Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
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Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. · Jan 2016
ReviewNefopam analgesia and its role in multimodal analgesia: A review of preclinical and clinical studies.
Nefopam is a non-opioid, non-steroidal, centrally acting analgesic drug used to prevent postoperative pain, primarily in the context of multimodal analgesia. This paper reviews preclinical and clinical studies in which nefopam has been combined with opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds, and paracetamol. This report focuses on the literature during the last decade and discusses the translational efforts between animal and clinical studies in the context of multimodal or balanced analgesia. ⋯ Nefopam combinations including NSAIDs (ketoprofen or tenoxicam) or paracetamol also demonstrated a synergic interaction or an enhancement of the analgesic effect of the associated compound. In conclusion, this review of nefopam combinations including various analgesic drugs (opioids, NSAIDs and paracetamol) reveals that enhanced analgesia was demonstrated in most preclinical and clinical studies, suggesting a role for nefopam in multimodal analgesia based on its distinct characteristics as an analgesic. Further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the analgesic effects of nefopam combinations including NSAIDs or paracetamol.