Voveran 50: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects
Also known as: Voveran, Voveran 50 mg, Voveran 50 GE, Voveran 50 tablet, Voveran tablet, Diclofenac 50 mg tablet, Diclofenac sodium gastro-resistant tablet
Voveran 50 is a tablet containing 50 mg of diclofenac sodium, an NSAID painkiller. It is used to relieve pain and swelling in conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, sprains and period pain. It is a prescription-type medicine that is meant to be used at the lowest dose for the shortest time, because diclofenac can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, stomach bleeding and kidney problems. It eases symptoms but does not treat the cause.
- Active ingredient
- Diclofenac 50 mg
- Type of medicine
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Used for
- Joint pain and arthritis, Period pain
- Starts working in
- Check the pack or ask your pharmacist
- Effect lasts
- Check the pack or ask your pharmacist
- With or without food
- Usually before meals; the tablet is swallowed whole
- Alcohol
- Avoid
- Pregnancy
- Ask your doctor; not for the last 3 months
- Habit-forming
- No
- Made by
- VERIFY on pack
Pharmacist review in progress. This page is based on the sources listed below and is being checked by our registered pharmacist.
On this page
- What is Voveran 50 used for?
- How does Voveran 50 work?
- How to take Voveran 50
- Side effects of Voveran 50
- Who should be careful
- Medicines and things that interact with Voveran 50
- If someone takes too much
- Storage
- Regulatory status in India
- Other brands with the same medicine
- Other strengths and forms
- Common questions
What is Voveran 50 used for?
Voveran 50 is used to relieve pain and swelling from joint, muscle and some other painful conditions.
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis of the spine)
- Back pain and other muscle and joint pain
- Acute attacks of gout
- Short-term pain and swelling after an injury or an operation
- Period pain
- Pain from some ear, nose and throat infections, alongside treatment of the infection
How does Voveran 50 work?
Diclofenac blocks enzymes called COX-1 and COX-2, which lowers prostaglandins, the chemical messengers that cause pain, swelling and heat. The same effect in the stomach lining and kidneys explains its stomach and kidney side effects.
What happens in your body after you take it
You swallow the tablet whole
The tablet has a coating that resists stomach acid, so it should not be split, chewed or crushed. This coating helps protect the stomach and lets the tablet release its medicine further down.
It dissolves in the small intestine
In the less acidic small intestine the coating dissolves and diclofenac is absorbed into the blood. Taking it with food can delay this.
Prostaglandins fall at the painful site
Diclofenac reaches the inflamed joint or tissue and blocks COX enzymes. With fewer prostaglandins, pain, swelling and stiffness ease.
Side effects come from the same action
COX enzymes also protect the stomach lining and help the kidneys and blood vessels work normally. Blocking them is why stomach upset, bleeding, kidney strain, higher blood pressure and a higher risk of heart attack or stroke can occur.
The liver changes it and the body removes it
The liver changes diclofenac, and the products leave mainly in the urine and bile. Diclofenac can rarely affect the liver, so doctors check liver tests when it is used for a long time.
How to take Voveran 50
Take Voveran 50 exactly as your doctor advises or as printed on the pack, at the lowest dose and for the shortest time needed. Do not take more or for longer than directed.
- Swallow the tablet whole with water. Do not split, crush or chew it.
- It is usually taken before meals. If it upsets your stomach, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you can take it with food.
- Do not take it with another NSAID painkiller, such as ibuprofen, aspirin or another diclofenac product, unless a doctor tells you to.
- Doctors review the need for it regularly if treatment lasts more than a few weeks, because heart and stomach risks rise with dose and duration.
- Tablets of this strength are not recommended for children and adolescents below 14 years; a doctor decides any use in younger people.
Side effects of Voveran 50
Stomach upset is the most common problem. Serious effects are less common but include stomach bleeding, heart attack, stroke, kidney problems, liver problems and severe skin reactions.
Uncommon or mild
- Stomach pain, heartburn or indigestion
- Feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Headache or dizziness
- Mild skin rash
- Raised liver test results
Rare but serious: get medical help
- Black or tarry stools, or vomiting blood, which can be signs of bleeding in the stomach or gut
- Chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness on one side or slurred speech, which can be signs of a heart attack or stroke. Get emergency help
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction: swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, wheezing or a sudden widespread rash
- Red skin with blisters or peeling, or sores in the mouth. Stop the medicine and get medical help immediately
- Swelling of the ankles, passing much less urine or sudden weight gain, which can be signs of kidney problems or fluid build-up
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine or severe tiredness, which can be signs of liver problems
Who should be careful
Diclofenac carries more heart and blood-vessel risk than some other NSAIDs, so many people need to check with a doctor before taking it.
