Ketoprofen Coupons & Prices

Looking for a ketoprofen coupon? Ketoprofen is a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to relieve the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and, in the immediate-release capsule form, mild to moderate pain and menstrual cramps. It is sold only as a generic in the U.S. today, and the cash price still swings a lot from one pharmacy counter to the next in the same town. Rx.com compares cash prices at more than 60,000 pharmacies and gives you a free discount coupon you can hand to the pharmacist. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's ketoprofen price near you.

What is ketoprofen and how does it work?

Ketoprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in the propionic acid family, the same broad family as ibuprofen and naproxen. It works by blocking COX-1 and COX-2, two enzymes your body uses to make prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are the chemical messengers that drive pain, swelling, and fever, so turning them down eases joint pain and inflammation.

Prescription ketoprofen capsules are FDA-approved to relieve the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Immediate-release capsules are also approved for mild to moderate pain and for primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps). The extended-release, once-daily capsule is approved only for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, not for short-term or acute pain. Ketoprofen must not be used for pain around coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) heart surgery.

Ketoprofen cost and coupons without insurance

There is no brand of ketoprofen on the U.S. market anymore. Orudis, Oruvail, Actron, Orudis KT, and Nexcede have all been discontinued, so only generic ketoprofen remains. Because ketoprofen is generic-only, there is no manufacturer savings card to chase, which makes a cash discount coupon the main way to bring the price down.

The catch is that cash prices for the same generic capsule are set independently by each pharmacy chain, and they are not close to each other. Two stores a few miles apart can charge very different amounts for the identical bottle. Prices vary by pharmacy and by location, so it is worth comparing before you fill.

• Enter your ZIP code above to see today's ketoprofen price at pharmacies near you.
• Print, text, or show the free Rx.com coupon at the counter. There is no membership fee and no insurance needed.
• Ask the pharmacist to run the coupon as a cash discount. Sometimes that beats your insurance copay, so it is fair to ask which is lower.
• Ask your prescriber whether a larger day supply (for example a 90-day fill) makes sense for an ongoing arthritis prescription, since the per-capsule cost often drops.

Ketoprofen vs. other NSAIDs

Ketoprofen is one of many NSAIDs, and all of them share the same basic mechanism and the same class-wide heart and stomach risks. Which one works best is very individual: people who get little relief from one NSAID sometimes do well on another, so prescribers often try a different agent rather than pushing the dose higher. Common alternatives, all available as generics, include:

• Ibuprofen and naproxen — the most familiar propionic acid NSAIDs; both also come in lower-strength over-the-counter versions.
• Meloxicam and nabumetone — once-daily options often used for ongoing arthritis.
• Diclofenac and etodolac — other prescription NSAIDs for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Indomethacin — a potent older NSAID.
• Celecoxib — a COX-2 selective NSAID, which is sometimes chosen when stomach tolerance is the main concern.

Never take two NSAIDs at the same time, including over-the-counter ibuprofen or naproxen on top of prescription ketoprofen. If cost is what is driving the question, compare the cash price of each option on Rx.com before you and your prescriber decide.

Ketoprofen safety: what to know

Ketoprofen carries two FDA boxed warnings that apply to NSAIDs as a class. First, cardiovascular thrombotic events: NSAIDs raise the risk of serious and potentially fatal heart attack and stroke. The risk may increase the longer you use the drug and is higher in people who already have heart disease or heart risk factors. Ketoprofen is contraindicated for pain around CABG heart surgery. Second, gastrointestinal bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach or intestines, which can be fatal, can happen at any time and without warning symptoms; older adults are at the greatest risk.

Other important cautions: do not take ketoprofen if you have had asthma, hives, or an allergic-type reaction after aspirin or another NSAID. It can cause kidney injury (especially in older adults, in dehydration or heart failure, or when taken with ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or diuretics), fluid retention and swelling, new or worsening high blood pressure, liver injury, and rarely serious skin reactions. It also thins the blood by blocking platelets, so bleeding risk goes up with anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, SSRIs, or steroids. Avoid ketoprofen starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later. The label directs that a smaller starting dose be used in small or debilitated (frail) individuals, in elderly patients, and in people with kidney or liver disease. Use the lowest dose that works, for the shortest time. This is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your own health history before starting or stopping ketoprofen.