Mobic or generic drug name Meloxicam... anyone try it before?

[JK2234]

The best drug in the class for me is Celebrex at 400mg BID. But it's $$$ and may bring baggage along with it.

How does celebrex compare to Mobic? And what type of baggage does celebrex bring along with it?

[Jack-of-all-trades]

Over the years I've been on practically all NSAIDs known to man. What worked the best for me was Ibuprophen (Advil) taking 800 mg three times a day. The OTC dose is 400mg, the prescription dose is 800 mg. Thing is it tore a hole in my stomach, twice so I had to switch to something a little more gut friendly. Everyone seems to have their favorite non-steroidal that seems to work best for them. Celebrex was for me the most gut friendly and worked second best. Celebrex is in a group of NSAIDs known as COX 2 drugs. A Google search can explain them better than I can. Anyway, Celebrex is a close relative of Vioxx which had much hoopla raised about it a few years ago over a few heart issues. The drug company, probably fearing lawsuits, pulled it from the market. Celebrex to date is different enough that it has not been painted with the same brush as Vioxx. Mobic (Meloxicam) has Cox 2 activity as well but is chemically different enough that, at least to date anyway, I haven't heard any bad press about it. All of the Cox 2s are easier on the gut than the older Cox 1s.

As long as I take an acid pump inhibitor like OTC Prilosec or Rx Aciphex I can take Mobic and still drink coffee, eat Mexican, Pizza, drink Cokes and otherwise abuse my stomach lining. I wasn't really scared off of Celebrex by the news media. It was more a matter of cost. Celebrex isn't, or wasn't then available by generic and was $$$. Mobic has generics. USATODAY.com - How did Vioxx debacle happen?

Just to throw in for grins the absolute best NSAID was removed from the market about 18 years ago. It has a rare but serious complication called aplastic anemia. Veterinarians still use it for race horses though.

[Justin]

Over the years I've been on practically all NSAIDs known to man. What worked the best for me was Ibuprophen (Advil) taking 800 mg three times a day. The OTC dose is 400mg, the prescription dose is 800 mg. Thing is it tore a hole in my stomach, twice so I had to switch to something a little more gut friendly. Everyone seems to have their favorite non-steroidal that seems to work best for them. Celebrex was for me the most gut friendly and worked second best. Celebrex is in a group of NSAIDs known as COX 2 drugs. A Google search can explain them better than I can. Anyway, Celebrex is a close relative of Vioxx which had much hoopla raised about it a few years ago over a few heart issues. The drug company, probably fearing lawsuits, pulled it from the market. Celebrex to date is different enough that it has not been painted with the same brush as Vioxx. Mobic (Meloxicam) has Cox 2 activity as well but is chemically different enough that, at least to date anyway, I haven't heard any bad press about it. All of the Cox 2s are easier on the gut than the older Cox 1s.

As long as I take an acid pump inhibitor like OTC Prilosec or Rx Aciphex I can take Mobic and still drink coffee, eat Mexican, Pizza, drink Cokes and otherwise abuse my stomach lining. I wasn't really scared off of Celebrex by the news media. It was more a matter of cost. Celebrex isn't, or wasn't then available by generic and was $$$. Mobic has generics. USATODAY.com - How did Vioxx debacle happen?

Just to throw in for grins the absolute best NSAID was removed from the market about 18 years ago. It has a rare but serious complication called aplastic anemia. Veterinarians still use it for race horses though.

COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex are "easier" on the stomach; however, they do carry cardiac risk because of unopposed thromboxane (TXA2) (as I'm sure you know JOAT).

[dalhousie]

COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex are "easier" on the stomach; however, they do carry cardiac risk because of unopposed thromboxane (TXA2) (as I'm sure you know JOAT).

Can somebody clarify this or enlighten me further?

As I understand it the risks of taking Cox 2 such as Meloxicam are significantly increased for people who fall into the "at risk" groups for heart attacks & strokes & also the elderly. Also prolonged use increases suspectibility.