When the label says not to use it
- Allergy to diclofenac, aspirin or other NSAIDs, including asthma, hives or swelling after taking them
- Active stomach or gut ulcer or bleeding, or a history of repeated ulcers or bleeding
- Heart failure, heart disease from blocked arteries, a past stroke or blocked leg arteries
- Severe kidney or liver failure
- The last 3 months of pregnancy
- Heart disease, heart failure, a past heart attack or stroke, or circulation problems in the legs: diclofenac is not for people with these conditions
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or smoking, which raise heart risk
- A past stomach or gut ulcer or bleeding, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
- Kidney disease, liver disease, or being dehydrated
- Asthma, nasal polyps, or a past reaction to aspirin or another painkiller
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: ask a doctor first; it is not for the last 3 months of pregnancy, and it may make it harder to become pregnant
- Older adults, who are more likely to have serious stomach and kidney effects
- Taking blood thinners, steroids, water tablets or other painkillers, or having surgery soon
- Children and adolescents under 14: this strength is not recommended
Medicines and things that interact with Voveran 50
Many medicines change the risks of diclofenac. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take.
- Other NSAID painkillers, including aspirin and ibuprofen: more stomach, kidney and bleeding risk
- Blood thinners such as warfarin, and antiplatelet medicines: higher bleeding risk
- Steroid tablets and SSRI-type antidepressants: higher risk of stomach bleeding
- Water tablets (diuretics), ACE inhibitors, ARBs and similar blood-pressure medicines: can reduce their effect and strain the kidneys
- Ciclosporin and tacrolimus: can increase kidney harm
- Methotrexate and lithium: their levels can rise
- Alcohol: raises the risk of stomach irritation
Effects on lab tests
- Liver and kidney tests and blood counts may be checked if diclofenac is used for a long time
If someone takes too much
Too much diclofenac can cause vomiting, stomach bleeding, headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears and fits, and in serious cases kidney or liver failure. Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital immediately and take the pack with you.
Storage
Store as directed on the pack, usually in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and out of the reach of children. Do not use after the expiry date.
Regulatory status in India
Approved for sale in India. Single-ingredient diclofenac is not on the CDSCO list of banned medicines, but some fixed-dose combinations containing diclofenac have been banned, so check that the pack lists diclofenac sodium only. Diclofenac tablets are usually sold on prescription; check the schedule printed on the pack.
Other brands with the same medicine
Other brands and generic tablets containing diclofenac sodium 50 mg work the same way. Check the ingredients and strength printed on the pack, because diclofenac is also sold in other strengths, in slow-release forms and in combinations.
Other strengths and forms
Diclofenac is also sold as tablets of other strengths, slow-release tablets, injections, gels and in combinations with other medicines. The strength and form are printed on the pack, so check the one you have. Only a doctor should decide on injections and combination products.
Common questions
What is Voveran 50 used for?
Voveran 50 contains diclofenac and is used to relieve pain and swelling in conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, gout attacks, injuries and period pain. It eases symptoms but does not treat the cause. A doctor decides when and how long to use it.
Is Voveran 50 a strong painkiller?
It is an NSAID, a type of painkiller that also reduces swelling. It is not an opioid. Whether it suits you depends on your health, so the choice and dose are for your doctor to decide.
Can Voveran 50 affect the heart?
Yes. Diclofenac can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, especially at higher doses or when used for a long time. It is not for people with heart failure, heart disease, a past stroke or blocked leg arteries. Use the lowest dose for the shortest time.
Can I take Voveran 50 on an empty stomach?
It is usually taken before meals and swallowed whole. If it upsets your stomach, ask your doctor or pharmacist about taking it with food. Stop and get help if you notice black stools or vomit blood.
Can I take Voveran 50 with other painkillers?
Not without a doctor's advice. Taking it with another NSAID such as ibuprofen, aspirin or Combiflam raises the risk of stomach bleeding and kidney harm without helping more. Paracetamol is a different kind of painkiller; ask a pharmacist before combining.
Who should avoid Voveran 50?
People with an active stomach ulcer or past bleeding, heart failure, heart disease, a past stroke, severe kidney or liver failure, or asthma or an allergic reaction after aspirin or other painkillers should avoid it. It is also not for the last 3 months of pregnancy.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Voveran 50?
It is best to avoid alcohol. Alcohol adds to the stomach irritation that diclofenac can cause.
Is Voveran 50 safe in pregnancy?
Ask your doctor first. It must not be used in the last 3 months of pregnancy and is generally avoided in the first two trimesters unless a doctor says it is clearly needed. Diclofenac passes into breast milk in small amounts, so ask before using it while breastfeeding.
Is Voveran 50 habit-forming?
No. Diclofenac is not an opioid and does not cause dependence. It should still be used only as directed and for the shortest time needed.
Can I use Voveran 50 for fever?
It is not meant for fever alone. Its approved uses are pain and inflammation. For fever, ask a doctor or pharmacist what is suitable.
Sources
- Voltaren 25 mg and 50 mg gastro-resistant tablets: Summary of Product Characteristics. Malta Medicines Authority
- Diclofenac sodium delayed-release tablets: prescribing information (boxed warning on cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risk). DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine
- Diclofenac-containing medicines: referral. European Medicines Agency (EMA)
- Diclofenac. NHS (UK)
- Side effects of diclofenac. NHS (UK)
- Taking diclofenac with other medicines and herbal supplements. NHS (UK)
- Diclofenac. StatPearls, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), US National Library of Medicine
- List of drugs prohibited for manufacture and sale through gazette notifications under section 26A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)