Meloxicam tablets

Meloxicam is a type of medicine called a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The active substance meloxicam reduces pain in the muscles and joints. It also reduces swelling in the joints. Meloxicam used to relieve inflammation and pain in the following conditions:

• Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• Bechterew’s disease (ankylosing spondylitis).

Meloxicam should be taken as a single daily dose with water or another

liquid and together with food.

General guidelines for use are listed below.

Short-term treatment (for flare-ups of osteoarthritis):

The recommended dose for the treatment of osteoarthritis is 7.5 mg/day (i.e., one tablet of 7.5 mg once daily or half a tablet of 15 mg once daily). This may be increased by your doctor to 15 mg/day (i.e., two tablets of 7.5 mg once daily, or one tablet of 15 mg once daily) if the effect is too weak.

Long-term treatment (for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis):

The recommended dose for pain from rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis is 15 mg/day (i.e., two tablets of 7.5 mg once daily or one tablet of 15 mg once daily). Your doctor may reduce the dose to 7.5 mg per day (i.e., one tablet of 7.5 mg once daily or half tablet of 15 mg once daily) depending on your response to treatment.

Never exceed a dose of 15 mg a day.

Some patients require a different dose (see the package leaflet for more information).

If you take more Meloxicam than you should

If you accidentally take more tablets than your prescribed dose, you may feel sleepy, tired, or may feel or be sick (suffer from nausea or vomiting) or have pain in the abdomen. Contact your nearest hospital casualty department or tell your doctor immediately. Take this leaflet and any tablets you still have with you.

If you forget to take Meloxicam

If you forget to take a dose, do so as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten dose.

For more information on use and dosage of Meloxicam, please see the package leaflet.

Do not take Meloxicam if:

• You are allergic to meloxicam or any of the other ingredients of this medicine. An allergic reaction may include rash, itching, swelling of face, lips, or hands/feet, or breathing difficulties.
• You are in the last three months (third trimester) of your pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• You have previously had an allergic reaction to other NSAIDs or to acetylsalicylic acid (medicine used in pain, inflammation and fever).
• You have suffered from asthma like wheezing, swelling of skin or hives (urticaria) after taking NSAIDs in the past.
• You have a blocked nose or difficulty in breathing through your nose after taking NSAIDs or aspirin in the past. These may be due to a fleshy growth in the nose called nasal polyps.
• You have an ulcer of the stomach or intestine (commonly called peptic ulcer), or have had them repeatedly in the past.
• You have bleeding in your stomach or intestine (gastrointestinal bleeding), any other bleeding disorder or had bleeding inside the brain (cerebrovascular bleeding).
• You have had gastrointestinal bleeding or perforation with the use of NSAID therapy at any time in the past.
• You have severe problems with your liver.
• You have severe problems with your kidney(s) and are not on dialysis.
• You suffer from severe heart failure (heart failure is a condition where your heart fails to pump blood strongly enough to supply all the blood needed throughout the body).

Children and adolescents under the age of 16 years must not take Meloxicam tablets.

Note: there are more warnings and precautions associated with Meloxicam. All risks and precautions are listed in the package leaflet. Consult a doctor if you are not sure if Meloxicam is suitable for you.

Other medicines and Meloxicam

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Meloxicam may interact with other medicines. There may be interference between Meloxicam and some medicines. For a list of these medicines, please see the package leaflet.

• Meloxicam tablets may cause visual disturbances, drowsiness and/or dizziness. These may affect your ability to drive and use machines. Make sure you know how you react to Meloxicam tablets before you drive, use machines, or engage in any other activity that could be dangerous if you are not alert.
• During the last three months of pregnancy, do not use this product because Meloxicam can have serious effects on your child. See the package leaflet for more information.
• Meloxicam tablets must not be taken if you are breastfeeding.

You can get Meloxicam tablets at the pharmacy with a prescription. The doctor can write a prescription after an online consultation.

Would you like to know what Meloxicam tablets cost? Check our order page for the current price. The price includes the cost of the online consultation and a service fee.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects have been reported:

Serious side effects

If any of the following happen, stop taking Meloxicam tablets and tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital immediately:

• Potentially life-threatening skin rashes (Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis) have been reported (see the package leaflet for more information). This has been reported rarely.
• Serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing or dizziness.
• Severe condition of the skin that may affect the mouth and other parts of the body manifested by red, often itchy spots. The spots may blister or may progress to form raised, red, pale-centred marks.
• Severe blistering of the skin or peeling, swelling around the eyes, lips and face and rashes caused by exposure to sunlight.

Other side effects

Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:

These side effects have been reported very commonly (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

• Nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), pain in the belly, diarrhoea (loose stools) or constipation, indigestion, wind.

These side effects have been reported commonly (may affect up 1 in 10 people):

• Headache.

This list is not exhaustive. For a complete list of side effects, see the package leaflet. If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the leaflet.

The active substance in Meloxicam tablets is meloxicam. Meloxicam tablets come in two strengths containing 7.5 mg and 15 mg of meloxicam.
The other ingredients are: microcrystalline cellulose, pre-gelatinised starch, lactose monohydrate, maize starch, sodium citrate, colloidal anhydrous silica and magnesium stearate.