Spasmalgon Versus Nimesil: What to Choose?
If you’re like most people, you probably think of Spasmalgon and Nimesil as the same since they’re both pain relievers. But whether you feel that way or not, taking the effort to read up on the topic shows your keenness to learn, which is commendable.
If you’d be considering any of these medications to relieve pain, it’s essential to know their unique purposes. Every pain condition has its peculiarity, and you should be informed of which one fits the situation best. Grab a drink as we dive into the uniqueness of Spasmalgon and Nimesil.
What Makes Spasmalgon Unique?
An antispasmodic medication relieves the smooth muscles (found primarily in internal organs) of spasms and pain. Spasmalgon contains the antispasmodic drug Pitofenone as its active ingredient. Healthcare providers have prescribed Spasmalgon over the years to relax the stomach, urinary bladder, and intestine muscles.
Although Spasmalgon is also effective in treating back sprains and strains, it’s the best option when your pain is majorly internal. Talk about intestinal or gastric colic, severe menstrual pain, and kidney gallstones. It comes in handy to treat severe short-term pain, especially when others seem not to provide the solution to your challenge.
When Shouldn't I Use Spasmalgon?
Though effective in relieving pain, Spasmalgon can’t be used under all circumstances. Some of such include when there’s:
- Hypersensitivity to pyrazolone or metamizole derivatives; these or any other constituent of Spasmalgon.
- Chronic liver and renal problems
- Megacolon and gastrointestinal obstruction
- Blood diseases (leukemia, any form of anemia, infectious or cytostatic neutropenia)
- Bladder/gallbladder atony
- Porphyria
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding
- Tachyarrhythmia
- Angular glaucoma
- Hypertrophy of the prostate
- Collaptoid states
- It’s also not advisable for use in children and under-18 adolescents.
What's Special about Nimesil?
When Shouldn't I use Nimesil?
Like every medication out there, Nimesil (Nimesulide) cannot be used by everyone. Here are some of the cases that mandate avoiding its usage:
- Allergy to Nimesulide, other NSAIDs, or constituents of this medicine
- If you’ve had any form of gut disorders, gut bleeding, or peptic ulcer
- Chronic heart problems
- Chronic kidney or liver problems
- Alcohol or drug addiction
- Breast-feeding mum
- Bleeding problems from reduced blood clotting
- Last trimester of pregnancy
- Stroke or bleeding in the brain
- Fever or flu
What are the Similarities and Differences between both Medications?
Chemical Nature and How They Work
The main component of Spasmalgon (Pitofenone) is an antispasmodic drug that suppresses smooth muscle spasms, like those in the bladder, intestine, and stomach. Nimesil (generic name: Nimesulide), on the other hand, inhibits an enzyme (Cox-II) that causes pain and inflammation during/after an injury.
Nimesil is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Thus, we can conclude that spasmalgon applies more to internal organs – mainly gastrointestinal and urogenital, while nimesil applies better to skeletal (external) muscles.
Efficacy in Reducing Pain
Spasmalgon has an enhanced ability to reduce pain from spasms because of the combined effect of its three components (drugs with different modes of action). They are metamizole sodium (anti-inflammatory and analgesic), fenpiverinium bromide (antispasmodic), and pitofenone hydrochloride (an antispasmodic).
As a result, it also leads to relaxation of smooth muscles and decreased body temperature. Spasmalgon has also been helpful in the short-term management of joint pain, neuralgia, and myalgia.
Nimesil, however, acts by singlehandedly blocking the source of pain in skeletal muscles. Thus, it is effective in reducing pain (analgesic), inflammation (anti-inflammatory), and fever (antipyretic). Dentists often prescribe Nimesil in the management of tooth pain. It’s also effective in relieving:
- Postoperative pain
- Menstrual pain
- Rheumatic Arthritis
- Mild migraine
- Dysmenorrhea
- Osteoarthritis
- Fever
Safety during Pregnancy
Dosage and Mode of Administration
Nimesil comes as sachets of granules for oral suspension, containing 100mg of Nimesulide.
Its usual dose is a 100g sachet to be taken twice daily after meals. The patient is to dissolve the granules into sufficient water and drink immediately. Nimesil shouldn’t be used for more than 15 days of one treatment. The risk of its side effects is reduced by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest time.
Spasmalgon is taken as oral tablets. The standard Spasmalgon dosage for patients above 15 years is 1-2 tablets, twice or thrice daily. It also shouldn’t be taken beyond five days. Spasmalgon tablets have a strip with which you can break the tablets. It’s so because 9-13 year-olds are given half a tablet twice or thrice daily. 13-15-year-old adolescents are prescribed one tablet.
Spasmalgon also comes as an intramuscular and intravenous injection. Adults get 2-5ml intramuscularly or 2ml venously. Like the tablets, the treatment shouldn’t exceed five days. Healthcare providers administer the solution twice or thrice daily and shouldn’t inject more than 10ml of the solution. Children get Spasmalgon injection based on age:
- 3 to 11 months take 0.1ml,
- 1 to 4 years take 0.2ml,
- 5 to 7 years take 0.4ml,
- 8 to 11 years take 0.5ml,
- while 12 to 14 years take 0.8ml.
So, Which is Better: Spasmalgon or Nimesil?
As we’ve seen, both medications have their uniqueness, so none is “better” than the other. It’s up to you to decide what suits your situation best. Is your pain internal-stomach, bladder, menstrual, and likes? Or is it external, as in back pain, knee, hands, etc.?
Do you have any conditions that might warrant your avoidance of any of either of the drugs? Or do you prefer granules dissolved in water to tablets and injections? It’s all up to you! The bottom line to getting the best result is that each drug works perfectly when used for its preferred condition, and in the correct dose.
Finally, self-medication has never been advised. Thus, do well to take these medications at the recommendation of a licensed doctor or pharmacist. Have you been experiencing any internal pain in your stomach or bladder and need instant relief? Try out Spasmalgon today! If it’s joint or skeletal muscle pain, Nimesil will sort it out immediately. You can also check out other health-boosting medicines on our store here.
