Flurbiprofen and indomethacin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind crossover study

Abstract

A double-blind crossover study was carried out in 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to compare the effectiveness of 300 mg flurbiprofen daily with that of 150 mg indomethacin daily. Each drug was given in random order for 2 weeks, each period being preceded by a wash-out period of 2 weeks during which patients received paracetamol. With the exception of joint size and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, both drugs showed a statistically significant improvement when compared individually to baseline in all of the parameters assessed. There were no statistically significant differences between the two drugs when both treatments were compared. Three patients reported side-effects with flubiprofen and 3 with indomethacin, 1 of whom had to be withdrawn from the trial.