MEFENAMIC ACID
(me fe NAM ik) Brand: Ponstel
What is the most significant information I must know about mefenamic acid?
• This medication can magnify your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart onslaught or stroke. Do not use this medication just till or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
• Search abnormal medical help if you have symptoms of heart or circulation problems, such as chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, or problems with vision or balance.
• This medication can also magnify your risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking mefenamic acid. Older adults may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects.
• Call your doctor at once if you have symptoms of bleeding in your stomach or intestines. This includes black, bloody, or tarry stools, or coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
What is mefenamic acid?
• Mefenamic acid is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Mefenamic acid works by reducing hormones that reason inflammation and pain in the body.
• Mefenamic acid is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by arthritis. It is also used to treat menstrual pain.
• Mefenamic acid may also be used for another purposes not listed in this medicine guide.
What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking mefenamic acid?
• Taking an NSAID can magnify your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart onslaught or stroke. This risk will magnify the longer you use an NSAID. Do not use this medication just till or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
• NSAIDs can also magnify your risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking an NSAID. Older adults may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects.
• Do not use this medicine if you are allergic to mefenamic acid, aspirin, or another NSAIDs.
• If you have any of these another conditions, you may need a doze adjustment or particular trials to safely use this medication:
· a history of heart onslaught, stroke, or blood clot;
· heart malady, congestive heart failure, tall blood pressure;
· liver or kidney disease;
· asthma;
· polyps in your nose; or
· if you smoke.
• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether mefenamic acid is deleterious to an unborn child. Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
• It is not known whether mefenamic acid passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
• Do not give this medication to a baby younger than 2 years old without the advice of a doctor.
How must I take mefenamic acid?
• Take this medicine exactly as it was predesigned for you. Do not take the medicine in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
• If you take mefenamic acid for a long period of time, your doctor may want to check you on a regular basis to create certain this medicine is not causing deleterious effects. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.
• Store mefenamic acid at room temperature, away from moisture, heat, and light.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. If it is nearly time for your following doze, skip the missed doze and take the medication at your following regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
• Search abnormal medical attention if you think you have used too many of this medication. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, drowsiness, black or bloody stools, coughing up blood, urinating smaller than normal or not at all, shallow breathing, fainting, or coma.
What must I avoid while taking mefenamic acid?
• Do not use any another over-the-counter cool, allergy, or pain medicine without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Much medicines accessible over the counter contain medicines similar to mefenamic acid (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen). If you take determined commodity together you may accidentally take too many of this type of medicine. Read the label of any another medication you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking mefenamic acid. Alcohol can magnify the risk of stomach bleeding.
What are the possible side effects of mefenamic acid?
• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop taking mefenamic acid and search medical attention or call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
· chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
· black, bloody, or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
· urinating smaller than normal or not at all;
· pain, burning, or bleeding when you urinate;
· nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
· fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; or
· bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness.
• Smaller serious side effects may include:
· upset stomach, mild heartburn or stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation; bloating, gas;
· dizziness, headache, nervousness;
· skin itching or rash;
· dry mouth;
· heighten sweating, runny nose;
· blurred vision; or
· ringing in your ears.
• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What another drugs will affect mefenamic acid?
• Speak your doctor if you are taking an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), or venlafaxine (Effexor). Taking any of these drugs with mefenamic acid may reason you to bruise or bleed easily.
• Till taking mefenamic acid, speak your doctor if you are taking any of the next drugs:
· a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin;
· a diuretic (water pill) such as furosemide (Lasix);
· cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
· lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
· methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);
· steroids (prednisone and others); or
· aspirin or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), fenoprofen (Nalfon), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), meclofenamate (Meclomen), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.
• This list is not complete and there may be another drugs that can interact with mefenamic acid. Speak your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start using a new medicine without telling your doctor.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist can provide more information about mefenamic acid.
Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.
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