What is the most important information I should know about flurbiprofen?
Flurbiprofen can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term or take high doses, or if you have heart disease. Do not use this medicine just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
Flurbiprofen may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using flurbiprofen, especially in older adults.
What is flurbiprofen?
Flurbiprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Flurbiprofen works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.
Flurbiprofen is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
Flurbiprofen may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking flurbiprofen?
Flurbiprofen can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term or take high doses, or if you have heart disease. Even people without heart disease or risk factors could have a stroke or heart attack while taking this medicine.
Do not use this medicine just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
Flurbiprofen may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using flurbiprofen, especially in older adults.
You should not use flurbiprofen if you are allergic to it, or if you have ever had an asthma attack or severe allergic reaction after taking aspirin or an NSAID.
To make sure flurbiprofen is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you smoke;
- a history of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot;
- a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding;
- asthma;
- liver or kidney disease; or
- fluid retention.
Taking flurbiprofen during the last 3 months of pregnancy may harm the unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using flurbiprofen.
It is not known whether flurbiprofen passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Flurbiprofen is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
How should I take flurbiprofen?
Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not take this medicine in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Use the lowest dose that is effective in treating your condition.
If you use this medicine long-term, you may need frequent medical tests.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking flurbiprofen?
Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of stomach bleeding.
Avoid taking aspirin while you are taking flurbiprofen.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any cold, allergy, or pain medicine. Many medicines available over the counter contain aspirin or other medicines similar to flurbiprofen. Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much of this type of medication. Check the label to see if a medicine contains aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen.
What are the possible side effects of flurbiprofen?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose; wheezing or trouble breathing; hives; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of a heart attack or stroke: chest pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, feeling short of breath.
Stop using flurbiprofen and call your doctor at once if you have:
- changes in your vision;
- the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild;
- shortness of breath (even with mild exertion);
- swelling or rapid weight gain;
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signs of stomach bleeding --bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
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liver problems --nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tired feeling, loss of appetite, flu-like symptoms, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
-
kidney problems --little or no urinating, painful or difficult urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, feeling tired or short of breath;
-
low red blood cells (anemia) --pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating; or
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severe skin reaction --fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.
Common side effects may include:
- indigestion, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting;
- confusion, tremors, feeling nervous;
- diarrhea, constipation;
- headache, dizziness, drowsiness;
- increased sweating, itching or rash; or
- ringing in your ears.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect flurbiprofen?
Ask your doctor before using flurbiprofen if you take an antidepressant such as citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline (Zoloft), trazodone, or vilazodone. Taking any of these medicines with an NSAID may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to use flurbiprofen if you are also using any of the following drugs:
- lithium;
- methotrexate;
- a blood thinner (warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven);
- heart or blood pressure medication, including a diuretic or "water pill"; or
- steroid medicine (such as prednisone).
This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with flurbiprofen, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about flurbiprofen.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 9.01. Revision date: 9/8/2015.
