Indomethacin Uses

Common uses of indomethacin include treating shoulder pain and relieving symptoms of conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Indomethacin is also used to treat symptoms of gout. "Off-label" uses include such things as the treatment of mild to moderate pain, symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, and pain or inflammation caused by other conditions.

Indomethacin Drug

Indomethacin Uses: An Overview

Indomethacin (Indocin^®) is a prescription medication that has been licensed to treat several conditions that cause pain, fever, inflammation, swelling, stiffness, or a combination of these.

Specific uses of this drug include the relief of:

Osteoarthritis symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
Symptoms with ankylosing spondylitis
Gout symptoms
Shoulder pain, including pain caused by tendonitis or bursitis.

Indomethacin is not a cure for the types of arthritis listed above; it does not slow the progression of arthritis.

How Does It Work?

Indomethacin and other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are thought to work by inhibiting the action of certain hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body. These hormones are called prostaglandins. It is believed that blocking the effects of prostaglandins is what makes indomethacin able to help alleviate pain, inflammation, and joint swelling associated with different forms of arthritis.

Can Children Use It?

Doctors do not generally recommend indomethacin for children under the age of 14.

Off-Label Uses of Indomethacin

On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend indomethacin for something other than the conditions discussed above. This is called an "off-label" use. Some examples of off-label indomethacin uses include the relief of:

Juvenile arthritis symptoms
Mild to moderate pain, such as lower back pain, neck pain, or leg pain
Fibromyalgia symptoms
Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms
Symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE for short, or lupus)
Pain or inflammation caused by other conditions.