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"   What is it used for?  Rheumatoid arthritis A form of arthritis affecting the joints of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis) Osteoarthritis Painful disorders of the muscles and skeleton, such as tendon inflammation (tendinitis), sprains, strains, dislocations, fractures, back pain     How does it work? Lederfen tablets and caspules contain the active ingredient fenbufen, which is a type of medicine called a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs are used to relieve pain and inflammation. (NB. Fenbufen is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.)  Fenbufen works by blocking the action of a substance in the body called cyclo-oxygenase (COX). Cyclo-oxygenase is involved in the production of various chemicals in the body, some of which are known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are produced by the body in response to injury and certain diseases and conditions, and cause pain, swelling and inflammation. Fenbufen blocks the production of these prostaglandins and is therefore effective at reducing inflammation and pain.  Fenbufen is used to relieve pain and inflammation in a range of musculoskeletal conditions, including various forms of arthritis, muscle sprains and strains, back pain, and tendinitis.    Warning!  This medicine should be taken with or after food to help avoid irritating the stomach. NSAIDs can occasionally cause serious side effects on the gut, such as ulceration, bleeding or perforation of the stomach or intestinal lining. This type of side effect is more likely to occur in elderly people and in people taking high doses of the medicine. The risk can also be increased by taking certain other medicines (see below). It is important that these people, as well as people with a history of disorders affecting the stomach or intestines, are closely monitored by a doctor while taking this medicine. If your doctor thinks you are at high risk of side effects on the gut you may be prescribed an additional medicine to help protect your gut. All people taking this medicine should stop treatment and consult their doctor immediately if they experience any sign of bleeding from the stomach or intestine during treatment, for example vomiting blood and/or passing black/tarry/bloodstained stools.  This medicine may cause dizziness and visual disturbances. You should make sure you are aware of your reactions to this medicine before driving or operating machinery. This medicine may mask the signs and symptoms of infection, such as fever and inflammation. This may make you think mistakenly that an infection is getting better when it isn&amp;#039;t, or that an infection is less serious than it is. For this reason you should tell your doctor if you get an infection while you are taking this medicine.  If you have liver disease, heart failure or kidney disease, you are taking diuretic medicines, or you are recovering from major surgery, your kidney function should be assessed before starting and regularly throughout treatment with this medicine.  During long-term treatment with this medicine you should have regular check-ups with your doctor so that you can be monitored for possible side effects of the medicine. This might include routine blood tests to monitor your kidney function, liver function and levels of blood components, particularly if you are elderly.  This medicine may cause a rash or serious blistering or peeling skin reactions (eg Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, exfoliative dermatitis). For this reason, you should stop taking this medicine and consult your doctor if you get a skin rash or sores inside your mouth while taking this medicine.     Use with caution in  Elderly people History of disorders affecting the stomach or intestines Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn&amp;#039;s disease or ulcerative colitis  Decreased kidney function Decreased liver function Heart failure High blood pressure (hypertension) History of asthma  History of allergies  People with blood clotting disorders or taking anticoagulant medicines  Diseases affecting connective tissue, eg systemic lupus erythematosus     Not to be used in  People in whom aspirin or other NSAIDs, eg ibuprofen, cause allergic reactions such as asthma attacks, itchy rash (urticaria), nasal inflammation (rhinitis) or swelling of the lips, tongue and throat (angioedema)  Active peptic ulcer or bleeding from the gut People who have had recurrent peptic ulcers or bleeding from the gut (two or more episodes) People who have experienced bleeding or perforation of the gut as a result of previous treatment with an NSAID Severe heart failure.  This medicine is not recommended for use in children under 14 years of age.  This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.   If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.   Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.  This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnancy unless considered essential by your doctor. This is particularly important in the first and third trimesters. If taken in the third trimester it may delay labour, increase the length of labour and cause complications in the newborn baby. Some evidence suggests that NSAIDs should also be avoided by women attempting to conceive, as they may temporarily reduce female fertility during treatment and may also increase the risk of miscarriage or malformations. Seek medical advice from your doctor.  This medicine may pass into breast milk. It is not recommended for use by mothers who are breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.    Label warnings  Take this medication with or after food.    Side effects Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.  Disturbances of the gut such as indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain Rash Headache Dizziness Difficulty sleeping (insomnia) Sensation of ringing, or other noise in the ears (tinnitus)  Balance disorders involving the inner ear (vertigo)  Visual disturbances Ulceration of the stomach or intestines Bleeding from the stomach or intestines Retention of water in the body tissues (fluid retention), resulting in swelling (oedema)  Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash (photosensitivity) Hypersensitivity reactions such as narrowing of the airways (bronchospasm), swelling of the lips, throat and tongue (angioedema) or severe skin reaction (toxic epidermal necrolysis) Kidney, liver or blood disorders  Lung disorders  The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug&amp;#039;s manufacturer.   For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.   How can this medicine affect other medicines? It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before taking this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.  Fenbufen should not be taken in combination with painkilling doses of aspirin or any other NSAID taken by mouth, eg ibuprofen, as this increases the risk of side effects on the stomach and intestines. Selective inhibitors of COX-2 such as celecoxib or etoricoxib should also be avoided for the same reason. There may be an increased risk of ulceration or bleeding from the gut if fenbufen is taken with corticosteroids such as prednisolone.  There may also be an increased risk of bleeding from the gut if fenbufen is taken with the following medicines:  anti-blood-clotting (anticoagulant) medicines such as warfarin  anti-platelet medicines to reduce the risk of blood clots or &amp;#039;thin the blood&amp;#039;, eg low-dose aspirin, clopidogrel, dipyridamole SSRI antidepressants, eg fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram venlafaxine.  Fenbufen may enhance the effect of blood-thinning or anti-clotting medicines (anticoagulants) such as warfarin. As this may increase the risk of bleeding, people stabilised on anticoagulants such as warfarin should have their blood clotting time (INR) monitored if fenbufen is added to treatment. Fenbufen may reduce the removal of the following medicines from the body and so may increase the blood levels and risk of side effects of these medicines. People taking fenbufen with any of these should be closely monitored by their doctor:   digoxin lithium  methotrexate.  There may be an increased risk of side effects on the kidneys if fenbufen is taken with any of the following medicines:  ACE inhibitors, eg enalapril  ciclosporin  diuretics, eg furosemide tacrolimus.   Fenbufen may oppose the blood pressure lowering effects of certain medicines to treat high blood pressure, such as the following:   ACE inhibitors such as captopril  beta-blockers such as atenolol diuretics such as furosemide.  Quinolone antibiotics, such as enoxacin, ofloxacin or ciprofloxacin, should be avoided in people taking fenbufen, as the combination may increase the risk of seizures (convulsions).   Other medicines containing the same active ingredient Fenbufen capsules and tablets are available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine. Last updated 31.05.2006 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/aches-and-pains/a6997/lederfen/>