Mobic

Mobic medication contains a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Usually it is used to relieve osteoarthritis or for rheumatoid arthritis. Its effects can be felt within an hour. The drug is developed and produced by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, but Mobic generic is also available under various names, including the name of its active substance, meloxicam. Meloxicam dosage is limited to two strengths: Mobic 7.5 mg and Mobic 15 mg

Mobic is used to relieve pain related to auto-immune diseases, inflammations of various kind and pain associated with it. Typically, this product is used once a day. Your pharmacist may have given you a different schedule that is more suitable for you. Depending on the condition being treated, it can be used regularly or only as needed. Follow the directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist.

It is important to follow the dosage on the label. Do not use more or more often than indicated. This medication can be taken with or without food, regardless of meals or snacks.

Meloxicam belongs to the class of NSAIDs, which means that it can be used for the symptomatic treatment of various ailments: first of all, as the name suggests, they have a strong anti-inflammatory effect, and therefore are useful for the treatment of arthritis symptoms chronic inflammatory and osteoarthritis; it also has analgesic action, especially useful as regards mild and moderate pain (caused, for example, by bruises, lackluster and neuralgia, headaches, toothache, etc.); finally, it can counteract feverish states, thanks to its antipyretic action.

The mechanism of inflammation proceeds through a chain of reactions triggered by the release of particular chemicals, which act as mediators in the body, that is, facilitators of molecular events.

Meloxicam derives from an organic acid. The chain of biochemical events triggered by meloxicam leads to the synthesis of prostanoids (a group of molecules that includes prostaglandins) and leukotrienes, ultimately responsible for:

• Increased permeability of blood vessels, which causes liquids to leak to peripheral tissues and therefore edema;
• Sharpening of the sensitivity of peripheral receptors to pain, due to the release of transmitters such as bradykinin;
• Vasodilation in the affected tissues;
• Release of cytokines and interferons, which causes changes in thermoregulation and therefore increases in body temperature (fever).

You will experience the effects of Mobic between 2.5-9 hours following the intake of the drug; this is when the peak concentration of the medication in blood plasma is reached.

Each person may react differently to a treatment. If you think this is the cause of a problem that is bothersome to you, whether or not it is mentioned here, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist. They can help you determine if your treatment is actually the cause and, if necessary, help you manage the situation well.

In addition to its desired effects, this product can occasionally cause certain undesirable effects (side effects), in particular:

• headaches;
• diarrhea;
• it can give digestion problems;
• dizziness – make sure you stand up slowly;
• it can increase blood pressure;
• nausea or, rarely, vomiting;
• it can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays (eg, sun, tanning booth) – avoid exposure to UV rays as much as you can.

In general, the safety of meloxicam treatment has been proved in a number of studies, so this medication is safe to take when approved by a healthcare provider.

This medication may interact with other medications or supplements, sometimes in significant ways. However, it is possible to prevent more than one by adjusting the dose of your medication or by changing the timing. Check with your pharmacist before using this product in combination with other medicines, vitamins, or natural products.

It is not recommended to combine this medication with another anti-inflammatory. Check carefully for ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), or diclofenac (Voltaren Emulgel) on drug labels.

Mobic and alcohol are poorly compatible. Avoid taking alcohol or products containing it while you are using this medicine. There are several harmful interactions that can develop between meloxicam and alcohol:

• this combination increases – in older people, but not only – the risk of damaging the mucous membrane of the stomach, thus developing gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding;
• increases the risk of prolonged bleeding, due to the inhibitory action that certain NSAIDs have on the functionality of blood cells;
• increases the risk of harmful effects (which can cause serious health problems, even death) on liver function.

These risks are further enhanced by the fact Mobic can be taken concomitantly with other drugs: in this case, as a precaution it would be better to avoid all consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Since both drugs belong to the same class, you should wait for at least 4 hours following the intake of Mobic before you take a drug containing ibuprofen. The same goes for the dosing limitations; if you have used up the recommended dose of your NSAID medication during 24 hours, you should not follow it up by another drug of this class on the same day. Discuss the optimal theapy with your doctor (the benefits to risks ratio of meloxicam vs. ibuprofen in your individual case).

Mobic half-life is 20 hours; after this period, the drug begins to get eliminated from the body. The substance is metabolized by liver.