Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Is It Necessary To Go To The Hospital I Took 45 Mg Of Meloxicam Today By Accident?
Question: I took 45 mg of Meloxicam today by accident. The pills resemble in size another medication I take, and I just now realized that I reached for the wrong bottle when I took them (6 hours ago).
I have no stomach issues at the moment, but I understand that this is quite a high dose of meloxicam. It was 3 15mg tablets.
Is there something I should do or look out for? Is it necessary to go to the hospital? Are there likely to be long term effects if I go for a few days and have no short term issues?
I have no stomach issues at the moment, but I understand that this is quite a high dose of meloxicam. It was 3 15mg tablets.
Is there something I should do or look out for? Is it necessary to go to the hospital? Are there likely to be long term effects if I go for a few days and have no short term issues?
Brief Answer:
I would go to the hospital or call poison control to be safe
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I could not find a lot of information on overdoses of meloxicam, but as you said this is quite a large dose, and because meloxicam stays in the system for so long (the half-life is about 20 hours), I would be concerned about this. Also, some sources state there could be some treatments that would help prevent any damage. The main concerns would be bleeding, especially from the stomach, but this could also affect your kidneys or heart. So I would either go to the hospital to get checked out, or another option would be to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, you can explain the situation and they are very helpful in situations like this and can let you know if it would be advisable to go to the hospital, which I suspect they would.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Thanks.
I would go to the hospital or call poison control to be safe
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I could not find a lot of information on overdoses of meloxicam, but as you said this is quite a large dose, and because meloxicam stays in the system for so long (the half-life is about 20 hours), I would be concerned about this. Also, some sources state there could be some treatments that would help prevent any damage. The main concerns would be bleeding, especially from the stomach, but this could also affect your kidneys or heart. So I would either go to the hospital to get checked out, or another option would be to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, you can explain the situation and they are very helpful in situations like this and can let you know if it would be advisable to go to the hospital, which I suspect they would.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Saisudha Kotla
Dr. Branch:
Thanks very much for your detailed response.
I was able to input the exact dosage of the meloxicam, along with a supporting details, into the Poison Control website. Ultimately, it did not advise a visit to the ED. In any event, at that time, it was 36 hours or so post exposure.
I have not had any side effects or evidence of GI bleeding (stool was normal color, no abdominal pain, etc.).
Today is well over 72 hours and, in fact, closer to 96 hours post exposure. If I understand the math correctly, assuming the half life is about a day, at 72 hours, there would be around 5.6 mg of the meloxicam in my blood. By 96 hours, that drops to 2.8 mg.
My follow-up questions: will the elevated risks associated with the overdosage eventually return to some baseline (e.g., the risks of GI bleeding, cardiac event, kidney damage, etc.)? If I have made it to this point without a symptomatic event, is it a good sign?
Thanks very much in advance.
Thanks very much for your detailed response.
I was able to input the exact dosage of the meloxicam, along with a supporting details, into the Poison Control website. Ultimately, it did not advise a visit to the ED. In any event, at that time, it was 36 hours or so post exposure.
I have not had any side effects or evidence of GI bleeding (stool was normal color, no abdominal pain, etc.).
Today is well over 72 hours and, in fact, closer to 96 hours post exposure. If I understand the math correctly, assuming the half life is about a day, at 72 hours, there would be around 5.6 mg of the meloxicam in my blood. By 96 hours, that drops to 2.8 mg.
My follow-up questions: will the elevated risks associated with the overdosage eventually return to some baseline (e.g., the risks of GI bleeding, cardiac event, kidney damage, etc.)? If I have made it to this point without a symptomatic event, is it a good sign?
Thanks very much in advance.
Brief Answer:
I would not expect any permanent damage
Detailed Answer:
I'm glad to hear you didn't have any issues. I agree that by this time, the amount of meloxicam in your system would not be a concern. Also, if you were to have any problems from this slight overdose, I would expect them acutely within the first few days, after which I would not expect any permanent damage. I would not take another meloxicam for a few more days just to be safe, but after that you should be able to resume as normal without any problems.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help any way I can.
I would not expect any permanent damage
Detailed Answer:
I'm glad to hear you didn't have any issues. I agree that by this time, the amount of meloxicam in your system would not be a concern. Also, if you were to have any problems from this slight overdose, I would expect them acutely within the first few days, after which I would not expect any permanent damage. I would not take another meloxicam for a few more days just to be safe, but after that you should be able to resume as normal without any problems.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help any way I can.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. LAKSHMI
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
