Mefenamic acid - AIBU not to take it?

[GlasgowGal82]

I've been struggling with heavy, painful periods recently and have recently been prescribed Mefenamic Acid as a painkiller by my GP, although he didn't really tell me anything about it. I was speaking to someone about this who said it can be worse than naproxen in terms of the impact it has on your digestive system, but with naproxen you are normally prescribed something to protect your stomach. I've read the side effects sheet that came with the packet and it seems pretty dramatic, although I am aware that not everyone taking this drug will experience all those issues. My period has started overnight and I have pain radiating around my torso and down my legs. I already have nausea and an upset stomach from the period pain so could do without more digestive issues. I've never taken anything stronger than ibuprofen in my life, so am possibly overthinking this. I am hoping that there are women here that can share their experiences of taking Mefenamic Acid and help my decide whether I am being unreasonable in avoiding using it!

You are being unreasonable - take the drug that's been prescribed
You are not being unreasonable - the potential side effects aren't worth it

Why not try it and see how you go? My DD takes it and doesn’t have digestive side effects.

I was prescribed this years ago and it didn’t give me any issues and really helped with cycle-related migraines I got. I would try it, see if it helps.

My 17yr old dd takes it with no issues. It means she can stop vomiting and passing out with pain. It's been a wonder for her.

Honestly, mefenamic acid has been a total game changer for me with my periods. I recommended it to plenty of women who also struggle with painful periods. All medicines have potential side effects and it’s right to do your research on them, one thing I would flag is that you won’t take MA daily, only as required for a few days a month.

Just make sure you don't take it on an empty stomach. Eat a biscuit then take it.

I had Mefenamic Acid and tranexamic acid for a long period of time - GP doled out prescriptions and didn't do any investigation or referrals to find out the cause of the problem.
They may have alleviated the problems - I'll never know because I didn't not take them - but I still ended up having debilitating periods for over a year, admitted to hospital after going to A&E, and DVT probably caused by the tranexamic acid. Disrupted two and a half years of my life that could have been a lot different if I'd received appropriate treatment - and probably cost the NHS way more than it should have done.

I'm not saying don't take them - but if they don't resolve your problems, go back & insist on a more proactive resolution.

You are absolutely not unreasonable to question that the doctor who prescribed them knows what’s best for you. I was once prescribed something for one medical condition that I absolutely should not have taken due to another medical condition. The prescribing doctor simply hadn’t thought to check if I had any other conditions. Thankfully I read the leaflet with the drugs so didn’t take them.

I suggest you go back to your GP to discuss your concerns before taking them. Maybe they will prescribe you something to go with them to alleviate any digestive issues. Maybe they’ll prescribe you something entirely different. What they won’t do, in my experience, is be annoyed that you didn’t just blindly take the drugs when you were concerned. They will want to help.

Side effects vary massively from person to person.

You might not get any at all.

It's worth trying it to see how it affects you.

For what it's worth I had bad period like you - nausea and vomiting - and it massively helped me and I had no side effects.

If you take it with even a drink and a biscuit it is much less likely to impact your digestion,

@ShowOfHands No17yr olds shouldn't be vomiting and passing out from period pain! Has her GP not suggested combined pill/progesterone pill/ implant etc??

I took it for years with zero side effects. It's an effective painkiller.

I found it more effective than ibuprofen and only needed 2-3 doses a cycle so stomach issues not problematic. Started taking it at 17.

It also lightens the bleeding, as well as being an effective painkiller.
You could ask your GP to prescribe some Omeprazole/esomeprazole to protect your gut but don't reject it without trying it. It can totally improve your symptoms.
Never take it on an empty stomach though.

I take it all the time. It's also known as Ponstan, which more people may have heard of and people don't usually associate with side effects. Just make sure you take it with food.

I also took it with no side effects. Worked wonders for me. Hope that you get it sorted op.

I remember taking this as a teen when I was regularly laid up and missing school on my first day of my period. I had a big box of them and it lasted me years. They really worked. As others say I just ensured I took it with food.

Naproxen is often prescribed with omeprazole to protect the stomach. You can buy omeprazole over the counter

https://www.boots.com/pyrocalm-control-20mg-gastro-resistant-tablets-14-tablets-10326407

It's a really good painkiller. I used to get very bad pain and backache pre kids and always had a supply of it ready. It was actually really common amongst my group of girl friends for period pain. I always made sure to take it after a meal and never had any stomach issues.

I've had them a few times and not experienced any digestive problems. I do get reactions to naproxen and ibuprofen without omeprazole but haven't with Mefenamic Acid

They work wonders for bad periods

YANBU. I was offered the same and said no. I already have IBS etc but my main point was they weren't getting to the cause of my extremely painful periods. It's cheaper to throw pills at you than to investigate and diagnose. Might you have endometriosis, has the cause been investigated?

I take it with paracetamol and dihydrocodeine and it helps a lot
No side effects

I said yes because the wait for gynae is a year... so it could be that the OP is waiting for investigation
My endo is really bad and it still can't be speeded up

Game changer for me taking for years to great effect no stomach issues at all

My now 19 year old daughter has taken it for a couple of years and it’s been a complete game changer - she just takes it for the first day of her cycle.

I was prescribed it for years. My criticism of it is that it's not ideal for managing day 1 of erratic periods where there's no warning before your period annouces its sudden arrival by your uterus going into crush mode. Days 2 and 3 when it was already in my system were much better than not using it.

I didn't have digestive side effects although I can take ibuprofen without incident too. I am prone to IBS, but pain relief doesn't seem to be a trigger for me.

Thanks to you all for sharing your experiences - it is really reassuring to know that some people have found taking this medicine useful. It's also good to know that omeprazole can be bought OTC too, I think I might go and have a chat with our local pharmacist about it tomorrow. I do have a gyneo appointment coming up soon to investigate the cause of these issues, which my GP suspects is endometriosis. Thanks for all the encouragement to check out the root cause - I agree that is really important. I had similar issues when I was a teenager, and have never had easy periods but have just gotten on with it. I was fobbed off as a teenager and was told it was normal, but it's only now almost 30 years on that I am learning that it is not something I should have put up with.