What Are the Side Effects of Piroxicam?

Piroxicam comes in a capsule. It is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, commonly referred to as NSAIDs. It treats inflammation and some of the pain and discomfort associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. I am currently taking Piroxicam for lumbar bulging discs to help reduce the inflammation and pain in my lower back.

According to DailyMed (a service of the National Institutes of Health), the most commonly reported adverse effects with Piroxicam include: edema (swelling), anorexia, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, dyspepsia, elevated liver enzymes, flatulence, gross bleeding/perforation, heartburn, nausea, ulcers, vomiting, anemia, increased bleeding time, dizziness, headache, pruritus, rash, abnormal renal function and tinnitus. These problems were reported in approximately one to ten percent of patients.

Less common side effects have also been reported with Piroxicam use. Cardiovascular problems reported include: congestive heart failure, hypertension, tachycardia and syncope (fainting/passing out). Digestive side effects include: dry mouth, esophagitis, gastritis, glossitis, hematemesis, hepatitis, jaundice, melena, rectal bleeding and stomatitis.

Nervous system side effects include: anxiety, asthenia, confusion, depression, dream abnormalities, drowsiness, insomnia, malaise, nervousness, paresthesia, somnolence, tremors and vertigo.

Urogenital side effects reported were: cystitis (bladder inflammation), dysuria (painful or difficult urination), hematuria (blood in the urine), hyperkalemia (elevated potassium levels in the blood), interstitial nephritis (kidney disorder), nephrotic syndrome (degeneration of kidneys), oliguria/polyuria (decreased/increased amount of urine passed), proteinuria, renal failure.

Other side effects reported include: asthma (in patients without prior asthma diagnosis), dyspnea, blurred vision, alopecia, bruising, desquamation, erythema, photosensitivity, weight changes, fever, sepsis, ecchymosis, eosinophilia (abnormal increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood, epistaxis (nosebleed), leukopenia (lowered white blood cell count), purpura (bleeding disorder), petechial rash (bleeding under the skin can which occur from broken blood vessels which form tiny pinpoint red dots) and thrombocytopenia (disorder when there are not enough platelets, which help blood clot).

Certain drugs shouldn't be taken with Piroxicam due to the increase in the amount of side effects or the decreased efficacy of the drugs. Some medicines may be taken with Piroxicam as long as a doctor watches for certain symptoms and tests for the development of certain conditions. Drugs that may not work well with Piroxicam include: aspirin, Warfarin, Methotrexate, lithium, diuretics, ACE-inhibitors and other drugs that are considered "highly protein bound drugs" (Piroxicam is also considered a highly protein bound drug) .

Personally, I have only experienced gastrointestinal side effects. I experience similar side effects when I take ibuprofen, so I was expecting the side effects to be similar (both Piroxicam and ibuprofen are NSAIDs).

Sources:
Piroxicam, http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=19029#Preexisting_Asthma
Feldene, http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=15302