Diseases of the joints - the problem of a huge number of people of different ages. Medicines in the form of tablets, capsules, gels help to cope with pain. Meloxicam ointment is one such remedy.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Drugs to help cope with this or that pain, the pharmaceutical industry produces a huge amount. All of them can 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.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - such an extended name indicates the difference between this group of drugs and glucocorticoids (steroids), which not only have similar properties as NSAIDs, but also have numerous side effects on the human body, most often adverse and unnecessary.
The group of NSAIDs is quite numerous and is used to eliminate fever, pain, inflammation in various organs and tissues in many diseases. Ointment "Meloxicam" - refers precisely to suchmedicines.
Active ingredient 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 of this drug contains all the necessary information about it. So, the active ingredient served as the name of the drug itself - meloxicam.
This is a derivative of the enolic acid of the oxicam group. For the first time, such substances were synthesized and began to be studied for medical purposes in the middle of the 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, up to bleeding.
The next oxicam derivative was developed in the 90s of the 20th century by meloxicam. This substance is also an active non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, but has much less adverse effects on the intestines and kidneys. Meloxicam-based ointment has found its application in medicine for the treatment of many diseases and pain relief.
How does meloxicam work?
Ointment "Meloxicam" has a fairly simple mechanism of action through complex processes occurring in the human body. It inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), which through a chain of transformations is responsible for the development of the inflammatory process, the appearance of pain and increasedtemperature.
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, broncho-pulmonary and urinary systems. Science is constantly looking for new tools and opportunities to reduce the level and frequency of side effects of any drug. And the discovery of meloxicam has greatly reduced the occurrence of these problems.
One of the forms, the active element of which is this substance, is "Meloxicam ointment". The instructions for use of this drug describe the possible adverse effects of its use, but they do not happen as often as with the use of NSAIDs containing piroxicam.
When is meloxicam used?
Non-steroidal 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 histohematic protection, it is used in the treatment of many diseases, both alone and in combination with other substances.
As found in 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 activeused in the treatment of the articular apparatus in degenerative-dystrophic processes.
Indications for the use of drugs with meloxicam are:
- ankylosing spondylitis - destruction of intervertebral joints;
- osteoarthritis - a disease of the joints, the result of which is their destruction;
- polyarthritis of various origins - inflammatory diseases of the joints, affecting several of them at the same time;
- reactive arthritis - recurrent inflammation of the joints, based on an infectious-allergic process, as a result of a previous infectious disease of the genitourinary or intestinal sphere;
- rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints, most often occurring as an autoimmune manifestation of the instability of the body.
Drugs with meloxicam, including meloxicam-based ointment, whose names can be checked at the nearest pharmacy, actively relieve pain, swelling, fever in various articular diseases.
Features of use
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs containing meloxicam are available in several dosage forms:
- gel;
- injections;
- ointment;
- pills.
Methods of using the medicine depend on the form of release. Basically, meloxicam has the ability of heteroenteric recirculation, that is, getting into the liver from the blood, it is excreted inintestines, reabsorbed and penetrates into the blood, from where it is again in the liver. This process can take 3 to 5 days. Based on this, all dosage forms of meloxicam should be used only once a 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 physician. Taking more than 15 mg of meloxicam per day is not recommended.
Meloxicam injections are made only intramuscularly. It is strictly forbidden 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 joint, gently rubbing in for several minutes. Wash your hands thoroughly after applying the medicine.
If something went wrong
All non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs currently used in clinical practice, to some extent, have a side effect on the human body. Most often, it manifests itself in disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. These could be:
- pain in the abdomen;
- nausea and vomiting;
- flatulence;
- constipation;
- diarrhea;
- exacerbation of gastric ulcer;
- on rare occasionsstomach bleeding;
- in rare cases of liver damage.
Also, among the side effects that may appear while taking drugs with meloxicam, allergic reactions should be noted in the form of redness of the skin, itching, irritation of the skin, manifested by alopecia, hyperhidrosis, photodermatosis.
Headaches, dizziness, mood instability, insomnia may also develop. For NSAIDs, meloxicam, in comparison with other similar drugs, is most characteristic as an adverse reaction of use, bronchospasm, Quincke's edema, conjunctivitis, urinary retention.
The development of adverse reactions to taking drugs with meloxicam requires immediate contact with your doctor to eliminate symptoms and adjust the course of treatment.
When should meloxicam not be used?
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 Meloxicam ointment, like other medicines with this component, cannot be taken for treatment in the following cases:
- bleeding and hemorrhage history, 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 drugs of the pyrazolone group;
- intolerancemeloxicam or other NSAIDs;
- severe heart failure;
- severe kidney failure;
- severe liver failure;
- blood clotting disorders.
Rectal suppositories, in addition to the above, can not be used for inflammatory diseases of the rectum and anal intestine, as well as for anal and rectal bleeding in history.
Children, pregnancy, lactation
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including tablets, injections, suppositories and Meloxicam ointment, are not recommended for use in children under 15 years of age. Experiments conducted to study the activity of meloxicam showed that the substance penetrates through histohematic barriers.
That is, the placenta for this substance is not an obstacle to 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 to the mother in the treatment of articular diseases. That is why pregnant women are strictly prohibited from using meloxicam to treat various diseases.
There are no unequivocal verified clinical data regarding the lactation period. Therefore, breastfeeding women are advised to either stop breastfeeding in order to undergo treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and meloxicam inincluding, or use in therapy other proven and safe for infants receiving breast milk, drugs and remedies.
During clinical trials, it was found that meloxicam adversely affects fertility (the ability to conceive a child), so medicines containing meloxicam should be stopped a few months before the planned pregnancy.
Preparations with the active ingredient meloxicam are strictly not recommended for use by children under the age of 15, pregnant and breastfeeding 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 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 ingredients in many medicines available 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 the "Mataren" ointment. Many drugs, in addition to meloxicam, contain other medicinal substances. The same "Mataren", for example, produced in the form of an ointment, contains a tincture of capsicum, which has a warming and analgesic effect.
Widely known and popularthe drug "Chondroxide Forte" is a two-component. The main active ingredient in it is the chondroprotector Chondroitin sulfate, but meloxicam is an additional component that helps fight pain in diseases of the joints.
Not only Meloxicam
The pharmacy chain offers a huge selection of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the same "Meloxicam" ointment. Analogues of this medicinal substance are produced under different trade names. For example, the Amelotex gel contains meloxicam in its composition. Its release form contributes to greater availability of the active ingredient for relieving pain and treating joints, 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 ingredient. But the reviews about it are contradictory, many of the patients prefer other similar drugs, referring to the fact that Movasin is aggressive and problems with the gastrointestinal tract occur too often when using it.
One of the most frequently asked pharmacies of NSAIDs with meloxicam is "Movalis", produced by the German corporation Boehringer Ingelheim. Patients who report the effectiveness of this drug are satisfied with the low incidence of side effects when using it.
First -doctor visit
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs containing meloxicam as an active ingredient can be purchased at pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. Analogue drugs are sold in different price categories, which makes them as affordable as possible for patients suffering from joint diseases. But before you buy a drug with meloxicam in a pharmacy, however, like any other drug, you should consult a doctor, undergo an examination in order to know about the disease that caused he alth problems. Self-medication is not allowed!
