Indomethacin: Uses, Safety and Drug Interactions

Indomethacin: uses, safety and drug interactions

Overview: Indomethacin, also spelled indometacin, is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID. It reduces pain and inflammation. This summary concerns oral capsules described in a United States prescribing document; suppositories and intravenous products have different instructions and should not be treated as interchangeable forms.

Uses and formulation: The oral capsule label includes rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, acute shoulder bursitis or tendinitis, and acute gouty arthritis. Treatment is selected for the individual, using the lowest effective exposure for the shortest appropriate time. Relieving a gout attack does not replace a longer-term urate-lowering plan when that is needed.

Safety: Stomach or intestinal bleeding can occur without an early warning. Heart attack, stroke, kidney injury and serious allergic or skin reactions are important risks. Black stools, vomiting blood, chest pain, sudden weakness or breathing difficulty require urgent assessment. Pregnancy needs particular review from about 20 weeks; use should be avoided from about 30 weeks. Breastfeeding requires a benefit-risk discussion.

Drug interactions: Do not add another NSAID without checking the whole medication list. Anticoagulants, antiplatelet medicines, SSRIs or SNRIs and oral corticosteroids can increase bleeding concerns. ACE inhibitors, ARBs and diuretics may require kidney and blood-pressure monitoring. Lithium, digoxin, methotrexate, ciclosporin, tacrolimus and probenecid need specific review. A listed interaction is not an instruction to stop a regular medicine yourself.

Sources

• Indomethacin — Glenmark indomethacin oral kapsül, ABD PI 07/2025; DailyMed 28.04.2026
• WHO Collaborating Centre ATC/DDD Index 2026 — indometacin
• Prograf 1 mg, UK SmPC 11.03.2026, 4.5
• Neoral kapsül, UK SmPC 25.02.2026, 4.5
• Inspra 25 mg, UK SmPC 01/2026, 4.5

This page provides an English summary of the cited sources. Source check: 30 October 2026. This date records a source check, not a clinical review by a doctor or pharmacist. Follow the current leaflet for your product and seek professional advice for personal treatment.