science

Nimesulide

Nimesulide is a science 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 Nimesulide rather than just read about it. In short: Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with pain medication and fever reducing properties. Its approved indications are the treatment of acute pain, the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis, and primary dysmenorrhoea in adolescents and adults above 12 years old.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with pain medication and fever reducing properties. Its approved indications are the treatment of acute pain, the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis, and primary dysmenorrhoea in adolescents and adults above 12 years old. Side effects may include liver problems. It has a multifactorial mode of action and is characterized by a fast onset of action. It works by blocking the production of prostaglandins (a chemical associated with pain), thereby relieving pain and inflammation.

Medical uses It may be used for pain, including period pains. Nimesulide is not recommended long-term, as for chronic conditions such as arthritis. This is due to its association with an increased risk of liver toxicity, including liver failure. Despite its risk of hepatotoxicity, a 2012 evaluation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that the overall benefit/risk profile of nimesulide is favourable and in line with that of the other NSAIDs such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen provided that the duration of use is limited to 15 days and the dose does not exceed 200 mg/day.

Children Less than 10 days of nimesulide does not appear to increase the risk of hypothermia, gastrointestinal bleeding, epigastric pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or transient, asymptomatic elevation of liver enzymes compared to ketoprofen, paracetamol, mefenamic acid, aspirin, or ibuprofen in children. However, data does not speak to populations less than 6 months old.

Pregnancy and lactation Women should use the drug with caution during lactation and nimesulide is contraindicated during pregnancy, and research suggest that it is also contraindicated in lactating women.

Available forms

Nimesulide is available in a variety of forms: tablets, powder for dissolution in water, suppositories, mouth dissolving tablets, and topical gel.

Contraindications It should be avoided by children under 12 and people with liver problems.

Side effects Due to concerns about the risk of liver toxicity, nimesulide has been withdrawn from market in several countries (Mexico, Spain, Finland, Belgium, and Ireland). Liver problems have resulted in both deaths and the need for transplantation. The frequency of nimesulide-induced liver injury is estimated at around 1 in 50,000 patients, severe injury has occurred in as little as three days after starting the medication. Shorter (≤ 15 days) duration of therapy does not prevent serious nimesulide hepatotoxicity. Continuous use of nimesulide (more than 15 days) may cause the following side effects:

Diarrhea Vomiting Skin rash Itchiness Dizziness Bitterness in mouth

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), acting specifically as a relatively selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor. However, the pharmacological profile of nimesulide is peculiar, and additional, unknown/yet-to-be-identified mechanisms appear to also be involved. One pathway that has been implicated in its actions is the ecto-5'-nucleotidase (e-5′NT/CD73)/adenosine A2A receptor pathway.

Pharmacokinetics Nimesulide is absorbed rapidly following oral administration. Nimesulide undergoes extensive biotransformation, mainly to 4-hydroxynimesulide (which also appears to be biologically active). Food, sex, and advanced age have negligible effects on nimesulide pharmacokinetics. Moderate chronic kidney disease does not necessitate dosage adjustment, while in patients with severe chronic kidney disease or liver disease, nimesulide is contraindicated. Nimesulide has a relatively rapid onset of action, with meaningful reductions in pain and inflammation observed within 15 minutes from drug intake. The therapeutic effects of nimesulide are the result of its complex mode of action, which targets a number of key mediators of the inflammatory process such as: COX-2 mediated prostaglandins, free radicals, proteolytic enzymes, and histamine. Clinical evidence is available to support a particularly good profile in terms of gastrointestinal tolerability.

History Nimesulide was launched in Italy for the first time as Aulin and Mesulid in 1985 and is available in more than 50 countries worldwide, including among others Portugal, Greece, Russia, Thailand, and Brazil. Nimesulide has never been filed for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluation in the United States, where it is not marketed.

Society and culture

Brand names Nimesulide is available throughout the world as original product with the following trademarks: Sulide, Nimalox, Mesulid (Novartis, Brazil, Boehringer Ingelheim, Greece, Italy, Hungary), Coxtal (Sanofi, China, Bulgaria), Sintalgin (Abbott, Brazil), Eskaflam (GSK, Brazil, Mexico), Octaprin, Nimside (Teva, Pakistan), Nise (Russia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Ukraine), Nilsid (Egypt); Aulin (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Romania, Poland), Ainex, Drexel, Donulide, Edrigyl, Enetra, Heugan, Mesulid, Minapon, NeRelid, Nexen, Nidolon, Nilden (Mexico); Emsulide, Nimed, Nimedex, Nimesil (Czech Republic, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Poland, Russia, Ukraine), Nimulid (Trinidad & Tobago, Serbia), Nimutab, Nimdase, Nimopen-MP Nise, Nimuwin, Nisulid, Nodard Plus, Nicip, Nimcap, Nic-P, Nic-Spas, Nimupain (India); Mesulid, Novolid, Relmex (Ecuador); Remisid (Ukraine); Coxulid, Emulid, Frenag, Fuzo, Motival, Nimeksil, Nimelid, Nîmes, Nimesdin, Romasulid, Sulidin, Suljel, Thermo Sulidin (Turkey), Xilox (Hungary); Modact-IR (Pakistan); and ad Sulidene and Zolan for veterinary use. Many generic and copy-products also exist (Lusemin, Medicox, Nidol, Nimalox, Nimesil, Nimotas, Nimulid, Nizer, Sorini, Ventor, Vionim, Neolide, Willgo among others), new-aid, Nexulide (Syria), Nims, Nice, Nimulide (Nepal)

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nimesulide

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nimesulide claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, 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 Nimesulide 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 Nimesulide 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 Nimesulide

In research: Nimesulide appears in science 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 Nimesulide 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: Nimesulide is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Antipyretics, BK channel openers, Diphenyl ethers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nimesulide 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 Nimesulide in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nimesulide 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 Nimesulide out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nimesulide in simple terms?

Why does Nimesulide matter?

Because it connects several science 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 Nimesulide?

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 Nimesulide.