Tenoxicam tablets for pain and inflammation

About tenoxicam

Anti-inflammatoriska smärtstillande medel like tenoxicam are sometimes called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or just 'anti-inflammatories'. Tenoxicam is used to ease pain and reduce inflammation in rheumatic conditions, and also to treat painful conditions such as sprains and strains, and other muscle or joint injuries.

Tenoxicam works by blocking the effect of chemicals in your body, called cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes. These enzymes help to make other chemicals in the body, called prostaglandins. Some prostaglandins are produced at sites of injury or damage, and cause pain and inflammation. By blocking the effect of COX enzymes, fewer prostaglandins are produced, which means pain and inflammation are eased.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking tenoxicam, it is important that your doctor knows:

• Om du har astma eller någon annan allergisk sjukdom.

• Om du någonsin har haft ett magsår eller duodenalsår, eller om du har en inflammatorisk tarmsjukdom som Crohns sjukdom eller ulcerös kolit.

• Om du är gravid, försöker bli gravid eller ammar.

• Om du är under 18 eller över 65 år gammal.

• Om du har lever- eller njurproblem.

• Om du har en hjärtsjukdom eller problem med dina blodkärl eller cirkulation.

• Om du har högt blodtryck.

• Om du någonsin har haft problem med blodkoagulation.

• Om du har högt blodsocker eller kolesterolnivåer.

• If you are a smoker.

• If you have a connective tissue disorder, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (an inflammatory condition also called lupus, or SLE).

• Om du tar några andra läkemedel. Detta inkluderar alla läkemedel du tar som finns att köpa utan recept, samt växtbaserade och komplementära läkemedel.

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to any other NSAID (such as aspirin, naproxen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen), or to any other medicine.
  

• Before you start taking tenoxicam, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. The manufacturer's leaflet will give you more information about the tablets and provide a full list of side-effects which you may experience from taking them.

• Take one tablet a day, exactly as your doctor tells you to. Swallow the tablet whole - do not break or crush the tablets.

• Although you may take your doses before meals, it is better to take your doses with a snack or just after eating a meal. This is because the food in your stomach will help to protect from side-effects such as indigestion and stomach irritation.

• Most people find it helps to swallow the tablets with a drink of water.

• If you have been prescribed tenoxicam for muscle or joint injury, it is likely that your course of treatment will last for a week, or possibly two weeks at the most. Longer courses of treatment are prescribed for people with rheumatic conditions.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, skip the forgotten dose. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.

• Your doctor will try to prescribe you the lowest dose for the shortest time to reduce the risk of side-effects. If you need to take tenoxicam for a long time, your doctor may want to prescribe another medicine along with it to protect your stomach from irritation.

• Try to keep any regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your doctor can check on your progress, and is especially important if you are taking tenoxicam for a long-term condition.

• If you have asthma, symptoms such as wheeze or breathlessness can be made worse by anti-inflammatories such as tenoxicam. If this happens to you, you should stop taking the tablets and see your doctor as soon as possible.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are safe to take with an anti-inflammatory like tenoxicam. This is because you should not take these tablets with any other anti-inflammatory painkiller, some of which are available in cold and flu remedies which can be bought over the counter.

• Om du ska genomgå en operation eller tandbehandling, informera den som utför behandlingen om vilka mediciner du tar.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with tenoxicam. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Viktigt: if you experience any of the following less common but more serious symptoms, stop taking tenoxicam and contact your doctor for advice straightaway:

• Om du har några andningssvårigheter som väsande andning eller andfåddhet.

• Om du har några tecken på en allergisk reaktion, såsom svullnad runt munnen eller ansiktet, eller ett allvarligt kliande hudutslag.

• Om du har blod eller svarta avföringar, kräks blod eller har svåra magsmärtor (buksmärtor).

Om du upplever några andra symtom som du tror kan bero på denna medicin, tala med din läkare eller apotekare för vidare råd.

• Förvara alla läkemedel utom räckhåll och synhåll för barn.

• Förvara på en sval, torr plats, borta från direkt värme och ljus.