chemistry

Meclofenamic acid

Meclofenamic acid is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Meclofenamic acid rather than just read about it. In short: Meclofenamic acid (used as meclofenamate sodium, brand name Meclomen) is a drug used for joint, muscular pain, arthritis and dysmenorrhea. It is a member of the anthranilic acid derivatives (or fenamate) class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and was approved by the US FDA in 1980.

Key takeaways

Meclofenamic acid belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Meclofenamic acid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Meclofenamic acid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Meclofenamic acid (used as meclofenamate sodium, brand name Meclomen) is a drug used for joint, muscular pain, arthritis and dysmenorrhea. It is a member of the anthranilic acid derivatives (or fenamate) class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and was approved by the US FDA in 1980. Like other members of the class, it is a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, preventing the formation of prostaglandins. Scientists led by Claude Winder from Parke-Davis invented meclofenamate sodium in 1964, along with fellow members of the class, mefenamic acid in 1961 and flufenamic acid in 1963. Patents on the drug expired in 1985 and several generics were introduced in the US, but as of July 2015 only Mylan still sold it. It is not widely used in humans as it has a high rate (30-60%) rate of gastrointestinal side effects.

Adverse effects In October 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required the prescribing information to be updated for all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications to describe the risk of kidney problems in unborn babies that result in low amniotic fluid. They recommend avoiding NSAIDs in pregnant women at 20 weeks or later in pregnancy.

Use in horses Meclofenamic acid is sold under the trade name "Arquel" for use in horses, and is administered as an oral granule form at a dose of 2.2 mg/kg/day. It has a relatively slow onset of action, taking 36–48 hours for full effect, and is most useful for treatment of chronic musculoskeletal disease. It has been found to be beneficial for the treatment of navicular syndrome, laminitis, and osteoarthritis, in some cases having a more profound effect than the commonly used NSAID phenylbutazone. However, due to cost, it is not routinely used in practice. Toxicity due to excessive dosage is similar to that of phenylbutazone, including depression, anorexia, weight loss, edema, diarrhea, oral ulceration, and decreased hematocrit.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Meclofenamic acid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Meclofenamic acid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Meclofenamic acid before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Meclofenamic acid ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Meclofenamic acid

In research: Meclofenamic acid appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Meclofenamic acid in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Meclofenamic acid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Anthranilic acids, BK channel openers, Chlorobenzene derivatives, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Meclofenamic acid outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Meclofenamic acid in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Meclofenamic acid means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Meclofenamic acid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Meclofenamic acid in simple terms?

Why does Meclofenamic acid matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Meclofenamic acid?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Meclofenamic acid.