Analgesic effect of aspirin, mefenamic acid and their combination in post-operative oral surgery pain. Comparison of two formulations of lignocaine spray with mefenamic acid in the relief of post-episiotomy pain: a placebo-controlled study.
A double-blind randomized single dose study of the analgesic effects of 650 mg aspirin, 250 mg mefenamic acid, the combination of 650 mg aspirin and 250 mg mefenamic acid and placebo on 120 patients with pain following oral surgery was conducted. Patients evaluated their pain intensity and extent of pain relief at 1, 2, 3 and 4 h after drug administration. For most parameters, including the sum of the pain intensity differences and the sum of the hourly pain relief scores, each of the drugs was more effective than placebo. Aspirin-mefenamic acid in combination was more effective than both drugs alone, and aspirin and mefenamic acid alone were equally effective for most of the analgesic variables. The analgesic effectiveness of aqueous and alcoholic formulations of lignocaine (5%) spray was compared with that of mefenamic acid (500 mg) or placebo in a double-blind study in 103 primiparous patients complaining of moderate or severe perineal pain associated with episiotomy. The results, assessed after a single dose, showed that the aqueous lignocaine formulation provided a level of pain relief superior to that obtained with the alcoholic formulation or placebo, and similar to that obtained with mefenamic acid.
Oral mefenamic acid 500 mg was effective at treating moderate to severe acute postoperative pain, based on limited data. Efficacy of other doses, and safety and tolerability could not be assessed.