Medicines labeled for the same conditions
Alternatives to mefenamic acid
43 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as mefenamic acid or labeled mainly for the same use (pain); 16 are in its class, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, diclofenac and 12 more; the others include 15 opioid agonists, 1 barbiturate and 1 cholinergic muscarinic antagonist (FDA labels read October 8, 2026). In the same class, the lowest pharmacy cost is $0.0166 per meloxicam 7.5 mg tablet (what pharmacies paid in the NADAC survey; strengths differ).
Which medicines are labeled for the same conditions as mefenamic acid?
The first 24 of the 43, the same class first. Pain lists all 80 medicines labeled for it, by any route. Each row shows the conditions both labels name. They are listed as public records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another depends on the person and is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine and FDA class | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Boxed warning | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mefenamic acidnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug | this medicine | 6 labelers | $0.948 per capsule 250 mg capsule | Yes | No current entry |
| Ibuprofennonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 273 labelers | $0.0573 per tablet 800 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Naproxennonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 146 labelers | $0.0565 per tablet 500 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Celecoxibnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 65 labelers | $0.0762 per capsule 200 mg capsule | Yes | No current entry |
| Diclofenacnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 67 labelers | $0.0619 per tablet 75 mg tablet | Yes | A presentation being discontinued |
| Acetaminophen and aspirin and caffeineplatelet aggregation inhibitor · same class | Pain | 39 labelers | $0.0648 per unit 250-250-65 mg cplt | No | No current entry |
| Meloxicamnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 43 labelers | $0.0166 per tablet 7.5 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Etodolacnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 30 labelers | $0.262 per tablet 400 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Acetaminophen and ibuprofennonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 51 labelers | $0.107 per unit 250-125 mg | Yes | No current entry |
| Ketorolaccyclooxygenase inhibitor · same class | Pain | 33 labelers | $0.164 per tablet 10 mg tablet | Yes | In shortage |
| Fenoprofennonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 6 labelers | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Diflunisalnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 6 labelers | $1.06 per tablet 500 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Ketoprofennonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug · same class | Pain | 5 labelers | $6.46 per capsule 200 mg capsule | Yes | No current entry |
| Aspirin and caffeine and orphenadrinemuscle relaxant · same class | Pain | 3 labelers | n/a | No | No current entry |
| Hydrocodone and ibuprofenopioid agonist · same class | Pain | 2 labelers | $0.487 per unit 7.5-200 | Yes | No current entry |
| Aspirin, butalbital, caffeine and codeinebarbiturate · same class | Pain | 4 labelers | $1.00 per capsule Ascomp with codeine capsule | Yes | No current entry |
| Aspirin and oxycodoneplatelet aggregation inhibitor · same class | Pain | 1 labeler | n/a | Yes | No current entry |
| Aspirin | Pain | none listed | $0.0142 per tablet 81 mg tablet | No | A presentation being discontinued |
| Acetaminophen and hydrocodoneopioid agonist | Pain | 38 labelers | $0.152 per tablet 10-325 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Oxycodoneopioid agonist | Pain | 34 labelers | $0.0884 per tablet 5 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Acetaminophen and oxycodoneopioid agonist | Pain | 30 labelers | $0.183 per tablet 7.5-325 mg tablet | Yes | A presentation being discontinued |
| Tramadolopioid agonist | Pain | 40 labelers | $0.0248 per tablet 50 mg tablet | Yes | No current entry |
| Morphineopioid agonist | Pain | 17 labelers | $0.226 per tablet 15 mg tablet | Yes | In shortage |
| Phenazopyridine | Pain | none listed | $0.154 per tablet 100 mg tablet | No | No current entry |
| Acetaminophen and codeineopioid agonist | Pain | 25 labelers | $0.256 per tablet 3 tablet | Yes | No current entry |
Source: FDA drug labels (indications) via openFDA; FDA NDC Directory; CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026; FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for each?
The headline NADAC price per unit of each medicine's most widely listed form; strengths differ, so compare like with like on each record.
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What next?
- Mefenamic acid: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls