Mefenamic Acid Tablets: Uses, Side Effects | Docindia.org

What are Mefenamic acid tablets all about?

In many cases, doctors are known to prescribe medicines and tablets that are usually non-steroidal in nature to evade the general side effects of steroids. One such kind of tablet medication is Mefenamic acid.

Tablets containing Mefenamic acid are not only non-steroidal in nature, but they are also considered to belong to the class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAID medicines. These tablets are often recommended by your doctors for treating conditions such as mild to moderate pain, menstrual cramps, and many other conditions.

If you are wondering whether one should consume Mefenamic acid tablets or not, then this article will give you a clear idea regarding why you need to have this medicine, how it works, its uses, side effects, and other necessary details.

Why do you need to have Mefenamic acid tablets?

Doctors usually prescribe tablets containing a formula of Mefenamic acid to cure mild to severe menstrual cramps and other health conditions, as it is determined by your doctor. This medicine is mostly used for pain relief. Therefore, this medicine can be used if you are suffering from health problems such as headache, muscle pain, joint pain, pain in your teeth, and so on.

You must consume these tablets to cure symptoms related to pain. This is because these tablets help to block certain types of chemical messengers in the body that can help to prevent conditions such as inflammation, pain, swelling, fever, and so on. This medicine mostly functions by preventing the production of a substance that causes pain, fever, and inflammation.

How do you take Mefenamic acid tablets?

Mefenamic acid tablets can be consumed by directly taking them into the mouth to get relief from mild to moderate pain, along with menstrual pain as well. Health care professionals usually recommend that people take this medicine with food every 6 hours as required for treating your symptoms, and it can be taken for up to one week. While taking this medicine, you need to follow the directions of the prescription so that you do not develop any adverse effects on your health.

How do Mefenamic acid tablets work for easing your pain symptoms?

To understand the working principle of Mefenamic acid tablets, it is necessary to know that the composition of Mefenamic acid in these tablets help in binding the prostaglandin synthetase receptors COX-1 and COX-2, which can help in inhibiting the functions of prostaglandin synthetase. This helps in reducing the symptoms of pain temporarily by preventing the functions of the receptors that have major functions as mediators of inflammation.

When you take in Mefenamic acid medications, then the composition goes through metabolism by CYP2C9 to 3-hydroxymethyl mefenamic acid, along with further oxidation to 3-carboxymefenamic acid. The functions of such types of metabolites, though not studied in depth, are believed to protect from pain symptoms.

What are the uses of consuming Mefenamic acid tablets?

The most common purpose of having tablets that contain the Mefenamic acid formulation is to alleviate your pain symptoms. Yet, there are some other uses of having this medicine as well. Some such uses can be listed below:

1. It helps in curing post-operative pain:

In many cases, health care professionals and surgeons recommend that their patients use medicines that consist of Mefenamic acid formulation, which can help them get rid of post-operative pain. This is because the components of these tablets function in a way that can help to reduce pain that people may experience after undergoing a surgery or the trauma that remains after surgical procedures.

2. This medicine can reduce inflammatory symptoms:

Many people may have a problem with developing inflammatory conditions, which can lead to symptoms of chronic diseases in the body.

In such cases, doctors recommend people to consume tablets that consist of Mefenamic acid to cure pain and inflammation in the body, alongside managing some of the major chronic conditions that develop as a result of inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and so on.

Though Mefanemic acid tablets are not the only cure for arthritic and pain-related symptoms, these tablets can be beneficial for temporarily curing the pain.

3. Helps in curing the conditions of menstrual cramps:

When women experience conditions like period cramps as a result of heavy menstrual flow or abnormalities in their menstrual cycle, then doctors often recommend Mefenamic acid tablets. These tablets can also be beneficial for improving the heavy cramps that you may experience while menstruating. Apart from improving the conditions of dysmenorrhea, these Mefenamic acid tablets are beneficial for curing heavy menstrual bleeding or menorrhagia as well.

4. Mefenamic acid tablets can cure fever:

Doctors also often recommend Mefenamic acid tablets for curing the symptoms of fever with an antipyretic effect. This is because Mefenamic acid tablets consist of properties that are beneficial for improving fever conditions. These tablets can be used for treating symptoms of fever among both children and adults.

But before giving tablets with Mefenamic acid formulation to your child when they have a fever, it is important to consult with the concerned paediatrician.

Certain possible Side Effects of having Mefenamic Acid tablets:

From the discussion above, it is quite clear that there are several uses and health benefits of using tablets that consist of Mefenamic acid. But in spite of having so many beneficial points and uses, tablets with Mefenamic acid can still cause some side effects. The side effects of having these tablets may vary from one person to the other, but there are some common types of side effects. Some of them can be listed below:

1. Allergic reactions that can result in swelling, itching, sore throat, rashes in the hands and lower legs, irritation on the fingers, and so on.

2. Chances of developing blood disorders, such as increased risks of bleeding or developing some rare blood cell disorders

3. You may develop kidney problems along with symptoms like traces of blood in urine, weight gain, jaundice, low frequency or quantity of urine, and so on.

4. Some fatal risks of having these medicines can also include risks of stroke, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, fluid retention, and a higher risk of blood clots, heart attack, and other types of severe cardiac ailments.

5. Other minor side effects may include problems in digestion, diarrhoea, constipation, and so on.

Who must avoid the Mefenamic acid tablets?

Though Mefenamic acid tablets can be consumed by almost everyone, that is, people of all age groups, certain people must avoid having these tablets to cure their symptoms of pain, especially without the proper prescription of healthcare professionals. Some of them include the following:

 Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding their newborn babies

 People who have medical histories, health complications, and diseases related to the heart and kidneys

 People who have gastrointestinal diseases or severe digestive-related health issues.

Final Thoughts:

Consuming tablets that consist of formulations of Mefenamic acid is often useful as these tablets are highly beneficial for alleviating various types of pain symptoms in the body, at least temporarily. But when you are having tablets with Mefenamic acid in them, you need to keep certain crucial aspects in your mind. Some of them are listed below:

 Make sure you read the labels of the medicines before consuming them

 Consume the medicines only in doses as recommended by your health care expert

 Keep the medicines away from the reach of children and store them in a cool, dry place

 Do not exceed the doses as prescribed by your doctor to avoid the risks of side effects

 If in case you find that you are developing side effects due to these medicines, you must discontinue taking them and consult a health care professional.