Orphengesic Forte
Orphengesic Forte is a combination medication that contains orphenadrine, aspirin, and caffeine. It can be used for muscle, bone, joint, or tendon pain relief. It has some serious risks, like stomach bleeding and ulcers, because of the aspirin in the medication.
What is Orphengesic Forte?
What is Orphengesic Forte used for?
- Mild-to-moderate muscle, bone, joint, or tendon pain
How Orphengesic Forte works
Orphengesic Forte is a combination of three medications to help relieve pain.
- Orphenadrine is a muscle relaxant. It's unclear how the medication works, but it's thought to work in your nervous system (brain) and not directly on specific parts of your body. It affects how your body reacts to pain.
- Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works by blocking proteins in your body that cause pain and swelling.
- Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist. It blocks the activity of a natural chemical in the body called adenosine. It's unclear how exactly caffeine works in the setting of pain, but it's thought to boost the pain-relieving activity of aspirin.
Drug facts
Side effects of Orphengesic Forte
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Fainting
- Racing heart
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Headache
Less Common Side Effects
- Confusion
- Dry mouth
- Blurry vision
- Trouble urinating
- Rash
Orphengesic Forte serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Stomach bleeding: vomit that looks like coffee grounds or has blood in it, stools that are bloody or black
- Kidney damage: not urinating as often as usual, fever, muscle weakness, numbness in your arms or legs, fast heart rate
- Reye's syndrome: nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, changes in behavior
- Serious allergic or skin reactions: reddening or peeling of the skin, painful rash, fluid-filled blisters
- Overdose: hallucinations, extreme tiredness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache, dizziness, fast heart rate
The following Orphengesic Forte side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Bleeding—bloody or black, tar-like stools, vomiting blood or brown material that looks like coffee grounds, red or dark brown urine, small red or purple spots on skin, unusual bruising or bleeding
- Hearing loss, ringing in ears
- Kidney injury—decrease in the amount of urine, swelling of the ankles, hands, or feet
- Liver injury—right upper belly pain, loss of appetite, nausea, light-colored stool, dark yellow or brown urine, yellowing skin or eyes, unusual weakness or fatigue
- Rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes
- Redness, blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
- Round red or dark patches on the skin that may itch, burn, and blister
- Trouble passing urine
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
- Blurry vision
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Nausea
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Pros and cons of Orphengesic Forte
Pros
- Combines three medications into a single tablet for convenience
- Works well to relieve pain
- Isn't an opioid
- Not a controlled medication (meaning there is a low potential for abuse)
Cons
- Needs to be taken multiple times a day
- Safety of continuous long-term use isn't known
- Can't be used in children under 12 years old
- Need to limit caffeine while taking it
Pharmacist tips for Orphengesic Forte
- If you're only taking half a tablet, you can purchase a pill splitter from your local pharmacy and align the blade with the scored line to safely cut the tablet in half. Don't split tablets with a knive to prevent harming yourself.
- Many over-the-counter and prescription medications contain aspirin. Don't take more than a total of 4 grams of aspirin per day to avoid stomach side effects, and take it for the shortest time possible. Talk to your provider if you're unsure which medications contain aspirin.
- Orphengesic Forte can affect your ability to focus, think, and react. Avoid activities that require your concentration, like driving a car or operating machinery, until you know how this medication affects you.
- If you're 65 years or older, you might be more likely to feel the side effects of Orphengesic Forte and be at higher risk of an overdose. To lower your risk of side effects, ask your healthcare provider for alternatives for pain relief that are safer for you.
- Overdose symptoms include hallucinations, confusion, less awareness of your surroundings, and flushed, dry skin. If you experience any of these serious symptoms, stop taking Orphengesic Forte and get medical help right away.
Common questions about Orphengesic Forte
Because Orphengesic Forte already contains caffeine, limit how much caffeine you eat or drink while taking Orphengesic Forte. Caffeine can cause nervousness, shakiness, and a fast heart rate. Half of a tablet of Orphengesic Forte contains about one-third the amount of caffeine in an 8-oz brewed cup of coffee.
One of the medications in Orphengesic Forte, orphenadrine, is in the Beers Criteria (a list of medications that are more likely to be unsafe when used in people 65 and older). If you're over 65 years of age, it can raise your risk of confusion, constipation, dry mouth, and drowsiness. Discuss with your provider if this is the best medication to treat your symptoms.
