Meftal Spas dosage: how to take it

How to take Meftal Spas

Take Meftal Spas exactly as your doctor advises or as printed on the pack. Do not take more, more often, or for longer than directed.

• Take it with or just after food, with a glass of water, to lower the chance of stomach upset.
• It is meant for short courses. For period pain it is usually taken only on the days the pain is present, starting when the pain or bleeding begins.
• Use the lowest dose that works for the shortest time. Do not take it regularly for weeks without a doctor's review.
• Do not take it together with other NSAID painkillers such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, aceclofenac, naproxen or aspirin, or with another medicine that contains mefenamic acid or dicyclomine. Check the labels of combination products.
• Stop taking it and talk to a doctor if you get diarrhoea or a skin rash.
• Meftal Spas tablets are not meant for children. Products for children have a different formula and should be given only on a doctor's advice.
• See a doctor if period pain is severe, getting worse or not relieved, or if tummy pain is sudden, severe, or comes with fever, vomiting or blood in the stools.

Who should be careful

Meftal Spas is not suitable for everyone. Check with a doctor before taking it if any of the following apply to you.

• A stomach ulcer or stomach bleeding now or in the past, or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
• Asthma, especially if aspirin or other painkillers have made your breathing worse, or a past allergy to any NSAID
• Kidney, liver or heart disease, high blood pressure, a past heart attack or stroke, or recent heart bypass surgery
• Glaucoma (raised pressure in the eye), an enlarged prostate or difficulty passing urine: dicyclomine can make these worse, and the medicine is generally not suitable
• Myasthenia gravis, a blockage in the gut, or reflux with inflammation of the food pipe
• Age over 65: a higher chance of stomach bleeding, kidney problems and confusion
• Pregnancy: NSAIDs such as mefenamic acid are generally avoided from about 20 weeks of pregnancy and must not be used in the last 3 months. Earlier in pregnancy, use it only if a doctor advises it
• Breastfeeding: not usually recommended, because dicyclomine passes into breast milk and young babies are sensitive to it
• Hot weather or hard physical work: dicyclomine reduces sweating, which raises the risk of overheating and heat stroke
• Driving or using machines: it can cause drowsiness, dizziness or blurred vision
• Children: Meftal Spas tablets are not meant for children

Medicines and things that interact with Meftal Spas

Meftal Spas can interact with several medicines. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take, including painkillers bought without a prescription.

• Other NSAIDs, including ibuprofen (also in Combiflam), diclofenac, aceclofenac, naproxen and aspirin: higher risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding
• Blood thinners such as warfarin, and antiplatelet medicines such as clopidogrel or low-dose aspirin: higher risk of bleeding
• Antidepressants such as fluoxetine, sertraline, escitalopram (SSRIs) or venlafaxine (SNRIs): higher risk of stomach bleeding
• Steroid tablets such as prednisolone: higher risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding
• Lithium and methotrexate: their levels in the blood can rise to harmful levels
• Blood pressure medicines such as ACE inhibitors (for example ramipril), ARBs (for example telmisartan) and diuretics (water tablets): they may work less well, and the kidneys can be harmed, especially if you are dehydrated
• Digoxin (a heart medicine): its level in the blood can rise
• Other medicines with anticholinergic effects, such as some antihistamines, tricyclic antidepressants (for example amitriptyline) and antipsychotics: more dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, drowsiness and confusion
• Metoclopramide and domperidone (for nausea): dicyclomine works against their effect on the gut
• Antacids: those containing magnesium hydroxide can increase the absorption of mefenamic acid, and antacids can reduce the absorption of dicyclomine. Ask a pharmacist how to space the doses
• Quinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin: NSAIDs may increase the risk of fits
• Alcohol: increases the risk of stomach bleeding and makes drowsiness worse

If someone takes too much

Common questions