Meloxicam
Prescription ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
A preferential COX-2 inhibiting NSAID with a long half-life allowing once-daily dosing, used primarily for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. At lower doses, meloxicam demonstrates relative COX-2 selectivity, which may confer a somewhat lower risk of GI adverse effects compared to fully nonselective NSAIDs.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
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This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
A preferential COX-2 inhibiting NSAID with a long half-life allowing once-daily dosing, used primarily for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. NutriStack rates the supporting evidence as strong. Common adult dosing is 7.5–15 mg once daily (as prescribed by your physician), though a prescriber sets the actual dose. This profile indexes 12 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating strong. Most-documented uses: treatment of osteoarthritis pain and inflammation, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, once-daily dosing convenience. 12 sources indexed (1999–2024), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Preferentially inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) over COX-1 at therapeutic doses, reducing prostaglandin synthesis involved in inflammation, pain, and fever while partially sparing the COX-1-mediated gastroprotective prostaglandins. At higher doses, COX-2 selectivity diminishes and GI risk increases.
Dosing & protocol.
May be taken with or without food, but food may reduce GI upset3,7
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Dyspepsia
- Nausea and diarrhea
- Peripheral edema
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Elevated blood pressure
- GI bleeding and ulceration (lower incidence at 7.5 mg)
- Renal impairment
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
4- 1Early perioperative versus postoperative meloxicam for pain control in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery: a systematic review and Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PMIDMahmoud A, Abuelazm M, Ahmed ASA et al. · Current Medical Research and Opinion · 2023
Meta-analysis of RCTs found perioperative meloxicam significantly reduced postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption compared to postoperative administration alone in orthopedic surgery patients.
- 2The effect of COX-2-selective meloxicam on the myocardial, vascular and renal risks: a systematic reviewPMIDAsghar W, Jamali F · Inflammopharmacology · 2015
Asghar W, Jamali F. The effect of COX-2-selective meloxicam on the myocardial, vascular and renal risks: a systematic review. Inflammopharmacology. 2015
- 3Individual NSAIDs and upper gastrointestinal complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (the SOS project).PMIDCastellsague J, Riera-Guardia N, Calingaert B et al. · Drug Safety · 2012
Meloxicam showed a relatively lower risk of upper gastrointestinal complications compared to non-selective NSAIDs, consistent with its COX-2 preferential selectivity, though GI risk remained dose-dependent.
- 4Gastrointestinal safety profile of meloxicam: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trialsPMIDSchoenfeld P · The American journal of medicine · 1999
Schoenfeld P. Gastrointestinal safety profile of meloxicam: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials. The American journal of medicine. 1999
Randomized controlled trials
3- 5Efficacy and safety of 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1, 2-benzothiazin-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide, a rapid-acting meloxicam formulation, for analgesia after orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia: a randomized controlled trialPMIDZhou Y, Jiang Y, Duan K et al. · Inflammopharmacology · 2024
Zhou Y, Jiang Y, Duan K et al.. Efficacy and safety of 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1, 2-benzothiazin-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide, a rapid-acting meloxicam formulation, for analgesia after orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia: a randomized controlled trial. Inflammopharmacology. 2024
- 6Efficacy and safety of 4-hydroxy 2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1, 2-benzothiazin-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide, a fast-acting meloxicam formulation, on moderate-to-severe pain following abdominal surgery: A phase III randomized controlled trialPMIDLiu X, Zhao Y, Yang M et al. · Clinical and translational science · 2024
Liu X, Zhao Y, Yang M et al.. Efficacy and safety of 4-hydroxy 2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1, 2-benzothiazin-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide, a fast-acting meloxicam formulation, on moderate-to-severe pain following abdominal surgery: A phase III randomized controlled trial. Clinical and translational science. 2024
- 7Pharmacokinetics of Meloxicam Tablets in Healthy Chinese Adults in the Fasting and Fed States: A Single-Site, Single-Dose, Randomized, Open, 2-Period, 2-Sequence, Crossover Bioequivalence StudyPMIDYu J, Wang Y, Wu Y et al. · Clinical pharmacology in drug development · 2022
Yu J, Wang Y, Wu Y et al.. Pharmacokinetics of Meloxicam Tablets in Healthy Chinese Adults in the Fasting and Fed States: A Single-Site, Single-Dose, Randomized, Open, 2-Period, 2-Sequence, Crossover Bioequivalence Study. Clinical pharmacology in drug development. 2022
Reference material
5- 8Coxib and traditional NSAID Trialists' (CNT) Collaboration. Vascular and upper gastrointestinal effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: meta-analyses of individual participant data from randomised trials. Lancet. 2013.Source linkedPMID
- 9Noble S et al. Meloxicam. Drugs. 1996.Source linkedPMID
- 10Xie L et al. Prophylactic effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on heterotopic ossification after total hip arthroplasty: a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials using cumulative logistic regression. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2025.Source linkedPMID
- 11Shavlovskaya OA, Bokova IA, Shavlovskiy NI. [Meloxicam clinical effects]. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. 2022Source linkedPMID
- 12Ranieri MM, Bradley EF, Simon AB. Meloxicam-induced thrombocytopenia. Pharmacotherapy. 2014Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Meloxicam, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Meloxicam?
A preferential COX-2 inhibiting NSAID with a long half-life allowing once-daily dosing, used primarily for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. At lower doses, meloxicam demonstrates relative COX-2 selectivity, which may confer a somewhat lower risk of GI adverse effects compared to fully nonselective NSAIDs.
What is Meloxicam used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Meloxicam include: Treatment of osteoarthritis pain and inflammation; Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; Once-daily dosing convenience; Potentially lower GI risk than nonselective NSAIDs at low doses. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as strong.
What is a typical dose of Meloxicam?
A typical adult dose of Meloxicam is 7.5–15 mg once daily (as prescribed by your physician). The commonly recommended form is Tablet or oral suspension. These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Meloxicam?
Reported side effects include dyspepsia, nausea and diarrhea, peripheral edema, headache, dizziness, elevated blood pressure. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Meloxicam?
NutriStack rates this as Strong, meaning multiple high-quality meta-analyses or systematic reviews converge on the same finding. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Meloxicam in NutriStack.
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