Meloxicam Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide
Key takeaways:
Meloxicam (Mobic) is a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It’s typically taken once a day for arthritis. You can take it by mouth as an oral tablet, capsule, or suspension.
Your meloxicam dosage can vary depending on your medical conditions, age, and weight. And it may be adjusted based on how you respond to the medication.
Meloxicam is both available as a brand-name medication and lower-cost generic. You can find generic meloxicam for less than $20 at certain pharmacies with a free GoodRx discount.
Table of contents
Meloxicam (Mobic) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID. Your healthcare provider may prescribe it to treat pain and inflammation due to different types of arthritis. It’s commonly taken by mouth in the form of a tablet, capsule, or suspension. It can also be given in the hospital as an injection.
In this guide, we’ll go over typical meloxicam dosages. Keep in mind that these are recommendations from the manufacturers. Your healthcare provider might have you take meloxicam differently. If you have questions about your dose, speak to your pharmacist or provider.
What’s the typical meloxicam dosage for adults?
The typical meloxicam dosage for adults depends on why you’re taking it and which form you’re taking. For example, the capsules are only approved to treat osteoarthritis (OA). The tablets and suspension can be used to treat OA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
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Keep in mind: The capsules and tablets come in different doses, and they aren’t interchangeable.
Dosage for osteoarthritis
Capsules: The typical starting dosage is 5 mg by mouth once daily. Your healthcare provider may increase the dosage to 10 mg once daily, depending on how you respond to the medication.
Tablets or suspension: The typical starting dosage is 7.5 mg by mouth once daily. Your healthcare provider may increase the dosage to 15 mg once daily, depending on how you respond to the medication.
Dosage for rheumatoid arthritis
Tablets or suspension: The typical starting dosage is 7.5 mg by mouth once daily. Your healthcare provider may increase the dosage to 15 mg once daily, depending on how you respond to the medication.
What’s the typical meloxicam dosage for children?
Meloxicam tablets and suspension are FDA approved to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) in children. The tablets can be used in children who weigh 60 kg (132 lbs) or more. The suspension can be used in children ages 2 and older.
The suspension is dosed based on the weight of your child. So, it’s important to let your child’s pediatrician know if their weight changes. They’ll help you calculate the right dose based on your child’s weight.
Dosage for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Tablets: The typical dosage is 7.5 mg by mouth once daily in children who weigh 60 kg or more.
Suspension: The typical dosage is 0.125 mg/kg of body weight by mouth once daily, up to a maximum of 7.5 mg. Examples of weight-based dosing calculations are detailed below. Your child’s prescription label should indicate their specific dose.
| Body weight (kg) | Suspension dosage* |
|---|---|
| 12 kg (26 lb) | 1 mL (1.5 mg) |
| 24 kg (54 lb) | 2 mL (3 mg) |
| 36 kg (80 lb) | 3 mL (4.5 mg) |
| 48 kg (106 lb) | 4 mL (6 mg) |
| 60 kg (132 lb) or more | 5 mL (7.5 mg) |
* There is 7.5 mg of meloxicam in every 5 mL of meloxicam suspension.
Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?
Meloxicam is broken down by your liver, and your body gets rid of it through your kidneys. If you have mild to moderate kidney problems, your healthcare provider likely won’t need to adjust your dose. And the same goes for mild to moderate liver problems.
But meloxicam isn’t recommended if you have severe kidney problems. It also hasn’t been studied well in people with severe liver problems, and should be used with caution.
Make sure to discuss your full medical history with your healthcare provider. They can decide if meloxicam is a safe treatment option for you. In some cases, they might need to monitor you more closely.
Dosage for people with kidney problems
Mild to moderate kidney problems: No dosage adjustment needed.
Severe kidney problems: Not recommended.
Kidney failure and on dialysis: The maximum recommended dose is 5 mg by mouth per day (capsules) or 7.5 mg by mouth per day (tablets or suspension).
What happens if you miss a dose of meloxicam?
If you forgot to take your meloxicam dose, you can take it as soon as you remember. But it’s best to just skip the missed dose if it’s getting close to the time for your next dose.
Meloxicam is typically taken once a day because it lasts a long time in your body. Taking two doses too close together could lead to too much medication in your body and more side effects.
For your safety, never double up on your meloxicam dose to make up for any missed doses. If you have questions about the timing of your dose, call your pharmacist or healthcare provider for help.
What should you do if you take too much meloxicam?
NSAIDs like meloxicam can have a wide variety of effects on your body. Taking too much meloxicam can cause serious problems, like tears and bleeding in your stomach or gut and damage to your kidneys.
Common signs of an NSAID overdose include nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Drowsiness and lack of energy are also possible. If you or a loved one might have taken too much meloxicam, get medical attention right away or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
How to save on meloxicam
There are many ways to save on meloxicam, which is available as both a brand-name and generic medication.
Save with GoodRx. GoodRx can help you save over 50% off the average retail price of the generic version. Generic meloxicam at certain pharmacies is less than $20 with a free GoodRx discount.
Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for meloxicam’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of cost.
The bottom line
Your meloxicam dosage can depend on your medical conditions, age, and weight. It can also depend on which form of it you’re taking (e.g., capsule, tablet, suspension), and your response to the medication. Discuss your full medical history with your healthcare provider. They can make sure you receive the correct dose and best form for your individual needs.
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References
Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. (2021). Meloxicam tablets [package insert].
Avondale Pharmaceuticals, LLC. (2022). Meloxicam suspension [package insert].
Boulton-Jones, J. M., et al. (1997). Meloxicam pharmacokinetics in renal impairment. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Childhood Arthritis.
MedlinePlus. (2021). Meloxicam.
Novitium Pharma LLC. (2022). Meloxicam [package insert].
Saad, J., et al. (2022). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs toxicity. StatPearls.
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