Joint diseases are a problem of a huge number of people of different ages. Medicines in the form of tablets, capsules, gels help to cope with pain. Ointment "Meloxicam" is one of such means.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
A huge number of drugs are available to help cope with this or that pain. They can all be divided into several groups. One of the main ones is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (drugs), the abbreviation for their designation is NSAIDs, NSAIDs.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicinal substances - such an extended name indicates the difference between this group of drugs and glucocorticoids (steroids), which not only have properties similar to NSAIDs, but also have numerous side effects on the human body, most often adverse and unnecessary.
The NSAID group is quite numerous and is used to eliminate fever, pain, inflammation in various organs and tissues in many diseases. Ointment "Meloxicam" - refers specifically to such drugs.
Active substance meloxicam
On the windows of pharmacies there are sections reserved for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, among which you can easily find “Meloxicam” ointment. The instruction for this drug contains all the necessary information about it. So, the active substance was the name of the drug itself - meloxicam.
It is a derivative of the enolic acid of the oxycam group. For the first time, such substances were synthesized and began to be studied for medical purposes in the mid-twentieth century in the laboratories of the German pharmaceutical company Pfizer. At first it was piroxicam, which has good anti-inflammatory properties, but has an aggressive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, including bleeding.
The next derivative of oxycams in the 90s of the 20th century was developed meloxicam. This substance is also an active anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drug, but has a much smaller adverse effect on the intestines and kidneys. Meloxicam-based ointment has been used in medicine to treat many diseases and relieve pain.
How does meloxicam work?
Ointment "Meloxicam" has a fairly simple mechanism of action through the complex processes that occur in the human body. It suppresses the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), which, through a chain of transformations, is responsible for the development of the inflammatory process, the appearance of pain and an increase in temperature.
But since meloxicam has an overwhelming effect on COX, the phenomena caused by cyclooxygenase are reduced. At the same time, these mechanisms cause the development of side effects in the gastrointestinal tract, bronchopulmonary and urinary systems. Science is constantly looking for new tools and opportunities to reduce the level and frequency of side effects of any drugs. And the discovery of meloxicam significantly reduced the occurrence of these problems.
One of the forms, the active element of which is this substance, is "Meloxicam ointment". Instructions for use of this drug describe the possible adverse effects of its use, but they do not happen as often as when using NSAIDs containing piroxicam.
When is meloxicam used?
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a complex effect on the body - they eliminate inflammation and, as a result, reduce pain and lower body temperature. Due to the fact that meloxicam, which belongs to this group of drugs, easily penetrates into body fluids and tissues, passing through histohematological protection, it is used in the treatment of many diseases, both independently and in combination with other substances.
As revealed by clinical trials, meloxicam easily penetrates into the synovial (articular) fluid, its concentration there is 2.5 times higher than in blood plasma. It is due to this that this substance is actively used in the treatment of articular apparatus in degenerative-dystrophic processes.
Indications for the use of drugs with meloxicam are:
- ankylosing spondylarthrosis - destruction of the intervertebral joints;
- osteoarthrosis - a disease of the joints, the result of which is their destruction;
- polyarthritis of various origins - inflammatory joint diseases that affect several of them simultaneously;
- reactive arthritis - a return inflammation of the joints, based on an infectious-allergic process, as a result of a previous infection of the urogenital or intestinal sphere;
- rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints that most often occurs as an autoimmune manifestation of an unstable state of the body.
Medicines with meloxicam, including meloxicam ointment, the names of which can be clarified in the nearest pharmacy, actively relieve pain, swelling, fever in various diseases of the joint nature.
Features of use
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which include meloxicam, are available in several dosage forms:
- gel;
- injections
- ointment;
- tablets.
Methods of using the drug depend on the form of release. Basically, meloxicam has the ability to heteroenteric recirculation, that is, when it enters the liver from the blood, it is excreted into the intestine, reabsorbed and enters the bloodstream, from where it again ends up in the liver. This process can take from 3 to 5 days. Based on this, all dosage forms of meloxicam should be used only 1 time per day. From the body, this substance is excreted in the form of metabolites through urine and feces.
The tablet form of meloxicam, which is produced by pharmaceutical companies, contains 7, 5 or 15 mg of the active substance. This is a therapeutic dose sufficient for a single daily use on the recommendation of a doctor. Taking more than 15 mg of meloxicam per day is not recommended.
Meloxicam injections are made only intramuscularly. It is absolutely impossible to administer this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug intravenously!
Preparations that are used for external use, such as Meloxicam ointment, gel, are applied directly to the skin over the affected casing, gently rubbing for several minutes. Hands should be washed thoroughly after applying the medicine.
