The need-to-know information about Meloxicam (Mobic)
MeloxicamSome pearls and fun nuggets
1. Meloxicam is gentle on the gut 💩 It has fewer gastrointestinal side effects than diclofenac,[9] piroxicam,[10] naproxen,[11] and perhaps all other NSAIDs which are not COX-2 selective.[9]
2. It’s pretty cheap💲In the United States the wholesale cost per dose is less than US$0.02 as of 2018.[6]
3. It’s quite popular 🎊 In 2016, it was the 36th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than 21 million prescriptions.[7]
4. Works great with a fatty diet 🍔Use of oral meloxicam following a high-fat breakfast was shown to increase the mean peak drug levels by about 22%. However, the manufacturer does not make any specific meal recommendations.
5. Meloxicam penetrates deep 🎯 Meloxicam concentrations in synovial fluid range from 40% to 50% of those in plasma. The free fraction in synovial fluid is 2.5 times higher than in plasma, due to the lower albumin content in synovial fluid as compared to plasma. The significance of this penetration is unknown,[15] but it may account for the fact that it performs exceptionally well in treatment of arthritis in animal models.[16]
Patient Perspectives
“Used 7.5mg now for most of 2018, Meh… It helps some but at 51 years old working outside this winter in OK not overly effective. Elbow joint pain intense on the outside… is that tennis elbow?! It has helped some on my shoulder and neck areas, so: Overall a 6-7 on pain relief”
“I had extreme sciatica pain radiating down my left leg to my foot. Only opioids would take away the pain. I didn’t want to be addicted to opioids so my back and bone doctor suggested that I try Meloxicam 15mg once a day. After four days of taking the meds all of my pain was gone and not just my leg but generally all over my body. I have just been through chemo and hormone therapy for cancer. The only side effect is mild upset stomach. I strongly advise eating something before taking the medicine.”
“I’ve been prescribed this medication for years for OA, and it really doesn’t do a whole lot for me…but it does do some, since I stopped taking for a while and realized it was about 30% effective.”
References
- Hawkey C, Kahan A, Steinbrück K, Alegre C, Baumelou E, Bégaud B, et al. (September 1998). “Gastrointestinal tolerability of meloxicam compared to diclofenac in osteoarthritis patients. International MELISSA Study Group. Meloxicam Large-scale International Study Safety Assessment”. British Journal of Rheumatology. 37 (9): 937–45. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/37.9.937. PMID 9783757.
- “NADAC as of 2018-12-19”. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS). Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- “Meloxicam official FDA information, side effects, and uses”. Drugs.com. March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- Engelhardt G, Homma D, Schlegel K, Utzmann R, Schnitzler C (October 1995). “Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and related properties of meloxicam, a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent with favourable gastrointestinal tolerance”. Inflammation Research. 44 (10): 423–33. doi:10.1007/BF01757699. PMID 8564518.
- Why every medic should love Deployed Medicine - November 8, 2020
- 3 Areas Where Medics Fall Short - November 7, 2020