I'm taking Meloxicam at the moment & have been on it intermittently since my ADR surgery in April 2009. During that time it has also helped with a knee problem which flared up. A few years ago before I took Meloxicam I took Vioxx & thankfully nothing untoward happened to me before it was banned & taken off the market.

[Justin]

Can somebody clarify this or enlighten me further?

As I understand it the risks of taking Cox 2 such as Meloxicam are significantly increased for people who fall into the "at risk" groups for heart attacks & strokes & also the elderly. Also prolonged use increases suspectibility.

I'm taking Meloxicam at the moment & have been on it intermittently since my ADR surgery in April 2009. During that time it has also helped with a knee problem which flared up. A few years ago before I took Meloxicam I took Vioxx & thankfully nothing untoward happened to me before it was banned & taken off the market.

Natural Antiinflammatory Agents for Pain Relief in Athletes: Inflammatory Pathways (this is a good read...look at the Figures too. You might have to login [Free] to read the article)

[Jack-of-all-trades]

It seems, like so much in medicine, it's dang if you do and dang if you don't. We all have to balance the side effects from the benefits of what we put in our bodies. I give up one cheeseburger, "with lettece and tomato, Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes" you know the rest so I can take my Mobic.

Something else is to rate bad stuff by comparison to stuff we can relate too. Is taking a Cox 2 as dangerous as one loaded cheeseburger, or sun bathing for one day or 4 CT scans?

My personal opinion is that to many things fall into an area of minimal danger but enough to be of interest to trial lawyers. When I worked as a rep for a pharmaceutical company, one of the products they made was an injection-able med used to treat a serious childhood disease. The standard was set by the Federal Government, in other words the Government told the pharma companies how to make the drug. About 3 in 100,000 babies had serious neurological damage from this drug. The pharma companies got sued naturally so they stopped making the drug. The medical community cried foul because many more babies got sick and died without this drug being available but business being, and juries involving babies being, no one would make it. The Federal Government had to step in and provide protection from lawsuits to get the drug back on the market. I'm almost afraid to read the package inserts on the drugs I get.

I have heard that if aspirin were to now just come on the market, it would only be available by prescription, especially considering Reye's Syndrone.

Am I concerned about the side effects of the Cox drugs, yes. But in my case after doing my research, I'll take my chances.

[KBear]

Jack you are so right about the litigious nature of people when it comes to medication and the not weighing the benefits to the risks. It's like the whole Autism and vaccine debate. I know so many people who do not vaccinate their children, out of fear that it causes Autism. First they said it was because there was Mercury in the vaccines, well no more just in the flu shot and that is an optional vaccine anyway. Now, they say it's just too much on their bodies and causes the autism. Well, vaccination rates have dropped over the last several years, yet autism rates continue to climb. How do they explain that? I think a lot of these people don't realize how bad these diseases were. How many people wouldn't have given anything for a vaccine as they watched their loved ones and friends die. Walk through any old cemetery and there are countless babies and children graves. Entire families were killed by these diseases. People forget too easily that people really died from these diseases and that they were horrific and painful deaths. Personally, I would rather have a disabled child than no child at all (and in no way do I believe vaccines cause autism, my kids are fully vaccinated).

[JK2234]

Thanks for all the info everybody, Im trying to figure out whats the best drug for arthritis/stenosis...

[JK2234]

After taking cybalta yesterday and not being able to eat for 24 hours I had 3 slices of cold turkey & a handfull of grapes took a mobic and it might have saved my life...or at least gave me the will to live 1 more day. My spinal arthritis most be terrible.

[Hooch]

Apparently a lot of people with bad arthritis take nsaid's indefinitely. I spose in the toss up between debilitating pain and a torn gut the pain wins.

I'm sitting on dicoflenac atm, mobic gives me pounding headaches.

Best of luck with your condition JK2234.