An analgesic comparison of floctafenine (Idarac) and dihydrocodeine in post-operative pain

A double-blind crossover study comparing floctafenine 200 mg, a new analgesic drug, and dihydrocodeine 60 mg, was performed on 72 patients suffering from post-operative pain. Degree of pain relief by floctafenine was similar to that of dihydrocodeine but the relief afforded by the former was of longer duration. Side-effects associated with dihydrocodeine were statistically higher than those associated with floctafenine. Floctafenine was demonstrated to be an effective analgesic with an insignificant incidence of untoward side-effects.