Drug interactions
Ketorolac + Triamcinolone
Severity: Major
Ketorolac and Triamcinolone: major 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
Ketorolac carries a particularly high risk of gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, and adding a corticosteroid increases that risk further. Ketorolac is limited to short courses because of this toxicity.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ketorolac and Triamcinolone can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Ketorolac belongs to Musculoskeletal; Triamcinolone belongs to Endocrine.
Why it happens
Additive gastrointestinal mucosal injury: ketorolac inhibits protective prostaglandin synthesis while corticosteroids impair mucosal healing.
What to do
Keep ketorolac to the shortest course permitted by labeling and consider an alternative analgesic if possible. Add gastroprotection with a proton pump inhibitor and monitor for GI bleeding.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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Other interactions of Triamcinolone
- Smallpox vaccine live + Triamcinolone Contraindicated
- Triamcinolone + Zoster vaccine live Contraindicated
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Triamcinolone Major
- Aldesleukin + Triamcinolone Major
- Atazanavir + Triamcinolone Major
- Axicabtagene ciloleucel + Triamcinolone Major
Other interactions of Ketorolac
- Aceclofenac + Ketorolac Contraindicated
- Acemetacin + Ketorolac Contraindicated
- Acetylsalicylic acid + Ketorolac Contraindicated
- Apixaban + Ketorolac Contraindicated
- Argatroban + Ketorolac Contraindicated
- Aspirin / citric acid / sodium bicarbonate + Ketorolac Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ketorolac with Triamcinolone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Ketorolac and Triamcinolone can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Ketorolac carries a particularly high risk of gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, and adding a corticosteroid increases that risk further. Ketorolac is limited to short courses because of this toxicity.
How serious is the interaction between Ketorolac and Triamcinolone?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Keep ketorolac to the shortest course permitted by labeling and consider an alternative analgesic if possible. Add gastroprotection with a proton pump inhibitor and monitor for GI bleeding.
What other medicines interact with Triamcinolone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Triamcinolone with, for example, Smallpox vaccine live, Zoster vaccine live, Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live. The full list is on the Triamcinolone page.
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