Fenoprofen calcium is indicated for:
Carefully consider the potential benefits and risks of fenoprofen calcium and other treatment options before deciding to use fenoprofen. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration consistent with individual patient treatment goals. Use lowest effective dosage for the shortest duration consistent with individual patient treatment goals.
Fenoprofen calcium may be administered with meals or with milk. Although the total amount absorbed is not affected, peak blood levels are delayed and diminished.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis generally seem to require larger doses of fenoprofen calcium than do those with osteoarthritis. The smallest dose that yields acceptable control should be employed.
Although improvement may be seen in a few days in many patients, an additional 2 to 3 weeks may be required to gauge the full benefits of therapy.
For the treatment of mild to moderate pain, the recommended dosage is 200 mg given orally every 4 to 6 hours, as needed.
For the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis the recommended dose is 400 to 600 mg given orally, 3 or 4 times a day. The dose should be tailored to the needs of the patient and may be increased or decreased depending on the severity of the symptoms. Dosage adjustments may be made after initiation of drug therapy or during exacerbations of the disease. Total daily dosage should not exceed 3,200 mg.
The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the labeling:
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
During clinical studies for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or mild to moderate pain and studies of pharmacokinetics, complaints were compiled from a checklist of potential adverse reactions, and the following data emerged. These encompass observations in 6,786 patients, including 188 observed for at least 52 weeks. For comparison, data are also presented from complaints received from the 266 patients who received placebo in these same trials. During short-term studies for analgesia, the incidence of adverse reactions was markedly lower than that seen in longer-term studies.
Adverse Drug Reactions Reported in >1% of Patients During Clinical Trials
Digestive System— During clinical trials with fenoprofen calcium, the most common adverse reactions were gastrointestinal in nature and occurred in 20.8% of patients receiving fenoprofen calcium as compared to 16.9% of patients receiving placebo. In descending order of frequency, these reactions included dyspepsia (10.3% fenoprofen calcium vs. 2.3% placebo), nausea (7.7% vs. 7.1%), constipation (7% vs. 1.5%), vomiting (2.6% vs. 1.9%), abdominal pain (2% vs. 1.1%), and diarrhea (1.8% vs. 4.1%). The drug was discontinued because of adverse gastrointestinal reactions in less than 2% of patients during premarketing studies.
Nervous System— The most frequent adverse neurologic reactions were headache (8.7% vs. 7.5%) and somnolence (8.5% vs. 6.4%). Dizziness (6.5% vs. 5.6%), tremor (2.2% vs. 0.4%), and confusion (1.4% vs. none) were noted less frequently. Fenoprofen calcium was discontinued in less than 0.5% of patients because of these side effects during premarketing studies.
Skin and Appendages — Increased sweating (4.6% vs. 0.4%), pruritus (4.2% vs. 0.8%), and rash (3.7% vs. 0.4%) were reported. Fenoprofen calcium was discontinued in about 1% of patients because of an adverse effect related to the skin during premarketing studies.
Special Senses— Tinnitus (4.5% vs. 0.4%), blurred vision (2.2% vs. none), and decreased hearing (1.6% vs. none) were reported. Fenoprofen calcium was discontinued in less than 0.5% of patients because of adverse effects related to the special senses during premarketing studies.
Cardiovascular— Palpitations (2.5% vs. 0.4%). Fenoprofen calcium was discontinued in about 0.5% of patients because of adverse cardiovascular reactions during premarketing studies.
Miscellaneous— Nervousness (5.7% vs. 1.5%), asthenia (5.4% vs. 0.4%), peripheral edema (5.0% vs. 0.4%), dyspnea (2.8% vs. none), fatigue (1.7% vs. 1.5%), upper respiratory infection (1.5% vs. 5.6%), and nasopharyngitis (1.2% vs. none).
Adverse Drug Reactions Reported in <1% of Patients During Clinical Trials
Digestive System — Gastritis, peptic ulcer with/without perforation, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, anorexia, flatulence, dry mouth, and blood in the stool. Increases in alkaline phosphatase, LDH, SGOT, jaundice, and cholestatic hepatitis, aphthous ulcerations of the buccal mucosa, metallic taste, and pancreatitis.
Cardiovascular — Atrial fibrillation, pulmonary edema, electrocardiographic changes, and supraventricular tachycardia.
Genitourinary Tract — Renal failure, dysuria, cystitis, hematuria, oliguria, azotemia, anuria, interstitial nephritis, nephrosis, and papillary necrosis.
Hypersensitivity — Angioedema (angioneurotic edema).
Hematologic — Purpura, bruising, hemorrhage, thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, and pancytopenia.
Nervous System — Depression, disorientation, seizures, and trigeminal neuralgia.
Special Senses — Burning tongue, diplopia, and optic neuritis.
Skin and Appendages — Exfoliative dermatitis, toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and alopecia.
Miscellaneous — Anaphylaxis, urticaria, malaise, insomnia, tachycardia, personality change, lymphadenopathy, mastodynia, and fever.
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Atland Pharmaceuticals, LLC at 1-833-757-0904 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or WWW.FDA.GOV.MEDWATCH.
Full Prescribing Information: DailyMed