What is Etodolac? 

Etodolac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs). It works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body. NSAIDs treat the symptoms of pain and inflammation. They do not treat the disease that causes those symptoms. 

Etodolac is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by arthritis or osteoarthritis. 

Etodolac may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. 

Important information about etodolac 

Etodolac can increase your risk of life-threatening  heart or circulation problems, including heart  attack or stroke.  This risk will increase the longer  you use etodolac. Do not use this medicine just before  or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft,  or CABG). 

Seek  emergency medical help if you have symptoms of heart or circulation problems, such as  chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech,  or problems with vision  or balance. 

Etodolac can also increase your risk  of serious effects on  the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole).  These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning  at any time while you are taking etodolac. Older adults may have an even greater risk  of these serious gastrointestinal side effects. 

Call your doctor at once  if you have symptoms of  bleeding in your stomach or intestines. This includes black, bloody,  or tarry stools,  or coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. 

Do not use any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or pain medication without first asking  your doctor or pharmacist. Many medicines available over  the counter contain aspirin or other medicines similar  to etodolac (such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen). If  you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of this type of medication. Read  the label  of any other medicine you are using  to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen. Do not drink alcohol while taking etodolac. Alcohol can increase  the risk of stomach bleeding caused by etodolac. Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Etodolac can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. 

Before taking etodolac 

Taking an NSAID can increase your risk of life-threatening heart  or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk  will increase  the longer  you use an NSAID. Do not use  etodolac just before or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG). 

NSAIDs can also increase  your risk of serious effects on  the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal  and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking an NSAID. Older adults may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects. 

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to etodolac,  or if you have a history of allergic reaction to aspirin or other NSAIDs. 

Before taking etodolac, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: 

• a history of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot; 
• heart disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure; 
• a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding; 
• liver or kidney disease, 
• asthma; 
• polyps in your nose; 
• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder; or 
• if you smoke. 
• If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take etodolac. 

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you  are pregnant or plan  to become pregnant during treatment. Taking etodolac during  the last 3 months  of pregnancy may harm  the unborn baby. Do not take etodolac during pregnancy unless your doctor has told you to. It is not known whether etodolac passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you  are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give etodolac  to a child younger than 6 years old without  the advice  of a doctor. 

How should I take etodolac?

Take etodolac exactly as it was prescribed for you.  Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. 

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet.  Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. It may take up to 2 weeks of using etodolac before your symptoms improve. For best results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms  do not improve. 

If you take  etodolac for a long period of time,  your doctor may want to check  you on a regular basis to make sure etodolac is not causing harmful effects. Do not miss any scheduled visits to  your doctor. 

etodolac can cause  you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using etodolac. 

Store etodolac at room temperature away from moisture and heat. 

What happens if I miss a dose? 
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time  for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the  medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. 

What happens if I overdose? 
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms  may include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, drowsiness, black  or bloody stools, coughing up blood, shallow breathing, fainting, or coma. 

What should I avoid while taking etodolac? 
When using etodolac do not use any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or pain  medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Many medicines available over  the counter contain aspirin or other medicines similar to etodolac (such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen). If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much  of this type  of medication. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen.  Do not drink alcohol while taking etodolac. Alcohol can increase the risk  of stomach bleeding caused by etodolac. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Etodolac may increase  the sensitivity of the skin  to sunlight. Use a sunscreen  and wear protective clothing when exposure  to the sun is unavoidable. 

Etodolac side effects 

• Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of  your face, lips, tongue,  or throat. Stop taking etodolac and seek medical attention or  call your doctor  at once if you have any of these serious side effects: 
• chest pain, weakness, shortness  of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance; 
• black, bloody, or tarry stools; 
• coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds; 
• swelling or rapid weight gain; 
• urinating less than usual or not at all; 
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss  of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); 
• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; 
• bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness; or 
• fever, headache, neck stiffness, chills, increased sensitivity to light, purple spots on the skin, and/or seizure (convulsions). 
• Less serious etodolac side effects may include: 
• upset stomach, mild heartburn or  stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation; 
• bloating, gas; 
• dizziness, headache, nervousness; 
• skin itching or rash; 
• sore throat, stuffy nose; 
• blurred vision;  or
• ringing in your ears. 

This is not  a complete list  of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA 

What other drugs will affect etodolac? 
Tell  your doctor if  you are taking an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), or venlafaxine (Effexor). Taking any of these drugs with  etodolac may cause you  to bruise or bleed easily. 

Before taking etodolac, tell  your doctor if  you are taking any of the following drugs: 

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); 
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune); 
• digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin); 
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); 
• methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall); 
• a diuretic (water pills) such as furosemide (Lasix); 
• steroids (prednisone and others); 
• aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), piroxicam (Feldene), and others; or 
• an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), ramipril (Altace), and others. 

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with etodolac. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. 

Where can I get more information? 

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about etodolac. 
• 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.