A double-blind comparison of meptazinol and placebo in patients with acute and chronic pain presenting to the general practitioner.

In a double-blind study the analgesic efficacy and acceptability of meptazinol 200 mg was compared with placebo in patients suffering from acute or chronic pain. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either 200 mg of meptazinol or one tablet of placebo 4 to 6 hourly over a 14-day period. Clinical evaluations were made by the physician at baseline and again at the end of the study. The patients made daily recordings of pain using a visual analogue scale. The results showed that meptazinol was a more effective and acceptable analgesic than placebo. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects reported by patients in either treatment group.