http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/indocin
http://www.drugcite.com/?q=indomethacin
These numbers seem small because very few people today use indomethacin regularly. Doctors just will not give it. It remains the most dangerous NSAID.
This site give actual statistics for all NSAIDs... but it is from the late 90's...
http://americannutritionassociation..../deadly-nsaids
The drug industry tried to reduce this risk by making Cox-2 types, to spare the Cox-1 effects. But this failed and all but Celebrex were recalled. The Cox-2 blocking types, Vioxx and Bextra created heart attack and stroke, because there is a vital Cox-2 cytokine made in the kidney that dilates blood vessels, (a beneficial effect)....called prostacyclin. Most of the Cox-2 cytokines are involved however in inflammation. So the strong Cox-2 blockers were taken off the market. Celebrex remains, and contains the warnings for heart disease, but it has been a rather weak Cox-2 blocker.
Indomethacin remains for certain types of headache, and for short term (a few days) treatment for gout attacks, but is rarely used today because of its risks. Indocin is given to newborns to close a patent ductus --a blood vessel that is supposed to close on its own after birth. This vessel bypasses the lungs in utero.
http://americannutritionassociation..../deadly-nsaids
However, indomethacin has potentially terrible side effects, and some doctors use alternate NSAIDs for patent ductus.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/articl...nt#aw2aab6b6b2
The brand name Indocin oral form is no longer available in the US. Only generics. This is because of liability factors. It was originally marketed by Merck.
