Drotaverine+Mefenamic Acid

• Drotaverine+Mefenamic acid is used to treat menstrual cramps, stomach pain and muscle spasms.
• This combination may also be useful in pain due to bowel disorders, after surgery and due to kidney stones.

When should one not use Drotaverine+Mefenamic Acid

• If you are allergic to mefenamic acid, drotaverine or similar medicines
• If you had a heart attack recently, undergoing a coronary artery bypass graft. Do not take this medicine right before the surgery or after the surgery without consulting a doctor.
• If you have a kidney or liver function problem, history of asthma or stomach or intestinal ulcers.
• If you have any blood-related disorders like unusual bleeding and porphyria (related to haemoglobin function).

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Diarrhoea
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Skin rash
• Itching

Other General Warnings

• You have a heart-related problem or high blood pressure, history of heart failure
• You have problems with your liver or kidney
• You are an elderly patient
• You have a history of any kind of respiratory disorders like asthma
• You are suffering from fits, tremors or epilepsy
• You are suffering from ulcers or bleeding in the stomach or intestine.
• Women may experience infertility. Thus, women who are trying to conceive or taking any fertility treatment should avoid consuming this medicine.

How Does It Work?

• Pain and spasm are experienced due to the production of an inflammatory mediator called prostaglandin and due to reduced calcium levels.
• Drotaverine works by inhibiting an enzyme that reduces calcium uptake by the cells, thereby correcting the calcium levels in the body it reduces the spasms in the smooth muscles.
• Mefenamic acid acts by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins which is responsible for pain.

Interactions with other medicines

• Some medicines can affect the way drotaverine+mefenamic acid works or this medicine itself can reduce the effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time.
• Tell your doctor about all the medicines, supplements, or herbals you are currently taking or might take to avoid any possible interaction.
• Drotaverine+Mefenamic acid should not be taken along with other pain killers or analgesic medicines.
• There is an increased risk of bleeding and ulceration if drotaverine+mefenamic acid is taken along with steroids and certain medicines used for mental illness.
• Concomitant use of medicines used to treat blood pressure like Aliskiren, Captopril and Valsartan should be avoided.
• This combination can aggravate the blood-glucose-lowering action of anti-diabetic medicines, and you may experience symptoms of low blood sugar.
• Water pills, Cyclosporin, and Tacrolimus if taken along with this medicine can increase the risk of toxicity to kidneys.
• Blood thinners such as Warfarin should be used cautiously with this medicine as there is increased risk of bleeding.
• Medicines like prednisone, methotrexate, fluconazole, zidovudine, digoxin, probenecid, and certain antibiotics should be used cautiously along with this combination.