Freda 7.5mg Tablets

Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It reduces the body's production of substances that cause pain, swelling and fever.

It is used to relieve pain, swelling, tenderness and stiffness caused by:

• osteoarthritis
• rheumatoid arthritis, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children aged 2 and over

Doctors sometimes also use it for ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis mainly of the spine).

Take meloxicam exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, usually once a day at the same time.

• You can take it with or without food.
• Shake the liquid well before each dose and measure it carefully.
• Do not take more, or more often, than prescribed.
• If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next dose is nearly due. Never take a double dose.
• Do not take other NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin, at the same time unless your doctor says so.

Common side effects include:

• diarrhoea, constipation, wind
• sore throat

Stop taking it and get medical help straight away if you have:

• chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness on one side, or slurred speech (possible heart attack or stroke)
• black or bloody stools, vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, or bad stomach pain
• rash, blisters, peeling skin, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
• swollen legs or ankles, or sudden weight gain
• yellow skin or eyes, pain in the upper right tummy, or cloudy, bloody or painful urine

Do not take it if you are allergic to aspirin or other NSAIDs, or just before or after heart bypass surgery.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist first if you:

• have heart disease, have had a heart attack or stroke, or have high blood pressure
• have had a stomach ulcer or bleeding, or a bleeding disorder
• have asthma (especially with nasal polyps), kidney or liver disease, or heart failure
• take blood thinners such as warfarin, aspirin, steroid tablets, or SSRI or SNRI antidepressants
• are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding
• have fructose intolerance (the liquid contains sorbitol)

Store at room temperature, away from heat and moisture (not in the bathroom), in the original tightly closed container and out of the reach of children.

Heart and stomach risks: NSAIDs can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and stomach bleeding, sometimes without warning. The risk is higher with long-term use and in older people.

Pregnancy: avoid it from about 20 weeks of pregnancy unless your doctor advises it.

Alcohol: drinking a lot raises the risk of stomach bleeding.

Tell any surgeon or dentist that you take meloxicam.