Control of pain by mefenamic acid following removal of impacted molar. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

The efficacy of mefenamic acid, aspirin, and placebo in the control of postsurgical pain was compared in a double-blind, randomized study of forty-seven patients. Medication was begun as soon as the anesthetic began to wear off and was continued as needed to a maximum of eight doses over a 48-hour period. The results were analyzed in terms of the patient's assessment of postsurgical pain, and the patient's and the investigator's evaluation of drug efficacy. In the population studied, mefenamic acid was well tolerated. Mefenamic acid was clearly superior to placebo and equalled or exceeded the ability of aspirin to control postsurgical pain in the parameters measured.