In order for the treatment to be as effective as possible, you need to briefly familiarize yourself with the disease, the peculiarities of the clinic and the doses of use at its various stages. With osteochondrosis, the patient quickly gets tired and feels discomfort in the spine. In the last stages of development, moderate or severe pain appears during physical activity, subsiding at rest.
Osteochondrosis
"Meloxicam" for osteochondrosis
Depending on the patient’s clinic, medicine divides the disease into three conditions, and for each of them an individual regimen for taking meloxicam is recommended.
Disease stage | Clinical picture |
| The disease does not have pronounced symptoms; a diagnosis can be made only after in-depth examinations of the body in modern clinics and using the latest equipment. At these stages, doctors do not prescribe Meloxicam due to the fact that there is no pain or it is very weak, periodic and short-term. At the end of the first, slight discomfort is felt when turning the head, and there is a restriction of movements. Taking the drug is justified only in case of significant pain that appears after excessive physical exertion. |
| Pathological changes in tissue increase exponentially, cartilage tissue is destroyed, and inflammatory processes progress. Accordingly, the duration, intensity and frequency of pain increases. Taking meloxicam is justified; doctors often prescribe this drug to normalize the patient’s well-being and reduce inflammation of the affected areas of the spine or joints of the upper and lower extremities. If the pain extends far beyond the affected areas, the dose of meloxicam is increased, and additional drugs are prescribed to enhance the therapeutic effect. |
| The joints degenerate, mobility is completely impaired, the pain is continuous and very strong. Meloxicam is rarely prescribed at this stage; more potent drugs are needed. A specific decision is made by the doctor after a detailed analysis of the actual condition of the patient and the dynamics of the disease. |
Patients should know that at present world medical science cannot offer effective methods for treating osteochondrosis. All clinical measures are aimed only at slowing down the course of the disease, increasing the patient’s comfort of life and reducing negative consequences, including pain syndromes.
Brief description of meloxicam
As mentioned above, there is no effective treatment for osteochondrosis; therefore, all drugs are used only to slow down pathological changes in the joints and minimize the negative manifestations of symptoms. Meloxicam is prescribed for symptomatic treatment to minimize pain and relieve inflammatory processes.
If you want to find out in more detail whether osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be cured, and also consider symptoms, diagnosis and alternative treatment methods, you can read an article about this on our portal.
"Meloxicam-Teva"
The drug has many variant names, depending not on the composition and active substance, but on the marketing policy of the manufacturers.
The drug "Artrosan" with meloxicam
Reverse side of the package
Appearance of the ampoule
You can take medicine only as prescribed by a doctor; any self-medication, especially such a formidable disease as osteochondrosis, can have extremely negative consequences.
The therapeutic effect occurs very quickly, the first signs of pain relief appear 20–30 minutes after taking the tablets. By-products are eliminated naturally from the body. The drug can be taken both before and after meals.
"Meloxicam Stada"
The relatively low cost makes meloxicam widely used. The medicine is available in tablets and ampoules; the dosage and method of administration are prescribed only by a doctor based on the clinical picture of the course of osteochondrosis.
"Meloxicam" ampoule
Meloxicam eliminates pain syndromes caused by muscle spasms. Muscle spasms cause not only negative sensations due to mechanical compression of nerve fibers. There is another danger of such standing - muscle spasm significantly reduces the lumen of blood vessels, which prevents the normal supply of oxygen to various tissues. Particularly unfavorable phenomena can occur when the nutrition of brain cells decreases.
MELOXICAM (solution)
a day a day.
This is the usual box that contains the drug Meloxicam. It is written that it is dispensed with a prescription and as prescribed by a doctor, but in our pharmacies this drug is sold freely.
Here is the back side of the box, it describes in detail what is included in this drug. There is only one active substance - meloxicam. And several auxiliary components, of which the most well-known substance for me is glycine.
I considered the cost for three ampoules of the medicine quite acceptable - one hundred and fifteen rubles. If it should help in just three days, then the price is a pittance.
The manufacturer was not familiar to me. This drug is produced by Slavic Pharmacies LLC, Vladimir Region. That is, the drug is domestic. To be honest, I trust imported anti-inflammatory drugs more. But the pharmacist highly recommended this product.
