Ketorolac tromethamine (
Toradol®) is a prescription medication that has been licensed for the short-term relief of moderate to severe pain. Short-term is defined as no longer than five days for adults. Children should not receive more than one dose of ketorolac.
Ketorolac is most often used to treat pain following a procedure but may also be used for such things as pain caused by
kidney stones,
back pain, or cancer pain.
Ketorolac belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or
NSAIDs for short.
Toradol is manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals. Several companies (such as Mylan Laboratories and Teva Pharmaceuticals) manufacture generic forms of ketorolac.
Ketorolac and other NSAIDs are thought to work by inhibiting the action of certain hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body. These hormones are called prostaglandins.
It is thought that blocking the effects of prostaglandins is what makes ketorolac useful for reducing pain. In clinical studies, ketorolac was as effective as lower doses of narcotics at treating pain. When it was combined with narcotic pain medicines (such as morphine), it decreased the amount of narcotics needed. Also, pain relief was significantly better in those receiving ketorolac and morphine compared to those receiving morphine alone.
Pain relief usually begins about 30 minutes after ketorolac is received. The maximum effect of ketorolac occurs within two to three hours and lasts on average four to six hours.
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