Mefenamic Acid (Oral Route)

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Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common
  • Bloody urine
  • Bloody, black, or tarry stools
  • Decreased frequency or amount of urine
  • Heartburn
  • Increased bleeding time
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased thirst
  • Indigestion
  • Itching skin
  • Loss of appetite
  • Lower back or side pain
  • Nausea
  • Pale skin
  • Rashes
  • Severe abdominal pain, cramping, or burning
  • Stomach bloating
  • Swelling
  • Swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
  • Trouble breathing with or without exertion
  • Unusual bleeding or bruising
  • Unusual tiredness or weakness
  • Vomiting
  • Vomiting of material that looks like coffee grounds, severe and continuing
  • Weight gain
  • Weight loss
Less common
  • Bleeding gums
  • Blood in vomit
  • Blurred vision
  • Burning feeling in the chest or stomach
  • Chest pain
  • Clay-colored stools
  • Cloudy urine
  • Confusion
  • Constipation
  • Cough or hoarseness
  • Dark urine
  • Difficult or labored breathing
  • Difficult, burning, or painful urination
  • Difficulty in swallowing
  • Dilated neck veins
  • Dizziness
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Fainting
  • Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
  • Fever or chills
  • Frequent urge to urinate
  • Headache
  • Increased volume of pale, dilute urine
  • Irregular breathing
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Large, flat, blue, or purplish patches in the skin
  • Light-colored stools
  • Lightheadedness
  • Nervousness
  • Noisy breathing
  • Pain or burning throat
  • Pinpoint red or purple spots on the skin
  • Pounding in the ears
  • Rapid, slow breathing
  • Redness, swelling, or soreness of tongue
  • Severe or continuing stomach pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Slow heartbeat
  • Sore throat
  • Sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or tongue or inside the mouth
  • Stomach upset
  • Swelling or inflammation of the mouth
  • Swollen glands
  • Tenderness in the stomach area
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Tremors
  • Unpleasant breath odor
  • Upper right abdominal pain
  • Weight changes
  • Wheezing
  • Yellow eyes and skin
Rare
  • Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
  • Change in consciousness
  • Chest discomfort
  • Continuing vomiting
  • Cracks in the skin
  • Diarrhea
  • Dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
  • Drowsiness
  • Fever with or without chills
  • Flushed, dry skin
  • Fruit-like breath odor
  • General body swelling
  • General feeling of illness
  • High fever
  • Hives
  • Increased hunger
  • Irregular, fast or slow, or shallow breathing
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
  • Leg pain
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Loss of heat from the body
  • No blood pressure
  • No breathing
  • No pulse
  • Nosebleeds
  • Painful glands
  • Pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
  • Pains in the stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
  • Pale or blue lips, fingernails, or skin
  • Puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
  • Racing heartbeat or pulse
  • Red skin lesions, often with a purple center
  • Red, irritated eyes
  • Red, swollen skin
  • Redness or soreness of the skin
  • Scaly skin
  • Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
  • Seizures
  • Severe headache
  • Sneezing
  • Sores, welting, or blisters
  • Stiff neck and/or back
  • Sweating
  • Swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin
  • Unexplained weight loss

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:

Symptoms of overdose
  • Unusual drowsiness, dullness, tiredness, weakness, or feeling of sluggishness

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common
  • Acid or sour stomach
  • Belching
  • Continuing ringing or buzzing or other unexplained noise in the ears
  • Excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines
  • Full feeling
  • Hearing loss
  • Passing gas
  • Stomach discomfort
Less common
  • Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
  • Discouragement
  • Dry mouth
  • Fear
  • Feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
  • Feeling sad or empty
  • Hair loss, thinning of the hair
  • Increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
  • Irritability
  • Lack of appetite
  • Lack of interest or pleasure
  • Lack or loss of strength
  • Redness or other discoloration of the skin
  • Sensation of spinning
  • Severe sunburn
  • Sleepiness
  • Sleeplessness
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Unable to sleep
Rare
  • Appetite changes
  • Burning, dry, or itching eyes
  • Change in hearing
  • Discharge, excessive tearing
  • Redness, pain, swelling of the eye, eyelid, or inner lining of the eyelid

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Precautions
DR602383 Portions of this document last updated: Nov. 1, 2012

Source: Drug Information provided by: Micromedex

Copyright © 2013 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

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