Orphengesic Forte is not recommended if you're at least 20 weeks pregnant because of the serious harm that the aspirin component can cause to your unborn baby. Taking aspirin at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later can cause developmental problems in your unborn baby's kidneys. It can also lower the amount of fluid in your belly (oligohydramnios), which can affect your unborn baby's lung development. Taking aspirin at 30 weeks of pregnancy or later can cause developmental problems in your unborn baby's heart. Ask your healthcare provider about alternative pain medications that are safer for you and your unborn baby.
It's not recommended to take other NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve), at the same time as Orphengesic Forte. Taking more than one medication that contains an NSAID can raise your risk of serious stomach problems. Many NSAIDs are present in over-the-counter medications for pain, fever, colds, and the flu. If you're unsure if a medication contains an NSAID, check with your provider or pharmacist. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) works differently than NSAIDs for pain relief. If your pain isn't controlled with Orphengesic Forte alone, talk to your healthcare provider before starting acetaminophen (Tylenol) to see if this is appropriate for you.
Many of the serious risks of this medication are related to the aspirin component of the medication. Aspirin can cause stomach or intestinal irritation, bleeding, and ulcers. Signs of serious stomach problems include stomach pain that doesn't get better, bloody or coffee-ground vomit, or bloody or black, tarry stools. Aspirin can also cause kidney damage, signs of which include urinating less often, muscle weakness, numbness in your arms or legs, or a fast heart rate. Some people taking aspirin have developed serious skin reactions, such as reddening or peeling of the skin, painful rash, or fluid-filled blisters. Please see the Risks and Warnings section for more information.
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Risks and warnings for Orphengesic Forte
Orphengesic Forte can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Stomach irritation, bleeding, and ulcers
- Risk factors: History of stomach bleeding or ulcers | History of bleeding problems | Taking other NSAIDs, blood thinners, or oral corticosteroids at the same time | Alcohol use | Age 60 years or older | Taking Orphengesic Forte for a long time | Taking higher doses of Orphengesic Forte than instructed
Orphengesic Forte can irritate your stomach or intestines, which can feel like stomach pain or heartburn. It can also lead to serious stomach problems, including swelling, bleeding, and ulcers in the stomach or intestines. The risk of bleeding is higher if you're taking blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin) or oral corticosteroids with Orphengesic Forte, because they can also cause bleeding. If you have stomach pain that doesn't get better, vomit blood or bits that look like coffee grounds, or have bloody or black, tarry stools, let your provider know right away. These might be signs of stomach bleeding or a stomach ulcer.
Harm to your unborn baby
- Risk factors: At 20 weeks or later in pregnancy
If you're at least 20 weeks along in your pregnancy, Orphengesic Forte can cause harm to your unborn baby. It can affect your baby's kidneys and the amount of fluid in your belly (amniotic fluid). At 30 weeks of pregnancy or later, Orphengesic Forte can cause heart defects in your unborn baby. Ask your healthcare provider about alternative medications that are safer for you to take for your pain symptoms.
Reye's syndrome in teenagers
- Risk factors: Teenagers recovering from chicken pox, flu, or flu-like symptoms
Using Orphengesic Forte in teenagers who have or are recovering from chicken pox or flu-like symptoms could lead to a rare, life-threatening condition called Reye's syndrome. Early symptoms of this condition include nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, and other changes in behavior, but it can lead to liver damage and brain swelling. Let your child's provider know if your child experiences changes in their behavior with nausea or vomiting, or unusually low energy. Get medical help right away if your child experiences confusion, loss of consciousness, or a seizure.
Severe allergic or skin reactions
Although rare, Orphengesic Forte can cause life-threatening allergic or skin reactions, such as fever, facial swelling, reddening or peeling of the skin, painful rash, or fluid-filled blisters. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking Orphengesic Forte and go to the emergency room right away.
Orphengesic Forte dosage
Tablet| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50mg/770mg/60mg | 60 tablets | $2,046.25 | $34.10 |
Typical dosage for Orphengesic Forte
The typical dose is ½ to 1 tablet by mouth three to four times every day. Each tablet contains 50 mg of orphenadrine, 770 mg of aspirin, and 60 mg of caffeine.
How much does Orphengesic Forte cost?
$2,046.25
Orphengesic Forte contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Orphengesic Forte will not be safe for you to take.
- Glaucoma
- Blockage of the stomach, intestines, or other regions of the digestive tract
- Enlarged prostate or bladder issues
- Myasthenia gravis (nerve condition that affects your muscles and movement)
- Severe allergic reaction to aspirin or other NSAIDs
- Sensitivity to caffeine
What are alternatives to Orphengesic Forte?
Orphengesic Forte images