The box contains detailed instructions, printed small, but you need to read it. I tried to photograph all the instructions. Meloxicam, as I thought, is an anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drug. Moreover, the active substance (meloxicam) has an analgesic effect, relieves inflammation, and is antipyretic. Well, this drug has so many side effects. that you get tired of listing. Almost all systems of the body can be negatively affected - the nervous system, the digestive system, the circulatory system, the immune system, the genitourinary system...
I was confused, besides such a huge number of side effects, that the drug is intended only for the symptomatic treatment of pain. I always don’t like this, because I still want to not only relieve the symptoms, but also at least slightly remove the cause, in this case, relieve inflammation.
The instructions also describe the symptoms of a drug overdose. However, with only three ampoules in the box, I think it’s difficult to get an overdose. Unless you give several injections in one day.
Interactions with other drugs have also been described. In general, the instructions contain all the information the consumer needs, there are no complaints.
The ampoules were not standard glass, but rather small plastic vials.
Here in the photo are two vials, or ampoules. In this version, there is no need to break anything off like with glass ampoules; there is a small plastic cap on top of the bottle. Here in the photo it is on the left, next to the ampoules. The ampoule is opened very easily; no special equipment is needed. On the front side of the box there is a picture of how to open the ampoule.
The ampoule has a label with basic information about the drug.
I forgot to take a photo of the full ampoule, here’s just a photo of the empty bottle. Meloxicam solution is light yellow in color. I liked the plastic ampoules, they are convenient to use, they are not scary to drop, they won’t break and you won’t have to clean up the fragments.
The Meloxicam injection seemed completely painless to me. I pierced as recommended, one injection for three days, intramuscularly. I used 5 ml syringes (like these), I always take large syringes even for 1 or 2 mg injections, five milliliter syringes have a thin and long needle, which may also be why the injections are not painful. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice any effect from this drug. There was no complete relief of the pain syndrome. Well, I felt better, of course, but I can’t say that much. Although my mother believes that the drug helped her. I don’t know, I didn’t notice any special effect from three injections either immediately or after a couple of days. I probably won’t buy or use this drug again. I don’t like that a medicine with so many side effects stated in the instructions and only promising pain relief has no obvious effect. True, I must say that I didn’t have any side effects either.
Perhaps before using this medicine you should still consult a competent neurologist who will prescribe treatment taking into account the specifics of the situation. But I haven’t gone to the clinic for back pain for a long time. I had to return to the proven remedies that always helped me and get injections of nicotinic acid. It always helps me with noise in the head and back pain in combination with B vitamins, and unfortunately I couldn’t do without Diclofenac ointment. This course, although it didn’t take three days, helped me.
I will not recommend the drug Meloxicam without consulting a competent doctor; there are many stated side effects, but little effect.
Be healthy always and everywhere, thank you everyone for your attention!
Contraindications for use
Like most medicines, meloxicam has a number of restrictions on its use.
- If there is a risk of heavy internal bleeding and poor blood clotting.
- If you have heart problems: rhythm disturbances, high blood pressure, etc.
- The drug is strictly not recommended for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under 15 years of age.
- After strokes and myocardial infarction, with bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
Contraindications and other information can be found in the annotation
Before prescribing a medicine, the doctor learns about the patient’s health problems and makes a decision only on the basis of this data.
Important. The recommended dosage must be observed; in case of overdose, nausea, drowsiness, abdominal pain and internal bleeding may occur.
The drug is widely used in the treatment of joint pathologies, but sometimes patients may experience negative side effects:
- allergic rash on the skin;
- complications with the urinary and cardiovascular systems;
- difficulty breathing;
- nervous disorders.
Thrombocytopenia and leukopenia may be observed in the blood. There is evidence that in a small category of patients, visual acuity decreases and individual sensitivity reactions to the active substance increase. If such reactions are detected, you should immediately stop taking the drug and consult your doctor again.
Side effects
Drug interactions
Combined use with myelotoxic drugs increases the side effects of Meloxicam on the blood. If you take the drug together with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, the risk of bleeding in the stomach and intestines, as well as exacerbation of ulcers, increases.
