What to do if Meloxicam is not working anymore?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
What to do if Meloxicam is not working anymore?
Talk to your healthcare provider if you don’t feel Meloxicam working anymore to manage your pain and inflammation. Some people may begin to feel their pain getting stronger while taking a painkiller, and they should report this to their doctor.
There are a number of reasons why it could happen, and a simple change like dose escalation can fix it. However, it’s not something for you to decide on your own and it’s best to seek medical attention for better management of your symptoms.
Reasons Meloxicam may stop working
Some reasons may cause your Meloxicam to not work as well as it did when you first started taking the medication. The most common ones include:
- You’re not taking it properly
- Your health condition is progressing
- Your dose is not sufficient enough
- You’re building tolerance against the drug
- You’re taking another medication that’s interfering with Meloxicam
You’re not taking it properly
Your Meloxicam will not work well enough if you’re not taking the medication according to your doctor’s directions. For the management of chronic pain, Meloxicam should be taken regularly.
I have personally seen a lot of such cases where patients start to take Meloxicam on alternative days without talking to the doctor, just because it doesn’t feel right to take it every day.
They think they’re protecting their bodies from unwanted harm that way, but what they are actually doing is harming their body even more by mismanaging their condition. This is why you should always take your meds as properly as you can to make the most out of them.
It is also important to discuss the best time of the day to take Meloxicam according to your symptoms and to make sure that you take it in a way that helps prevent the common gastrointestinal side effects – like taking Meloxicam with food or not lying down immediately after taking it.
Your health condition is progressing
You may not feel your Meloxicam working well if your pain is progressing. Some people may need stronger painkillers. Mild painkillers may help your pain for some time, but as the condition progresses, the pain grows severe and can’t be controlled by your current painkiller.
This is why you need to discuss the ineffectiveness of Meloxicam with your doctor as soon as you can, for better management of your condition.
Your dose is not sufficient enough
Sometimes, the dosage strength of Meloxicam is not as high as it should be. Since it’s an NSAID, most doctors keep the dosage strength as low as they possibly can prevent gastrointestinal adverse events that are common with NSAIDs (1).
High-dose Meloxicam can help you if you use this med occasionally, but long-term use of high doses can cause significant gastrointestinal damage over time. So, reach out to your healthcare provider and make sure your dose is high enough to manage your condition effectively.
You’re building tolerance against the drug
Building tolerance against Meloxicam is not that common, but it could be the case for some people. If you’re developing tolerance against this medication, your doctor may increase your dose if possible.
If not, your doctor will most likely switch you to another medication for better pain relief.
You’re taking another medication that’s interfering with Meloxicam
There are some medications that may interfere with the way Meloxicam absorbs and cause a decreased bioavailability of this medication. Some hormonal medications may cause such an effect.
It’s best to reach out to your healthcare provider and make sure you’re not currently taking any other medication that may make your Meloxicam ineffective.
Alternatives to Meloxicam
There are plenty of other painkillers that can easily replace Meloxicam. There are other OTC and prescription NSAIDs that your doctor may ask you to take if you do well on NSAIDs.
The best alternative to Meloxicam depends on the condition you have, as there are plenty of other choices. So, make sure you consult your doctor and properly follow the instructions.
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References
1.-
National Library of Medicine. Drug Information: Acyclovir. [updated 2021 Jul 15]. In: MedlinePlus [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [cited 2023 Mar 7]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601242.html.
