What is Meloxicam, Know its Dosage, Side Effects and Effectiveness in Treating Arthritis Symptoms

Meloxicam is a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID), prescription drug that is sold under the brand name, Mobic which is used to treat inflammation, swelling as well as pain caused due to Arthritis. The drug is available in both tablet as well as suspension dosage forms.

Arthritis is a medical condition accompanied by joint pain, inflammation as well as tenderness in the joint muscles. There are at least 100 various types of Arthritis known till date. People of all ages and gender are susceptible to it, however it is more common in women and elderly population. The symptoms of Arthritis can be so intense, that it can decrease the range of motion of the joints and leads to a disability kind of situation. Physicians prescribe Meloxicam to take a counter onto the signs and symptoms of Arthritis.

Meloxicam is a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID), which works by acting on the enzyme that produces prostaglandins in the body and block it by attaching itself to the neuro receptors of the enzyme. Prostaglandins is responsible for causing inflammation in the body, especially in the joints. Therefore, by cutting down the levels of prostaglandins in the body, the level of inflammation reduces, thereby reducing the pain and tenderness in the joints.

Thus by reducing the levels of prostaglandins in the body, meloxicam shows its effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of Arthritis.

As per physicians, Meloxicam has been found effective in reducing the symptoms of Arthritis. Although, there at least 100 known forms of Arthritis, however, meloxicam is highly effective in treating the symptoms caused during:-

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Idiopathic Arthritis
• uvenile Rheumatoid.

Meloxicam usually starts showing the positive effects in the human body within 1-2 hours of its consumption, depending upon the prevailing conditions. Since, the drug is effective in treating the signs and symptoms of Arthritis, therefore, the physician may continue the medication till the underlying cause for Arthritis may get treated.

Meloxicam is available in both tablet as well as suspension. As tablet, meloxicam is available in dosage strengths of 7.5 mg and 15 mg whereas as suspension, it is available as 7.5 mg/ 5 mL. The dosage strength is decided based on the age, weight, height, prevalent medical condition and severity of the condition. Try to comply with the medication regime, as suggested by your physician, to have desired results.

Side effects are the undesirable changes that happen in the human body after the consumption of a medication in normal doses, as recommended by the physician. It is very important to keep a note of these undesirable changes and report it immediately to your physician or pharmacist, in order to take appropriate action, on time and avoid any permanent damage to the body.

Following are some of the most common side effects of meloxicam:-

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Rashes or itching on the body
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Headache
• Dizziness

The following side effects of Meloxicam may be potentially life threatening and therefore it is very important to report these side effects to your physician or pharmacist as soon as possible:-

Following are the symptoms:-

• Blood in the stools
• Stomach pain ranging from mild to severe
• Stools may turn out black and sticky in color
• Blood in the vomiting

Following are the symptoms:-

• Trouble in breathing
• Pain in the chest or discomfort
• Cold sweat
• Discomfort or pain in the arm(s), shoulders, back, jaw, neck or in the area above belly region.

Following are the symptoms:-

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Pale stools
• Dark urine
• Change in color of the skin as well as eyes to yellow
• Loss of appetite
• Pain in the stomach ranging from mile to severe

Following are the symptoms:-

• Dizziness
• Weakness or numbness in the arm, face or legs
• Slight impairment of the vision
• Sudden confusion
• Trouble in interpreting as well as speaking
• Loss of sense of body balance coordination leading to difficulty in walking
• Headache ranging from mild to severe

Following are the symptoms:-

• Swelling in the ankles, feet or hand
• Rapid weight gain

Following are the symptoms:-

• Bleeding through nose
• Headache ranging from mild to severe
• Frequent episodes of dizziness

Following are the symptoms:-

• Blisters on the skin
• Red rashes
• Peeling of the skin

Following are the symptoms:-

• Pain while urinating
• Change in the frequency of the urination

While getting diagnosed for Arthritis, be sure to let your physician know about your pre-existing medical condition(s). This will help the physician decide if prescribing meloxicam is medically safe for your body or not. Following are the medical conditions about which you should be really careful about:-

Let your physician know about your medical condition of high blood pressure and the medications you are taking for it as consuming meloxicam in case of high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.

Consuming meloxicam if you have a blockage in the heart can increase the risk of blood clot by increasing the platelet levels in the blood. Hence the chances of stroke or heart attack increases.

Meloxicam acts as a poison for patients suffering from liver disease. It can further aggravate the liver damage and affect the functioning of the liver.

Let your physician know about your previous episodes of stomach ulcers and/or bleeding as consuming meloxicam can cause relapse.

It is very important for the physician to know if you are asthmatic as taking meloxicam can lead to bronchial spasms as well as difficulty in breathing.

Consuming meloxicam by a patient having kidney disorder can lead to further decrease in the kidney functioning. Continued consumption of meloxicam can result out into a permanent kidney damage. However, certain research studies claim that quitting meloxicam at the right time (just before the kidney damage) can reverse the changes.

Consuming meloxicam during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester can increase the risk of negative effects on the fetus. Your physician is the best person to decide if consuming meloxicam during pregnancy proves out to be a potential benefit and overrides the potential risk or not.

In case, if you planning to conceive, stop consuming meloxicam after consulting with your physician as meloxicam leads to a reversible delay in the ovulation.

Let your physician know, if you are breastfeeding your child as there are certain studies that claim the fact that meloxicam may pass on to the child while breast feeding.

Consuming meloxicam post 65 years of age can prove out to be hazardous as the risk of developing side effects increase to several folds.

It is important to share your medication regime with your physician while consulting him for Arthritis. This lets the physician become aware of your current list of medication and thereby let him evaluate, if prescribing meloxicam along with your current list of medication, would be a safe option or it shall lead to contra-indications.

Following are the list of medications that contra-indicate with meloxicam:-

Taking meloxicam along with NSAIDs shall lead to problems like ulcers, indigestion as well as bleeding. Following are some of the examples of NSAIDs:-

• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen
• Naproxen
• Indomethacin

Consumption of meloxicam suspension with potassium lowering drug like sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Brand Name – Kayexalate) can lead to a severe damage to the intestine and can further turn out to be fatal.

Consuming meloxicam along with anti-rheumatic drug like methotrexate may cause building up of methotrexate in the body. This leads to various side effects like decrease in the RBC count, liver damage, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

Consuming meloxicam along with anticoagulants may lead to increase in the risk of bleeding. Following are some of the anticoagulants that should be avoided with meloxicam:-

• Ticlopidine
• Warfarin
• Rivaroxaban
• Clopidogrel

• Meloxicam inhibits the action of Angiotensin II receptor blockers and Angiotensin converting enzyme/ ACE inhibitors and hence the latter is not able to decrease the blood pressure
• Similarly prescribing meloxicam with diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide may inhibit its action and therefore the diuretics may not be remove water or lower down the blood pressure, hence may lead to edema.

Combining meloxicam along with citalopram (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and venlafaxine (selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) raises the risk of bleeding.

Consuming meloxicam along with lithium may lead to the accumulation of the latter in the blood and hence cause confusion, stomach issues, loss in control of muscle movement and reflexes. Normally this contraindication happens at higher doses of meloxicam i.e. at 15 mg.

Your physician should be aware of your current medication regime and therefore please make all the efforts to share with him the prescription that you are already taking. This will not only help him prescribe you the right medication which shall show its effectiveness and efficiency in treating the disease or the symptoms, but shall also make sure that you get well on time without any undesirable side effects or medication errors.

Also Read:

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