If you take Cholestyramine, the drug promotes the rapid elimination of Meloxicam. When using Heparin, Ticlopidine, drugs to lower blood pressure, and indirect anticoagulants, the risk of bleeding increases. When taken together with Cyclosporine, the likelihood of kidney-related side effects increases.
Recommendations for the use of meloxicam
As with other non-steroidal drugs, researchers were unable to understand the exact mechanism of action of the drug; only information was obtained about the general principle. It consists in inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are mediators of inflammatory processes in the joints.
If oral administration of the drug in tablets is ineffective, then intramuscular administration is prescribed.
How to give a meloxicam injection correctly
One injection of 15 mg once daily is recommended. While taking the drug, the patient’s condition should be constantly monitored, and if improvement occurs, reduce the dose or completely stop using it.
Ampoules of the drug
The tablet is taken before meals with a large amount of water (at least 250 ml); if possible, the amount of the drug is reduced to 7.5 mg per day.
Tablets for oral use
"Meloxicam" sometimes neutralizes secondary clinical signs of diseases: increased temperature, fever, etc. Doctors must have information about all medications taken; such information helps to correctly diagnose and choose the appropriate treatment regimen for patients.
Why is Meloxicam better?
Meloxicam belongs to the group of selective NSAIDs. It has a lesser effect on the production of cyclooxygenase-1, an enzyme that regulates many metabolic processes in the body, in particular the production of mucus in the stomach and gastric juice. COX-1 has gastroprotective properties, therefore, when using non-selective NSAIDs, complications often arise in the form of erosions, ulcers and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
COX-2 is a pro-inflammatory enzyme that regulates the production of prostaglandins. It increases only in the presence of inflammation in the body and regulates its course.
Due to the selectivity of action only on COX-2 and to a lesser extent on COX-1, Meloxicam has better tolerability compared to analogues. With its use, complications from the digestive tract occur less frequently.
Features of the use of injections and tablets
Meloxicam injections have a more pronounced medicinal effect, pain is relieved faster. The solution is administered intramuscularly; mixing several drugs in one syringe is not recommended. Lumps and pain may appear at the injection site. Leg swelling and flu-like symptoms are sometimes described.
The buttock hurts after injections: what to do?
The tablets act more slowly, in some cases it is necessary to slightly increase the dose of the drug. In addition, the tablets have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. It sharply reduces the synthesis of prostaglandins, and they protect the surface of the mucous membranes. As a negative consequence, the risk of bleeding increases.
Treatment effectiveness
The drug is prescribed to relieve severe pain in complex stages of osteochondrosis; it reduces the size of the lesion and slows down the process of its reappearance. Acute stages of the disease require injections for 3–4 days; in the future, it is recommended to replace Meloxicam with other drugs that have less negative consequences for the patient’s body. The medicine is completely absorbed into the blood within six hours.
Drug absorption reaches 90%
Consequences of overdose
Acute overdose causes very unpleasant consequences; in some cases, additional medical intervention is necessary to eliminate them. Acute overdose causes vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, and loss of concentration. Such reactions are generally controlled by all symptomatic drugs.
More complex consequences of an overdose are impaired liver function, kidney problems, difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure, and convulsions. In the most severe cases, collapse, coma, and cardiac arrest are possible. Treatment is selected depending on the patient's condition, the amount of meloxicam in the blood and the condition of the patient's body.
Treatment of osteochondrosis in complex categories of patients
In all cases, increased caution must be observed when prescribing the drug to patients who are required, according to indications, to take medications that have a negative effect on the integrity of the mucous membranes. In such situations, the risk of internal bleeding is high; the patient’s condition can only be improved in specialized medical institutions.
If complications occur in patients undergoing outpatient treatment at home and living in rural areas, the likelihood of death increases. Also, increased caution should be exercised when prescribing meloxicam to older people. A separate category of patients are patients with renal failure.
In all cases, the daily dose of medication for complex patients cannot exceed 7.5 mg
Meloxicam is the drug of choice for the treatment of osteoarthritis
About the article
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Regular issues of "RMZh" No. 7 dated 04/06/2009 p. 492
Category: Rheumatology
Authors: Balabanova R.M. 1, Egorova O.N. 1 FGBNU NIIR im. V.A. Nasonova, Moscow, Russia
For quotation:
Balabanova R.M., Egorova O.N. Meloxicam is the drug of choice for the treatment of osteoarthritis. RMJ. 2009;7:492.
