Mefenamic acid is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug from the fenamate family, and in Nigeria almost everyone knows it by one name: Ponstan. It blocks the COX enzymes that make prostaglandins — the chemical messengers behind pain, inflammation and fever — and it has an additional property that sets it slightly apart from other NSAIDs, blocking prostaglandin action at the receptor as well as its production. That is part of why it has such a strong reputation for period pain specifically.
In the NAFDAC register
4 registered products
from 3 registration holders
What it costs online
Price varies — check with a pharmacy. This drug has not yet appeared in our fortnightly sampling of Nigerian online pharmacies.
Brands of Mefenamic Acid in Nigeria
Those 4 products from 3 registration holders include combination products and older listings; below are the most common brands.
| Brand Name | Manufacturer | Strength | Form | NAFDAC Reg. No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponstan Capsules | Pfizer Specialties Ltd | 250mg | Capsule | 04-9502 |
| Fenamex-DT Tablet | Greenlife Pharmaceutical Limited | 100mg | Dispersible tablet | B4-3764 |
Mefenamic Acid Price in Nigeria
Mefenamic Acid prices in Nigeria vary by brand, strength, and where you buy it. Confirm the current price with a licensed pharmacy, and always check the product is NAFDAC-registered before you pay.
We show a price here once it appears in our monthly sampling of Nigerian online pharmacies (MedPlus, HealthPlus), or when we have a reliable market figure. For now, confirm the current price directly with a licensed pharmacy.
How to Verify Your Mefenamic Acid is Genuine
- 1Check the NAFDAC number on the pack — Ponstan capsules carry 04-9502 and Fenamex-DT carries B4-3764 in our copy of the register.
- 2Only two mefenamic acid products hold active registrations in our copy. If the brand in front of you is neither, ask questions and check it with our NAFDAC checker before paying.
- 3Beware loose capsules sold by the piece in open markets — Ponstan is one of the most widely copied painkiller brands in West Africa, and a blister strip with a verifiable number is far safer.
- 4Look for a clear batch number and expiry date, and for crisp printing on the foil.
- 5If you are offered a much cheaper 'Ponstan' than the pharmacy price, treat the discount as information rather than a bargain.
Where to Buy
Buying Mefenamic Acid by the carton
Cartons are bought at Nigeria's four open drug markets. Each guide names the sellers there you can contact, and how to buy safely:
No shop we list has Mefenamic Acid on its confirmed product list yet — the market guides still tell you where the trade happens and how to buy there safely.
Wherever you buy, buy only from licensed pharmacies and verified distributors — not roadside vendors — and verify the pack's NAFDAC registration before you pay. Buying Mefenamic Acid in bulk or for resale? See how to buy medicines in bulk in Nigeria safely.
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What is Mefenamic Acid?
Our copy of the NAFDAC register shows only two active mefenamic acid registrations: Ponstan capsules from Pfizer, made in Germany, and Fenamex-DT dispersible tablets from Greenlife. That is a strikingly thin field for a medicine this widely used, and it means much of what is sold as mefenamic acid in Nigerian markets is worth checking carefully against the register before you buy it.
Mefenamic acid is a genuinely effective medicine for the thing most people take it for. It is also the NSAID most associated with stomach upset and, in overdose, with seizures — so it is a short-course drug, taken for the days you need it, not a daily painkiller.
What is Mefenamic Acid used for?
In Nigeria, Mefenamic Acid is commonly used for:
- Period pain (primary dysmenorrhoea) — where it is one of the most effective options available
- Heavy menstrual bleeding — it reduces blood loss as well as pain, which paracetamol does not
- Headache, including some tension-type headache
- Dental pain and pain after minor surgery
- Muscular and joint pain, and pain from soft-tissue injury
- Fever in adults, where an NSAID is suitable
Dosage
IMPORTANT
Always follow your doctor's or pharmacist's instructions. The information below is for general reference only.
