What it is used for
- Relieving pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory joint disease
- Relieving painful flares of osteoarthritis or inflammatory spinal disease
- Treating selected attacks of acute gout
- Relieving painful inflammation after injury or in soft tissues
How it is used
- Take the capsule only as prescribed with water and follow the leaflet's advice about food
- Swallow a modified-release capsule whole without crushing or chewing it
- Do not combine it with ibuprofen, diclofenac, analgesic aspirin or another anti-inflammatory medicine
- Use it for the shortest period set by the doctor and do not alter the dose yourself
- Before starting, report any previous ulcer or bleeding, heart, kidney or liver disease and every medicine
Possible side effects
- Indigestion, stomach pain or nausea
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Headache or dizziness
- Fluid retention, swelling or raised blood pressure
- Rash or itching
Who should not use it
- Allergy to acemetacin, indometacin, aspirin or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine
- Active or recurrent stomach or bowel ulcer or bleeding, or previous bleeding caused by an anti-inflammatory
- Severe heart, kidney or liver failure
- The final trimester of pregnancy
Before and while using it
- Black stools, vomiting blood or severe stomach pain can indicate bleeding or ulcer and needs emergency care
- Chest pain, sudden weakness or difficulty speaking can indicate heart attack or stroke
- Reduced urine, leg swelling or breathlessness can indicate kidney or heart injury
- Blistering rash, peeling skin or facial swelling requires stopping and urgent help
- It can mask fever and infection symptoms; deterioration during infection needs review
- Older people and those with asthma, high blood pressure or bowel disease need closer monitoring
Medicine interactions
- Anticoagulants, antiplatelets, corticosteroids and selected antidepressants increase bleeding risk
- ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers and diuretics can increase kidney injury and weaken blood-pressure control
- Lithium, methotrexate or digoxin levels can rise and cause toxicity
- Other anti-inflammatory medicines and ciclosporin or tacrolimus increase stomach or kidney risk
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning pregnancy; it is contraindicated in the final trimester and can affect pregnancy and fertility earlier
- It is generally not recommended during breastfeeding and the doctor chooses a more suitable alternative
How to store it
- Keep capsules in their pack as the leaflet directs, protected from moisture and heat and out of children's reach
Get medical help straight away if
- Your face, lips or tongue swell, or you find it hard to breathe.
- You get a severe rash, blistering or peeling skin.
- A side effect worries you or doesn’t go away: contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Questions about this medicine?
Talk to a doctor by video, or send your question by text.
Source: Standard international medicine references
This guide is general information and doesn’t replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Don’t start, stop or change a medicine without asking them, and always read the leaflet in the pack.