Eccoxolac (etodolac)

Use with caution in

.

- Elderly people.
- History of disorders affecting the stomach or intestines.
- Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
- Kidney disease.
- Liver disease.
- Heart failure.
- Heart disease caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart (ischaemic heart disease), eg angina or history of heart attack.
- Disease of the blood vessels in and around the brain (cerebrovascular disease), eg history of stroke or mini-stroke.
- Poor circulation in the arteries of the legs or feet (peripheral arterial disease).
- History of high blood pressure.
- Raised levels of fats such as cholesterol in the blood (hyperlipidaemia).
- Diabetes.
- Smokers.
- History of asthma.
- History of allergies.
- People with blood clotting problems or taking anticoagulant medicines.
- Diseases affecting connective tissue, eg systemic lupus erythematosus.

Not to be used in

.

- People in whom aspirin or other NSAIDs, eg ibuprofen, cause allergic reactions such as asthma attacks, itchy rash (urticaria), nasal inflammation (rhinitis) or swelling of the lips, tongue and throat (angioedema).
- Active peptic ulcer or bleeding from the gut, or a history of this.
- People who have previously experienced bleeding or perforation of the gut as a result of taking an NSAID.
- Severe heart failure.
- Pregnancy.
- Breastfeeding.
- This medicine is not recommended for children.

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

- The manufacturer states that this medicine should not be used during pregnancy. This is particularly important in the first and third trimesters. If taken in the third trimester NSAIDs may delay labour, increase the length of labour and cause complications in the newborn baby. Some evidence suggests that NSAIDs should also be avoided by women attempting to conceive, as they may temporarily reduce female fertility during treatment and may also increase the risk of miscarriage or malformations. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- The safety of this medicine for use during breastfeeding has not been established. For this reason, the manufacturer states that it should be avoided by women who are breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways.

- Disturbances of the gut such as indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
- Excess gas in the stomach and intestines (flatulence).
- Inflammation of the lining of the mouth (stomatitis).
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Visual disturbances.
- Skin reactions such as rash and itch.
- Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash (photosensitivity).
- Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia).
- Drowsiness.
- Confusion.
- Depression.
- Retention of water in the body tissues (fluid retention), resulting in swelling (oedema).
- Sensation of ringing, or other noise in the ears (tinnitus).
- Difficulty in breathing (dyspnoea).
- Ulceration or bleeding in the stomach or intestines.
- Allergic reactions such as severe skin rashes, swelling of the lips, tongue and throat (angioedema) or narrowing of the airways (bronchospasm).
- Kidney, liver or blood disorders.

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. . For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.