Efficacy and tolerance of lysine clonixinate versus paracetamol/codeine following inguinal hernioplasty

In this study lysine clonixinate, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent with selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipooxygenase in in vitro and in vivo pharmacodynamic studies, was evaluated in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy clinical study versus paracetamol/codeine, in 151 patients with pain following inguinal hernioplasty. Patients were treated with one 125 mg tablet of lysine clonixinate or paracetamol/codeine (500 mg + 30 mg) administered at fixed doses every 4 h during 2 days. Controls were carried out 1, 2 and 4 h after the first intake of day 1 and day 2. Each control included assessment of pain at rest, when coughing, sitting and upon moderate pressure. Both treatment groups (lysine clonixinate, 77 patients and paracetamol/codeine, 74 patients) were comparable in terms of demographic and baseline pain intensities. Spontaneous pain was reduced significantly in both treatment groups from the 1st-h control. The following values were recorded in the lysine clonixinate group during day 1: baseline: 6.86 +/- 1.24; 1st h: 4.49 +/- 1.77; 2nd h: 2.96 +/- 1.74; 4th h: 2.23 +/- 1.51. The following values for the same group during day 2 were: predose: 1.70 +/- 1.64; 1st h: 1.16 +/- 1.17; 2nd h: 0.78 +/- 1.06; 4th h: 0.63 +/- 1.05. The paracetamol/codeine group revealed the following values: day 1: baseline: 6.72 +/- 1.22; 1st h: 4.57 +/- 1.72; 2nd h: 2.97 +/- 1.68; 4th h: 2.47 +/- 1.68 and day 2: predose: 2.02 +/- 1.57; 1st h: 1.32 +/- 1.23; 2nd h: 0.82 +/- 0.99; 4th h: 0.66 +/- 0.89. Reduction of pain induced by coughing, sitting and pressure showed similar behavior patterns. No significant differences between both treatment groups were encountered in terms of analgesic efficacy. Incidence of adverse effects was significantly higher in the paracetamol/codeine group (X2: p < 0.05): 11 out of 74 patients; three patients had to discontinue treatment. In the lysine clonixinate group four out of 77 patients showed side effects but these did not require treatment discontinuation.