The medication meloxicam is taken to help relieve pain, reduce swelling, and lower fever temperatures. It is part of a class of medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), due to the conditions it treats and the mechanisms by which it works. An effective meloxicam dose may vary based on what medical condition it is used to treat. Other factors can create dosage variations as well, including as the age and weight of the patient, as well as the level of pain caused by the medical condition being treated.
Osteoarthritis is one condition that this medication is frequently used to treat. Adults taking this drug orally for this form of arthritis may take a meloxicam dose of 7.5 milligrams (mg) one time each day. For more severe pain, or in the event that tolerance develops to this drug, the patient may take up to 15 mg each day. As of 2011, patients over 65 years of age have not been studied to determine how they may react to meloxicam, but manufacturers do recommend cautious dosing in this age group, so doctors may prescribe an initial dose lower than 7.5 mg.
Both adults and children with rheumatoid arthritis may be treated with meloxicam, at different dosage levels. The adult meloxicam dose for this condition is normally 7.5 mg, taken once a day in tablet form. Tolerance or persistent pain may lead to this dosage being increased up to a maximum of 15 mg a day.
Children taking this medication for rheumatoid arthritis use a dose level that is dependent on their weight. The meloxicam dose for children is often administered in a liquid, making dosing based on body weight easier. The recommended dose for children suffering from this condition is 0.125 mg per kilogram (kg) of weight, or roughly 0.125 mg per every 2.2 pounds (lb) of body weight. Exceeding the maximum dose of 7.5 mg is not recommended in children, regardless of weight. Unlike adults, who may benefit from dose increases, children do not seem to have greater pain relief at higher doses.
Patients with liver or kidney conditions sometimes require lower doses of medications due to difficulties breaking down foreign compounds. Studies have shown that moderate liver and kidney impairment does not affect how patients respond to this medication. In cases of severe impairment, however, doctors may choose to prescribe a meloxicam dose below 7.5 mg to monitor potentially negative reactions to the drug.