If something went wrong
All non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used today in clinical practice, to one degree or another, have a side effect on the human body. Most often, it manifests itself in disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. It can be:
- pain in the abdomen;
- nausea and vomiting;
- flatulence;
- constipation;
- diarrhea;
- exacerbation of gastric ulcer;
- in rare cases, gastric bleeding;
- in rare cases of liver damage.
Also among the side effects that may appear while taking meloxicam drugs are allergic reactions in the form of redness of the skin, itching, irritation of the skin, manifested by alopecia, hyperhidrosis, photodermatosis.
Headaches, dizziness, mood instability, and insomnia may also develop. For NSAIDs, meloxicam, in comparison with other similar drugs, is most characteristic as an adverse reaction, bronchospasm, Quincke's edema, conjunctivitis, and urinary retention.
The development of adverse reactions to taking drugs with meloxicam requires immediate medical attention to eliminate symptoms and adjust the course of treatment.
When can you not use meloxicam?
The vast majority of drugs have contraindications for use, depending on the characteristics of the action of the active substance on the patient's body. So the ointment "Meloxicam", like other medicines with this component, can not be taken for treatment in the following cases:
- history of bleeding and hemorrhage, especially with gastrointestinal diseases;
- bronchial asthma;
- inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- "aspirin triad" - the complex presence of bronchial asthma, polyposis of the nose and paranasal sinuses, intolerance to acetylsalicylic acid and preparations of the pyrazolone group;
- intolerance to meloxicam or other NSAIDs;
- severe heart failure;
- severe renal failure;
- severe liver failure;
- bleeding disorders.
Rectal suppositories, in addition to the above, can not be used for inflammatory diseases of the rectum and anal part of the intestine, as well as for anal and rectal bleeding in history.
Children, pregnancy, lactation
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including tablets, injections, suppositories, and Meloxicam ointment, are not recommended for use by children under 15 years of age. Experiments conducted to study the activity of meloxicam showed that the substance penetrates histohematological barriers.
That is, the placenta for this substance is not an obstacle to the nascent life. This negatively affects the development of the fetus during pregnancy, and the number of pathologies that can develop as a result of taking drugs with meloxicam can be significantly higher than the benefit for the mother in the treatment of joint diseases. That is why pregnant women are strictly forbidden to use meloxicam for the treatment of various diseases.
There are no unambiguous proven clinical data regarding the lactation period. Therefore, it is recommended for breast-feeding women to either stop breastfeeding in order to undergo treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including meloxicam, or use other proven and safe methods for therapy in infants receiving breast milk, drugs and products.
During clinical trials, it was found that meloxicam negatively affects fertility (the ability to conceive a child), so medications containing meloxicam should be discontinued several months before the planned pregnancy.
Preparations with the active active component meloxicam are categorically not recommended for use by children under the age of 15 years, pregnant and breast-feeding women, as well as those men and women who plan to conceive a child in the coming months.
Meloxicam and other medicines
One of the NSAIDs that are actively used in the treatment of joint diseases is Meloxicam ointment. Reviews about her are very different - from laudatory to extremely negative. Meloxicam is one of the active components of many drugs in various forms.
Many pharmaceutical companies in the NSAID line produce meloxicam ointment. The names of these funds are different, for example, the widely advertised "Amelotex gel" or "Mataren" ointment. In addition to meloxicam, many drugs contain other medicinal substances. The same Mataren, for example, produced in the form of an ointment, contains tincture of capsicum, which has a warming and analgesic effect.
The widely known and popular drug "Chondroxide Forte" is a two-component. In it, the main active ingredient is the chondroprotector of Chondroitin sulfate, but meloxicam is an additional component that helps fight pain in joint diseases.
Not just Meloxicam
The pharmacy chain offers a huge selection of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the same "Meloxicam" ointment. Analogs of this medicinal substance are available under various trade names. For example, Amelotex gel contains meloxicam. Its release form contributes to greater accessibility of the active component for pain relief and joint treatment; according to some reports, Amelotex delivers up to 99% of the active ingredient to the problem joint for a greater therapeutic effect.
The drug under the trade name "Movasin" also contains meloxicam as the only active substance. But the reviews about him are contradictory, many of the patients prefer other similar drugs, referring to the fact that Movasin is aggressive and problems with the gastrointestinal tract with its use arise too often.
One of the most frequently asked pharmacies for NSAIDs with meloxicam is Movalis, manufactured by the German corporation Boehringer Ingelheim. Patients who note the effectiveness of this drug are pleased with the low incidence of side effects when using it.
First - a visit to the doctor
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs containing meloxicam as an active substance can be purchased in pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription. Analog drugs are sold in different price categories, which makes them as accessible as possible for patients suffering from joint diseases. But before you buy a drug with meloxicam in a pharmacy, however, like any other medicine, you should get a doctor’s consultation, be examined to know about the disease that caused your health problems. You can not engage in self-medication!