Drug interactions
Dexamethasone + Ketorolac intranasal
Severity: Moderate
Dexamethasone and Ketorolac intranasal: 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
Combining systemic corticosteroids with ketorolac, an NSAID, raises the risk of gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding. Intranasal ketorolac is absorbed systemically, so the risk applies.
What this interaction means in plain words
Dexamethasone and Ketorolac intranasal 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
NSAID inhibition of protective prostaglandins combined with corticosteroid mucosal effects increases gastric injury.
What to do
Limit the duration of ketorolac to the labeled short course and consider gastroprotection with a proton pump inhibitor in high-risk patients.
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 Dexamethasone
- Bcg vaccine live + Dexamethasone Contraindicated
- Dexamethasone + Mifepristone Contraindicated
- Dexamethasone + Rilpivirine Contraindicated
- Dexamethasone + Smallpox vaccine live Contraindicated
- Dexamethasone + Varicella virus vaccine live Contraindicated
- Dexamethasone + Yellow fever vaccine Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Dexamethasone with Ketorolac intranasal?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Dexamethasone and Ketorolac intranasal 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. Combining systemic corticosteroids with ketorolac, an NSAID, raises the risk of gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding. Intranasal ketorolac is absorbed systemically, so the risk applies.
How serious is the interaction between Dexamethasone and Ketorolac intranasal?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Limit the duration of ketorolac to the labeled short course and consider gastroprotection with a proton pump inhibitor in high-risk patients.
What other medicines interact with Dexamethasone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Dexamethasone with, for example, Bcg vaccine live, Mifepristone, Rilpivirine. The full list is on the Dexamethasone page.
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