Adults
The usual adult dose is 500mg three times a day, started at the first sign of pain, or 250mg every six hours for milder pain. For period pain it works best taken at the very start of the period — or, on medical advice, the day before it is expected — rather than waited on until the cramps are severe. It should always be taken with or just after food. Treatment is normally limited to seven days at a time; if you need it for longer than that every month, the underlying cause needs looking at.
Children
Mefenamic acid is not generally recommended for children under twelve in Nigerian practice, and paracetamol or ibuprofen are the usual choices for younger children. Where a doctor does prescribe it for an older child or adolescent — most often for period pain — the dose is set by weight and the course kept short.
Elderly
Older adults are at markedly higher risk of stomach bleeding, kidney injury and heart problems from all NSAIDs, and mefenamic acid is no exception. It should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time, and often avoided altogether in favour of paracetamol where there is kidney disease, heart failure or a history of ulcers.
Take it with food, always. Do not combine it with another NSAID — that means not taking it alongside ibuprofen, diclofenac, piroxicam or aspirin for pain, since doubling up multiplies the stomach and kidney risk without adding much relief. Paracetamol, which is not an NSAID, can generally be combined with it. In overdose mefenamic acid causes seizures more readily than other NSAIDs, so accidental or deliberate overdose is an emergency.
Side Effects
Common side effects
- •Indigestion, heartburn and stomach pain — the most frequent complaint
- •Diarrhoea, which is more common with mefenamic acid than with other NSAIDs
- •Nausea and vomiting
- •Headache and dizziness
- •Drowsiness
Serious side effects — seek medical help immediately
- Stomach or duodenal ulceration and gastrointestinal bleeding — signalled by black tarry stools or vomiting blood
- Kidney injury, especially in dehydration, existing kidney disease or with other kidney-stressing drugs
- Severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks in people sensitive to NSAIDs
- Serious skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome — rare
- Haemolytic anaemia and, in overdose, seizures
When to see a doctor
Stop the medicine and seek urgent care for black or tarry stools, vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, severe abdominal pain, or a spreading rash. Seek help for wheezing or facial swelling. See a doctor if diarrhoea is severe or persistent, if you pass much less urine than usual, or if period pain needs a full course every single month — that pattern can point to endometriosis or fibroids rather than ordinary cramps.
Warnings & Precautions
Do not take Mefenamic Acid if you have:
- Active stomach or duodenal ulcer, or a history of gastrointestinal bleeding on an NSAID
- Severe kidney or liver impairment
- Severe heart failure
- Asthma, hives or nasal polyps triggered by aspirin or other NSAIDs
- Inflammatory bowel disease — mefenamic acid can worsen it
- The third trimester of pregnancy
Drug interactions
- •Other NSAIDs including ibuprofen, diclofenac, piroxicam and aspirin — never combine for pain
- •Warfarin and other anticoagulants — substantially increased bleeding risk
- •ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril, ARBs such as losartan, and diuretics — the combination can injure the kidneys, sometimes called the triple whammy
- •Lithium and methotrexate — mefenamic acid raises their levels toward toxicity
- •Corticosteroids such as prednisolone — added ulcer risk
- •SSRIs such as fluoxetine and sertraline — increased risk of stomach bleeding
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Mefenamic acid should be avoided in the third trimester of pregnancy, where NSAIDs can close a vital fetal blood vessel early, reduce amniotic fluid and delay labour. In the first and second trimesters it is used only if clearly necessary and on medical advice; paracetamol is the usual first choice for pain in pregnancy. Only small amounts pass into breast milk and short courses are generally considered compatible with breastfeeding, but check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Related Resources for Mefenamic Acid
Guides, articles, and tools related to Mefenamic Acid and other pain & fever medicines in Nigeria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- •NAFDAC Greenbook — the official database of all products registered with Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Brand-level NAFDAC numbers for Mefenamic Acid on this page were cross-referenced against the Greenbook.
- •British National Formulary (BNF) dosing and interaction guidance for Mefenamic Acid.
- •Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health).
Daily puzzle: Meddle — pair five brands with their medicines. New game at midnight.