Drug & supplement interaction

Adrafinil + Indomethacin

Indomethacin brand names: Indocin, Indocin SR, Indo-Lemmon, Indomethagan, Tivorbex.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Adrafinil has a moderate interaction with Indomethacin. Theoretically, adrafinil might increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP2C9 substrates.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Adrafinil and Indomethacin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Indomethacin

Indomethacin falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Adrafinil interacts with.

Theoretically, adrafinil might increase the levels and clinical effects of CYP2C9 substrates.
Adrafinil is a precursor to the stimulant prescription drug modafinil. Modafinil has been shown to reduce CYP2C9 expression in vitro.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist: your body clears indomethacin partly through a liver enzyme called CYP2C9. Adrafinil turns into modafinil in your body, and lab studies suggest modafinil can dial down that same enzyme. If that happens, indomethacin could clear more slowly and build up a bit, which might mean stronger effects and more side effects than usual.

For indomethacin, that could look like stomach upset, heartburn, an increased risk of ulcers or stomach bleeding, headaches, dizziness, or fluid retention and higher blood pressure. I want to be honest though: this is theoretical, based only on lab data, not real patients, so it may not amount to much in practice. Still, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Urban AE, Cubala WJ. The role of eugeroics in the treatment of affective disorders. Psychiatr Pol. 2020;54(1):21-33. PubMed
  2. Kumar R. Approved and investigational uses of modafinil: an evidence-based review. Drugs. 2008;68(13):1803-39. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Adrafinil Also Interacts With Other Medications

Adrafinil has 1 major, 1,055 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Indomethacin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Adrafinil

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Adrafinil. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Adrafinil or Indomethacin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Adrafinil or Indomethacin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Indomethacin

This page covers Adrafinil only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Indomethacin page lists 100 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 68 moderate · 27 minor.

Open the Indomethacin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Adrafinil as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 7 real supplement products containing Adrafinil, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Adrafinil. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Indomethacin too, on top of Adrafinil — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Adrafinil and Indomethacin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Adrafinil
Top half

#643 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Indomethacin
Steady interest

#2,105 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Adrafinil

What is Adrafinil?

Adrafinil
  • Wakefulness and alertness
  • Fatigue
  • Focus and concentration
  • Cognitive enhancement (nootropic)
  • Daytime sleepiness

Adrafinil is a synthetic compound that the body converts into modafinil, a prescription wakefulness-promoting drug. It is sometimes sold as a nootropic supplement, but it is unregulated, carries real risks (especially to the liver), and is banned in some sports and countries. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Read the full Adrafinil monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Indomethacin

What Is Indomethacin Used For?

Brand names: Indocin, Indocin SR, Indo-Lemmon, Indomethagan, Tivorbex

Indomethacin oral suspension and rectal suppository forms (including Indocin oral suspension and Indocin suppositories) are used to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (including acute flares), moderate to severe ankylosing spondylitis (spine inflammation), moderate to severe osteoarthritis, acute painful shoulder (bursitis and/or tendinitis), and acute gouty arthritis. Oral capsules — both immediate-release and extended-release — share these same approved uses, except that extended-release capsules are not approved for acute gouty arthritis.

Indomethacin for Injection (intravenous) is a completely separate use: it is given to premature infants to close a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (a blood vessel near the heart that should close after birth but hasn't) when standard medical management has not worked.

See full Indomethacin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Adrafinil

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Adrafinil — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

1Major
1,055Moderate
0Minor
1,773No known interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

1,055 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,055 moderate interactions — see all 1,055 on the Adrafinil page.

No interaction 1,773 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Adrafinil and Indomethacin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Adrafinil with Indomethacin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Adrafinil and Indomethacin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Indomethacin and Adrafinil?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.