The high prevalence and progressive course of osteoarthritis (OA) place it among the most significant chronic diseases. The accumulation of chronic patients in society negatively affects labor and economic potential, significantly increasing public and individual costs for the treatment of such patients [1].
The high prevalence and progressive course of osteoarthritis (OA) place it among the most significant chronic diseases. The accumulation of chronic patients in society negatively affects labor and economic potential, significantly increasing public and individual costs for the treatment of such patients [1]. According to epidemiological data, in the Russian Federation there are more than 14 million patients with OA of large joints of the lower extremities. Moreover, the risk of disability with OA is almost as great as with cardiovascular diseases, especially in the older age group. The pathological process in OA involves hyaline cartilage, subchondral bone, synovium, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. There is evidence that the primary inflammation occurs in the periarticular tissues - the area of the entheses, which suggests a “reactive” onset of the disease, and only when it becomes chronic, intra-articular tissues are involved with the destruction of cartilage, subchondral bone and the subsequent formation of osteophytosis, a violation of the congruence of the joints. The main clinical manifestation of OA is pain, which is multicomponent in nature, caused by inflammation, biomechanical and psycho-emotional disorders. According to arthroscopy, signs of synovitis in OA are detected in 58–78% of cases in various parts of the knee joint. MRI reveals inflammatory signs in soft tissues, cartilage and bone structures in 81% of patients [2]. In the pathogenesis of OA, in addition to biomechanical and age-related changes that affect cartilage degradation, an important role is played by inflammation and dysregulation of the cytokine cascade, which contributes to an imbalance between anabolic and catabolic processes. In vitro and in vivo studies have established the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines - IL-1 and TNF-
Use of the drug by pregnant women and nursing mothers
For women who are being treated for infertility or planning to become pregnant, doctors recommend temporarily excluding Meloxicam from the list of approved medications. The drug also has a negative effect on the course of pregnancy; fetal development deviates from physiological norms. The risks of miscarriages increase, and problems with the development of the baby’s cardiovascular system are possible. The drug has a particularly adverse effect on the development of the fetus in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy.
Meloxicam should not be used during pregnancy
Contraindications and adverse events
The drug is not prescribed for:
- hypersensitivity to its components;
- severe heart failure;
- in the third trimester of pregnancy;
- up to 16 years old;
- a history of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract;
- active ulcers or erosions in the digestive tract;
- severe kidney failure;
- simultaneous use with anticoagulants and blood clotting disorders;
- therapy of postoperative pain during CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting).
The most common side effects:
- the occurrence of ulcers, erosions in the digestive tract and an increased risk of bleeding, especially in elderly patients;
- increased risk of cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke);
- swelling;
- increase in blood pressure (blood pressure);
- heart failure;
- other intestinal manifestations: ulcerative stomatitis, vomiting, bloating, nausea, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, loose stools or constipation, vomiting with blood, relapse of Crohn's disease, rarely gastritis.
The instructions contain the entire list of possible adverse reactions - be sure to read them before use.
You can find out the current price for Meloxicam and buy it on the Pharmacy 911 website.
Interaction with other drugs
If you want to find out in more detail which drugs improve cerebral circulation in cervical osteochondrosis, and also consider the full list of drugs, you can read an article about this on our portal.
The reactions are explained by the pharmacokinetics of all nonsteroidal drugs. When combined with lithium, they can increase the concentration of the latter in the blood to a toxic level; negative effects occur due to a sharp decrease in the ability of the kidneys to remove the compound. If there is an urgent need to combine such medications, then the patient should be constantly under the supervision of doctors. The level of lithium concentration in the blood serum is monitored, and further decisions are made by doctors taking into account the patient’s condition.
Meloxicam
Patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases should be under medical supervision. To reduce the risk of developing adverse events from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), the minimum effective dose should be used for the shortest possible short course. If ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract or gastrointestinal bleeding occur, the drug must be discontinued.
Gastrointestinal ulcers, perforation or bleeding may occur at any time during treatment, either in the presence of warning symptoms or a history of serious gastrointestinal complications, or in the absence of these signs. The consequences of these complications are generally more serious in older patients.
