A Comparative Analgesic Study of Propoxyphene, Fenoprofen, the Combination of Propoxyphene and Fenoprofen, Aspirin, and Placebo

Groups of 27 inpatients with moderate or severe postoperative, fracture, or somatic pain were given single oral doses of propoxyphene napsylate (P), fenoprofen calcium (F), combinations of P and F, aspirin, or placebo. The increasing rank order for effectiveness, with doses in milligrams, was placebo, P50, aspirin 650, F600, F50, P50 + F50, F200, P50 + F600, P50 + F200, P200 + F50, P200, P200 + F200, and P200 + F600. The overall analgesic response to propoxyphene in this dose range (50 to 200 mg) increased linearly with increasing doses. The fenoprofen response also increased in proportion to the dose up to 200 mg; the overall response to 600 mg was not significantly different from that to 200 mg. Propoxyphene napsylate and fenoprofen calcium had additive analgesic effects. There were no drug-related adverse reports.