Painflex 191.2/20mg Capsules

Piroxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Piroxicam beta-cyclodextrin is piroxicam bound to a sugar-based carrier that helps it dissolve and be absorbed faster.

It is used to relieve pain, stiffness and swelling in:

• osteoarthritis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• ankylosing spondylitis

It is not a first-choice NSAID and is usually used when others have not helped. It does not cure arthritis.

Take it exactly as your doctor tells you, at the same time each day.

• Swallow it with a glass of water, with or just after food.
• Your doctor should review your treatment after the first 2 weeks and regularly after that.
• Do not take more than prescribed if it seems not to work; talk to your doctor.
• If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next dose is due. Never take a double dose.

Common side effects include:

• indigestion, stomach pain, wind, feeling or being sick
• diarrhoea or constipation
• headache, dizziness, sleepiness, ringing in the ears
• itching, rash, swollen ankles

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

• black or bloody poo, or vomit containing blood
• a rash with target-like spots, blisters or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth or eyes
• wheezing, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face or lips
• yellow skin or eyes
• chest pain or signs of a stroke

Do not take it if you have, or have had, a stomach ulcer or bleeding, bowel disease, a serious skin reaction to a medicine, an allergy to aspirin or other NSAIDs, or severe heart failure, or if you are over 80.

Check with your doctor first if you:

• have asthma, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, or liver or kidney disease
• take other NSAIDs, aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel, steroids, SSRIs, lithium, methotrexate, ciclosporin, water tablets or blood pressure medicines

Keep in the original pack in a dry place below 30°C, out of the sight and reach of children.

Stomach and skin: piroxicam causes more stomach problems and serious skin reactions than some other NSAIDs. Your doctor may also prescribe a stomach-protecting medicine.

Heart: it may slightly raise the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Pregnancy: do not take it in the last 3 months of pregnancy, and only earlier if your doctor says it is essential. It may reduce fertility.

Driving: do not drive if you feel dizzy or drowsy.