Indomethacin overdose
Indomethacin is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It is used to relieve pain, swelling, and inflammation. Indomethacin overdose occurs when someone takes more than the normal or recommended amount of this medicine. This can be by accident or on purpose.
This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with has an overdose, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Overdose
An overdose is when you take more than the recommended amount of something, often a medicine or drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful sym...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticlePoisonous Ingredient
Indomethacin can be harmful in large amounts.
Where Found
Indocin is the name of the medicine that contains indomethacin.
Symptoms
Below are symptoms of an indomethacin overdose in different parts of the body.
EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT
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Blurred vision
Blurred vision
There are many types of eye problems and vision disturbances, such as: Halos Blurred vision (the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see...
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Ringing in the ears
Ringing in the ears
Tinnitus is the medical term for "hearing" noises in your ears. It occurs when there is no outside source of the sounds. Tinnitus is often called "r...
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BLADDER AND KIDNEYS
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Little or no urine output
Little or no urine output
Decreased urine output means that you produce less urine than normal. Most adults make at least 500 milliliters of urine in 24 hours (a little over ...
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HEART AND BLOOD
- Chest pain
-
High or low blood pressure
High
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleLow blood pressure
Low blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may not get enough...
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- Edema (swelling in the body or legs)
STOMACH AND INTESTINES
- Diarrhea
- Nausea (common)
- Possible bleeding in the stomach and intestines
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting (common, sometimes with blood)
LUNGS AND AIRWAYS
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Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing
Breathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough air
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Wheezing
Wheezing
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound during breathing. It occurs when air moves through narrowed breathing tubes in the lungs.
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NERVOUS SYSTEM
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Headache
Headache
A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...
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Agitation
Agitation
Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal. An agitated person may feel stirred up, excited, tense, confused, or irritable.
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Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness) in severe overdoses
Coma
Decreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...
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Confusion
Confusion
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...
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Delirium (person is not making sense)
Delirium
Delirium is sudden severe confusion due to rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.
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Drowsiness
Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...
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- Numbness and tingling
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Seizures in severe overdoses
Seizures
A seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term "seizure" is often...
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Unsteadiness
Unsteadiness
Walking abnormalities can be caused by many different types of problems. Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities),...
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SKIN
- Blistering rash
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Bruising
Bruising
A bruise is an area of skin discoloration. A bruise occurs when small blood vessels break and leak their contents into the soft tissue beneath the s...
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Sweating
Sweating
Sweating is the release of liquid from the body's sweat glands. This liquid contains salt. This process is also called perspiration. Sweating helps...
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Home Care
Seek medical help right away. Do not make a person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to do so.
Before Calling Emergency
Have this information ready:
- Person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (and strength, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
- If the medicine was prescribed for the person
Poison Control
Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Poison control center
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleThis is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
Vital signs
Vital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...
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- Blood and urine tests
- Chest x-ray
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Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
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Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to check for burns in the esophagus and stomach
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...
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- Fluids through a vein (by IV)
- Medicine to treat symptoms
- Activated charcoal
- Laxative
- Tube through the mouth into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
Gastric lavage
Gastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)
Ventilator
A ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...
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Outlook (Prognosis)
How well someone does depends on how much indomethacin was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster the medical help is received, the better the chance for recovery.
A mild overdose of this medicine does not usually cause serious problems. There may be some stomach pain and vomiting (possibly with blood).
However, a large amount of internal bleeding is possible, and a blood transfusion may be needed. Endoscopy may be needed to stop the internal bleeding.
In rare cases, there can be ringing in the ears and a bad headache. But these symptoms will likely pass as well.
If kidney damage is severe, dialysis (kidney machine) may be needed until kidney function returns. In some cases, the damage is permanent.
A large overdose can be very harmful to children and adults. Death may occur.
Reviewed By
Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Aronson JK. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:236-272.
Hatten BW. Aspirin and nonsteroidal agents. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 139.
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