Hey all, here’s a quick post…

 

I had a lady come in with a prescription for Lodine, and she wanted to know if it was like codeine. 

 

Makes sense right, the –ine at the end of both of the drug names makes them sound alike.  You would think they’d be related, but they actually are not!

 

Lodine is part of the class of medications called NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).  You may recognize the names Motrin or Advil (both are brand names for ibuprofen) – they are available OTC and are also part of the NSAID group of medications, so Lodine is very similar to them. 

 

Unlike Advil or Motrin, you need a prescription to get Lodine.

 

Lodine is used to treat mild to moderate pain and decrease swelling.

 

Codeine belongs to the group of narcotic pain medications that are used to treat or prevent moderate to severe pain. 

 

Codeine DOES NOT help to decrease swelling at all – it is a stronger pain reliever than Lodine, but Lodine has the added benefit of being able to get rid of some swelling that may be causing a problem. 

 

Lodine has a generic called etodolac, so if you bring a prescription for Lodine to the pharmacy, you will most likely end up leaving with the etodolac in your prescription bottle!

 

The lady didn’t end up filling her prescription – guess she wanted the good stuff!

 

Leave a comment and let us know what you are thinking.  Feel free to throw me an e-mail at cate@getpharmacyadvice.com too.

 

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