When using the drug, serious skin reactions such as exfoliative dermatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis may develop. Therefore, special attention should be paid to patients who report the development of adverse events from the skin and mucous membranes, as well as hypersensitivity reactions to the drug, especially if such reactions were observed during previous courses of treatment. The development of such reactions is observed, as a rule, during the first month of treatment. If the first signs of skin rash, changes in mucous membranes or other signs of hypersensitivity appear, you should consider stopping the use of the drug.
The drug may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and angina, possibly fatal. This risk increases with long-term use of the drug, as well as in patients with a history of the above diseases and predisposed to such diseases.
NSAIDs inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins in the kidneys, which are involved in maintaining renal perfusion. The use of NSAIDs in patients with reduced renal blood flow or reduced circulating blood volume may lead to decompensation of latent renal failure. After discontinuation of NSAIDs, renal function usually returns to baseline levels. Those most at risk for developing this reaction are elderly patients and patients with dehydration, congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome or acute renal impairment, patients concomitantly taking diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, and also patients who have undergone major surgical interventions that lead to hypovolemia. In such patients, diuresis and renal function should be carefully monitored at the start of treatment.
The use of NSAIDs in combination with diuretics can lead to sodium, potassium and water retention, as well as a decrease in the natriuretic effect of diuretics. As a result, predisposed patients may experience increased signs of heart failure or hypertension. Therefore, such patients should be closely monitored and adequate hydration maintained. Before starting treatment, a kidney function test is necessary.
In case of combination therapy, renal function should also be monitored.
When using meloxicam (as well as most other NSAIDs), episodic increases in the activity of “liver” transaminases in the blood serum or other indicators of liver function are possible. In most cases, this increase was small and transitory. If the identified changes are significant or do not decrease over time, the drug should be discontinued and further monitoring of the identified laboratory changes should be carried out.
Weakened or malnourished patients may be less able to tolerate adverse events and should be monitored closely.
Like other NSAIDs, meloxicam may mask the symptoms of an underlying infectious disease.
As a drug that inhibits cyclooxygenase/prostaglandin synthesis, meloxicam may have an effect on fertility, so the drug is not recommended for women who have difficulty conceiving. In this regard, discontinuation of the drug is recommended for women undergoing examination for this reason.
In patients with mild or moderate renal failure (creatinine clearance more than 25 ml/min), no dose adjustment is required.
In patients with liver cirrhosis (compensated), no dose adjustment is required.
In patients with a hip replacement, injections should be given in the other buttock.
Practical advice
Doctors strongly recommend that patients with osteochondrosis, before starting to take Meloxicam, undergo a course of treatment for gastritis, stomach ulcers and other concomitant diseases that increase side effects. This not only reduces the severity of the consequences, but also minimizes the risk of relapse of diseases during long-term use of meloxicam.
Any treatment plan must include a minimum dose and duration of drug administration. When the patient’s well-being improves, the medicine should be discontinued, and patients are advised to undergo an emergency examination of the state of the gastrointestinal system.
During outpatient treatment, cases of hidden bleeding of internal organs were rarely observed, which became the cause of death. Patients should constantly inform their doctor about the slightest changes in their condition for the worse. In older patients, the disorders are more severe, and they have an increased risk of extremely negative consequences from taking meloxicam.
Contraindications and side effects
The drug should not be used if there are such contraindications:
- intolerance to pyrazolone and its derivatives;
- allergic reactions, hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid;
- recurrent nasal polyposis;
- severe kidney damage;
- peptic ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract;
- bronchial asthma;
- period of pregnancy, as well as lactation (at any stage);
- older people take the drug with caution.
Meloxicam suppositories are not allowed to be used in the presence of diseases of the rectum, anal region, if they are chronic. Other contraindications are possible, so be sure to consult a doctor before starting use.
In some cases, side effects are observed:
- exacerbation of stomach and intestinal ulcers;
- vomiting, nausea;
- belching;
- bloating;
- constipation;
- diarrhea syndrome;
- headaches;
- dizziness;
- drowsy state;
- leukopenia;
- anemia;
- increased blood pressure;
- skin rashes, itching, other forms of allergies;
- swelling;
- high urea level;
- blood rush to the chest, face, neck.