment. In acute overdosage, empty the stomach immediately by inducing emesis or by gastric lavage followed by admin of activated charcoal.

Store between 20-25° C.