A comparative trial of ketoprofen and ibuprofen in patients with rheumatic disease.

A comparative controlled study was carried out in 40 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthrosis or ankylosing spondylitis to assess the efficacy of ketoprofen and ibuprofen. Patients were allocated at random to receive either 100 mg ketoprofen twice daily or 400 mg ibuprofen 3-times daily over a period of 3 months. Subjective overall assessments of symptoms, based on rating scale scores for pain, duration of morning stiffness and inflammation, showed that there was a greater, more rapid and more sustained improvement in those patients treated with ketoprofen. Measurements of inflamed joint size and of grip strength also improved more with ketoprofen than with ibuprofen. Side-effects, notably nausea, epigastric discomfort and abdominal pain, were more frequent and severe with ketoprofen, leading to the withdrawal of 2 patients in the early stage of the trial, and were probably related to the high dosage used. Three patients receiving ibuprofen needed 7 injections of ACTH to control their symptoms.