Ace Plus SP Tablet

Ace Plus SP Tablet treats pain, inflammation and fever. This medicine can be prescribed for conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, ankylosing spondylitis, etc. It is a combination of aceclofenac, paracetamol and serratiopeptidase. They work by blocking the pain signals and reducing the inflammation in the affected area. Thus it relieves symptoms such as headache, muscle pain, joint pain, toothache, nerve pain, etc.

Ace Plus SP Tablet should be taken as prescribed by your physician. The dose of the medication will be adjusted depending on the severity of your clinical symptoms. Take them after food to avoid stomach discomfort. Try not to chew or break the tablet; swallow it as a whole.

Side effects of Ace Plus SP Tablet include stomach pain, heartburn, drowsiness, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. These adverse effects usually go away on their own and should not be of any concern. Contact your doctor If they persist or become worse.

Ace Plus SP Tablet may be contraindicated (unsafe) for people with stomach ulcers, liver and kidney diseases, blood clotting disorders, ischaemic heart disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and allergies to aceclofenac, paracetamol and serratiopeptidase. Always let your doctor know of any health conditions you might have. This combination drug is generally considered safe for most people.

Ace Plus SP Tablet is used to treat inflammation, fever and mild to moderate pain. This medicine can be prescribed for conditions including:

Ace Plus SP Tablet contains aceclofenac, paracetamol and serratiopeptidase. It works by inhibiting pain signals in the brain and certain chemicals in our body that induce inflammation, swelling, fever and pain. It also breaks down specific proteins at the site of inflammation, which results in a speedy recovery of the tissue.

Aceclofenac is a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and phenylacetic acid derivative. As an NSAID, it reduces pain and inflammation without the harmful side effects of steroids. This potent anti-inflammatory medicine works by inhibiting enzymes called COX-1 and COX-2. This lowers the synthesis of prostaglandins (hormone-like chemicals responsible for pain and inflammation).

Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a non-narcotic (non-habit forming) analgesic-antipyretic agent (reduces both pain and fever). It has fewer side effects than its more potent counterpart, aceclofenac, partly because it isn’t an effective anti-inflammatory agent.

Serratiopeptidase (aka serralysin, serrapeptidase or serrapeptase) is a proteolytic enzyme made by the bacteria Enterobacterium Serratia found inside silkworms. Certain literature claims that this enzyme helps break down proteins to reduce inflammation and pain in conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia and headache. There isn’t more information regarding this enzyme's efficacy and side effects.

Aceclofenac and gastric ulcers

Aceclofenac, one of the three ingredients in Ace Plus SP Tablet, is a COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor. In gastric mucosa, COX-1 is responsible for synthesising PGE2 and PGI2, which is responsible for increasing bicarbonate and mucus secretion, maintaining adequate blood flow to the mucosa and reducing gastric acid and pepsin secretion.

Since aceclofenac inhibits COX-1 or Cyclooxygenase-1, it adversely affects the health of the stomach lining and causes gastrointestinal ulceration.

That is why the dose of Ace Plus SP Tablet is adjusted for patients with pre-existing gastric ulcers. An overdose for a prolonged period causes gastric ulcers in patients with a perfectly healthy stomach lining.

• Aceclofenac: NSAID (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
• Serrapeptase (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
• A brief overview of paracetamol (healthdirect.gov.au)
• Serratiopeptidase: A systematic review of the existing evidence