Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), ketoprofen is mainly used for rheumatological pathologies such as osteoarthritis or tendonitis. Indications, contraindications and maximum duration of prescription.
Definition: what is ketoprofen?
Ketoprofen is a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The adjective “non-steroidal” means that it is not no cortisonethe steroid being cortisone.
“Ketoprofen acts through a anti-inflammatory action“, explains Pascal Chazerain, head of the rheumatology department in Paris, “he inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandins which are molecules that maintain or promote inflammation“.
Is ketoprofen a drug?
Ketoprofen does not generate neither addiction nor withdrawal syndrome when stopping treatment. It is therefore not a drug in the toxicological sense.
What are the indications for ketoprofen?
Ketoprofen has the same indications as all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. “The indications for ketoprofen are very broad and cover almost all rheumatological pathologies with, for large frame, osteoarticular inflammation“, according to Dr. Chazerain. These are:
- joint painwhether osteoarthritis or inflammatory
- tendon painlike tendonitis
- lower back pain and sciatica
Apart from rheumatology, ketoprofen can be prescribed in traumatology, gynecology, urology, ENT and stomatology. Another indication is the migraine.
How long does ketoprofen work for migraine?
Ketoprofen may work quickly, but not in all migraine patients. Efficiency is not constant.
What medicines contain ketoprofen?
The best known trade name of ketoprofen is Profenid or Bi-Profenid® and Ketum®.
Duration: how many days maximum can ketoprofen be taken?
The duration of treatment with ketoprofen is variable. “There are certain pathologies that justify prolonged treatment“, explains the rheumatologist. “As it is a drug that has a certain toxicity, the principle is to have the shortest possible prescription periods, between 7 and 15 days on average“.
Can you drink alcohol if you take ketoprofen?
He is possible to drink alcohol in case of treatment with ketoprofen. “There is no side effect to be feared by taking alcohol reasonably on the day you take ketoprofen“.
Can you take ketoprofen and doliprane at the same time?
There is no risk of drug interaction between ketoprofen and paracetamol according to the specialist. “It is therefore possible to take paracetamol at the same time as ketoprofen because they don’t have the same mode of action : doliprane is only a painkiller and antipyretic while ketoprofen is a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory, so these are molecules that can be associated“.
Can ketoprofen be combined with Tramadol?
He is possible to combine ketoprofen with tramadol because “this analgesic has no anti-inflammatory actionso there is no risk of cumulative side effects“. In terms of drug combinations, it is contraindicated to give two anti-inflammatories at the same time.
Can you get ketoprofen without a prescription?
In France, there is no not possible to get ketoprofen without a prescription.
What are the side effects of ketoprofen?
Ketoprofen may have several side effects, which explains why it cannot be given on a long-term basis and/or in excessively large doses. He can :
- Induce digestive complicationsulcer-like
- Induce a high blood pressure
- induce or aggravate renal failure.
Like all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it is contraindicated in the elderly.
Thank you to Doctor Pascal Chazerain, head of the rheumatology department at Groupe Hospitalier Diaconesses Croix Saint-Simon in Paris