What is mefenamic acid for? (side effects and drug interaction)

Mefenamic acid is available as a generic drug in the form of oral capsules in pharmacies. This drug has many uses. For example, you may have heard that women use this medicine during their menstrual periods to relieve pain. In this article, we will explain to you everything you need to know about mefenamic acid from the positive green online pharmacy magazine.

What is mefenamic acid?

Mefenamic acid is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used to treat mild to moderate pain in adults and adolescents over 14 years of age. One of the most common uses of mefenamic acid is the treatment of menstrual pain.

Mechanism of action

Mefenamic acid helps reduce pain, inflammation and fever. How this drug works to relieve pain is not fully understood. This capsule may help reduce swelling in the body by reducing prostaglandin levels. Prostaglandin is a hormone-like substance that causes inflammation in the body. Mefenamic acid capsule reduces prostaglandin by blocking cyclooxygenase enzyme, and as a result, pain and inflammation will be felt less.

How to take mefenamic acid capsules

The dosage of this capsule depends on the following factors:

• Age
• Health conditions
• Illness severity
• Other medical conditions
• How the person reacts to the first dose

Dosage for mild to moderate pain in adults

• The first dose is 500 mg. After that, 250 mg should be taken every 6 hours if needed.

You should not use this medicine for more than 7 days.

The dosage for adolescents aged 14 to 17 years is the same. As we said before, people under 14 years old are not allowed to use this medicine.

Dosage for menstrual cramps

You can use this medicine when bleeding and pain symptoms start:

• The first dose is 500 mg. After that, 250 mg should be taken every 6 hours if needed.

In these cases, mefenamic acid should not be used for more than 3 days. The dosage for people aged 14 to 17 is the same as mentioned above.

The best time to take mefenamic acid

It is better to take this medicine with food every 6 hours. Of course, if the doctor has given another order regarding the use of this medicine, you must proceed according to his order. Taking this capsule with food reduces the possibility of side effects related to the digestive system.

Important points before taking this medicine

Mefenamic acid can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke; Even if you don’t have any background. Do not use this medicine right before or after heart bypass surgery. Mefenamic acid capsules may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal in some cases.

If you are allergic to this capsule and also you should not use it in the following cases:

• Stomach ulcer or stomach bleeding
• Ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease
• kidney disease
• History of asthma attack or severe allergic reaction after taking aspirin or NSAID.

If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, smoke, or have had a heart attack or stroke in the past, or have asthma or liver disease, be sure to inform your doctor before starting to take this medicine.

Be careful that drinking alcohol while using mefenamic acid can increase the possibility of stomach bleeding.

Mefenamic acid during pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant, you should not take mefenamic acid; Unless your doctor has ordered you to take it. NSAID use in the last 20 weeks of pregnancy can cause serious heart or kidney problems in the fetus and increase the possibility of pregnancy complications. Also, if you are breastfeeding, be sure to consult your doctor about taking this medicine.

Mefenamic acid capsule side effects

This drug can cause the following side effects:

Common side effects:

• Stomach ache
• Nausea and vomiting
• heartburn
• constipation
• diarrhea
• urticaria
• dizziness
• Tinnitus

If these side effects are mild, they may go away within a few days, but if they become more severe, you should inform your doctor.

Dangerous side effects

If you see the following side effects after taking the mentioned medicine, you should contact the emergency room immediately:

• Heart attack (symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness on one side of the body, stuttering).
• Heart failure (symptoms: abnormal weight gain, swelling in hands and feet).
• Stomach problems such as ulcers or bleeding (symptoms: stomach pain, black stools, vomiting blood).
• Liver disorders (symptoms: yellowing of the skin or whiteness of the eyes, fever and chills and body aches, fatigue, nausea, pain in the upper part of the stomach, itching).
• Skin reactions such as: redness, blistering or scaling.

Drug interactions of mefenamic acid

This medicine may interact with other medicines or even herbal medicines. In general, before taking this capsule, give your doctor a list of all the medications you are taking. Drugs that interact with mefenamic acid include the following:

• Blood pressure medications: valsartan, candesartan, losartan, captopril, lisinopril, enalapril, metoprolol, atenolol, timolol.
• Diuretics or diuretic drugs: taking these drugs with mefenamic acid can reduce their effectiveness. Examples of these drugs are: chlorthalidone, torsamide, bumetanid.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: In case of interaction, gastric bleeding may occur. Examples of these drugs are: Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen.
• warfarin
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that increase the risk of gastric bleeding. Such as: citalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline.
• Bipolar disorder medications such as lithium
• Anti-rheumatic drugs
• Anticoagulants such as magnesium hydroxide.
• digoxin

Symptoms of overdose with mefenamic acid

If you take too much of this capsule, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Drowsiness
• nausea
• Vomit
• Stomach ache
• Stomach bleeding
• high blood pressure
• Kidney failure
• Slow breathing
• a coma

In this case, emergency services should be called immediately.

Storage conditions of mefenamic acid 250 and 500

Store mefenamic acid at room temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. This medicine should not be stored in wet places such as the bathroom.

Warnings and precautions for mefenamic acid

This medicine should be used with caution and consultation with a doctor in the following cases:

Increased risk of heart disease

This drug may increase the risk of heart problems, including blood clots, heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, or even lead to death. If you have already had heart disease and have used mefenamic acid in high doses, the possibility of a heart attack increases greatly.

Stomach problems

This drug may increase the risk of stomach problems such as bleeding or stomach ulcers, and may even lead to death. If you are over 65, the risk of these problems increases.

Liver damage warning

Mefenamic acid may damage the liver. Call your doctor right away if you experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, itchy skin and yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, or flu-like symptoms.

Warning for dangerous skin reactions

Call your doctor immediately if you notice the following symptoms:

• A red, swollen rash, scaling, or blistering. Stevens-Johnson syndrome , toxic epidermal necrolysis. Some of these cases can be fatal.

Symptoms of allergy to mefenamic acid

This drug can cause severe allergic reactions with the following symptoms:

• Breathing disorder
• Swelling of the face or throat
• urticaria

In this case, the drug should be stopped immediately.

prohibited usage

Mefenamic acid capsules should not be used in the following cases:

• History of severe allergic reaction such as anaphylaxis or angioedema caused by aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Nasal polyps with bronchial spasm due to aspirin use.

Mefenamic acid tablets for periods

We said that this drug is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is also used to treat menstrual pain during women’s periods. In general, it is better to use 500 mg in the first dose and 250 mg every 6 hours in subsequent doses. You can continue using it for 2 to 3 days.

Mefenamic acid to stop periods

Can this medicine be used to stop periods in women? No; This medicine can help relieve the pain and cramping of the abdomen caused by menstruation and reduce the problems of heavy periods, but it has no effect on stopping bleeding. So it is a misconception that Mefenamic acid can have an effect on stopping periods.

Mefenamic acid for toothache

You can use this medicine to relieve toothache. Of course, it is better to consult a dentist in this regard. In general, this capsule is used to relieve pain in many parts of the body. The drug dose can be 250 or 500 depending on the condition.

final word

More than anything else, they use this medicine to relieve pain. Buying this drug online is currently not allowed. For purchase and more information, you can call Positive Green Online Pharmacy (Dr. Haqnejad) at phone number 021 72254. Also, you can insert your questions at the end of this article so that the doctors active in the positive green group can answer you in the shortest possible time.