Drug interactions
Cortisone + Diflunisal
Severity: Moderate
Cortisone and Diflunisal: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Concurrent use of an NSAID and a systemic corticosteroid increases the risk of peptic ulceration and gastrointestinal bleeding. The risk is higher in older patients and with longer treatment.
What this interaction means in plain words
Cortisone and Diflunisal can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive gastrointestinal mucosal injury: NSAIDs reduce protective prostaglandins while corticosteroids impair mucosal healing.
What to do
Use the shortest possible duration and consider a proton pump inhibitor for gastroprotection in at-risk patients. Counsel patients to report black stools or abdominal pain.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Diflunisal
- Diflunisal + Ketorolac Contraindicated
- Diflunisal + Ketorolac intranasal Contraindicated
- Acemetacin + Diflunisal Major
- Acetazolamide + Diflunisal Major
- Alteplase + Diflunisal Major
- Amiloride + Diflunisal Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Cortisone with Diflunisal?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Cortisone and Diflunisal can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Concurrent use of an NSAID and a systemic corticosteroid increases the risk of peptic ulceration and gastrointestinal bleeding. The risk is higher in older patients and with longer treatment.
How serious is the interaction between Cortisone and Diflunisal?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use the shortest possible duration and consider a proton pump inhibitor for gastroprotection in at-risk patients. Counsel patients to report black stools or abdominal pain.
What other medicines interact with Diflunisal?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Diflunisal with, for example, Ketorolac, Ketorolac intranasal, Acemetacin. The full list is on the Diflunisal page.
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