What is sulindac?
Sulindac is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Sulindac works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.
Sulindac is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis,
tendinitis, bursitis, or gout.
Sulindac may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What does sulindac look like?
Sulindac 150 mg-WAT
Sulindac 200 mg-SCH
Sulindac 150 mg-MYL
Sulindac 200 mg-MYL
Sulindac 200 mg-WAT
Sulindac 150 mg-SCH
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking sulindac?
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 this medicine 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 sulindac, or to aspirin or other
NSAIDs.
Before taking sulindac, 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, bowel problems,
diverticulosis;
-
liver or kidney disease;
-
asthma;
-
polyps in your nose; or
-
if you smoke.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment
or special tests to safely take sulindac.
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 sulindac during the last 3 months of pregnancy may result in birth defects.
Do not take sulindac during pregnancy unless your doctor has told you to.
It is not known whether sulindac 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 this medicine to a child without the advice of a doctor.
How should I take sulindac?
Take this medication 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. The maximum amount of sulindac for adults is 400 milligrams (mg) per
day. Know the amount of sulindac in the specific product you are taking.
If you take sulindac for a long period of time, your doctor may want to check you on a
regular basis to make sure this medication is not causing harmful effects. Do not miss any
scheduled visits to your doctor.
Store sulindac at room temperature, away from moisture, heat, and light.
What happens if I miss a dose of sulindac?
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.
Where can I get more information about sulindac?
Your pharmacist has information about sulindac written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of sulindac?
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 sulindac 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;
-
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; or
-
bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness.
Less serious side effects may include:
-
upset stomach, mild heartburn or stomach pain, diarrhea,
constipation; bloating, gas;
-
dizziness, headache, nervousness;
-
skin itching or rash;
-
dry mouth;
-
increased sweating, runny 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 at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about sulindac?
This medicine can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems,
including heart attack or stroke. 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.
This medicine 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 sulindac.
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.
What should I avoid while taking sulindac?
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 medicines
similar to sulindac (such as aspirin, 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 sulindac. Alcohol can increase the risk of stomach
bleeding.
What other drugs will affect sulindac?
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 sulindac may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.
Before taking sulindac, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
-
cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
-
a diuretic (water pill) such as furosemide (Lasix);
-
lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
-
methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);
-
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
-
steroids (prednisone and others); or
-
heart or blood pressure medication such as candesartan
(Atacand), eprosartan (Teveten), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar, Hyzaar), olmesartan
(Benicar), telmisartan (Micardis), or valsartan (Diovan);
-
oral diabetes medications such as glipizide (Glucotrol),
glimepiride (Amaryl, Duetact, Avandaryl), and others;
-
an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril
(Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril
(Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik);
or
-
aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) such as diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), fenoprofen (Nalfon), flurbiprofen
(Ansaid), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac
(Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), nabumetone (Relafen), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn),
piroxicam (Feldene), and others.
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact
with sulindac. 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.
What happens if I have an overdose of sulindac?
