Possible Nerve Damage From Meloxicam?

[connie765]

Hi,

I am female and in my late 40s.  My doctor prescribed Meloxicam 15 mg for back pain several weeks ago.  I took it for 9 days straight starting March 14, 2012 and then suddenly noticed that I felt drained of energy and my legs became very weak, so weak in fact as an example that it was even hard for me to keep the brake pedal pushed while stopped at a red light.  I immediately stopped taking the Meloxicam, and although my strength mostly came back, I have since then experienced tingling and numbness in my legs, arms, and face for the past couple of weeks.  I also feel a burning or warming sensation sometimes instead of tingling and numbness.  It's so haphazard when I have these sensations, and they keep changing/migrating, but I have them every day now, and they seem to worsen in the evening.  For the past couple of days, I have been feeling numbness and tingling and a tightness (slight swelling sensation) on mostly one side of my face, and my legs sporadically have a heated warm feeling in places.

I thought perhaps I have a vitamin B-12 deficiency or even the onset of Multiple Sclerosis and I started having my first blood tests today with my General Physician to see what is wrong with me.  My doctor told me that he will refer me to a Neurologist if nothing obvious shows up.  Now after reading about Meloxicam side effects today, I am suspecting that perhaps the issue is the Meloxicam.  

My symptoms seem slightly different each day.  Initially it was a few days of mostly lower leg weakness and overall lack of energy.  That changed to a few days of lower leg tingling and numbness, and then the numbness and tingling moved to mostly my right side leg and arm and slightly in my left leg.  Now I still have some but less tingling in my legs but it has mostly been replaced by a burning (warming) sensation in my legs and my face started getting numb and tingly.  For the past few days my face has the most issues and I feel numbness and tingling on the lower part of my right face all the way across the left side of my face all the way up to my temple, and I am still experiencing some of the warming feelings in my legs.

Thanks,

Connie

[LincGuy]

I was having similar symptoms. I had been on meloxicam for several months with no problems - it did help my hip a lot. Then one morning I noticed a strange sensation/tingling in my lips, which soon spread to the side of my face, then the other side, then my forearms, lower legs, hands and feet. I thought it was the start of some horrible disease until I thought to look up the side effects of meloxicam. I quit meloxicam and started feeling better after a couple of days (it take a few days to get out of your system because it has a relatively long half-life). After about 2 weeks I'm pretty much back to normal. I hope y'all eventually recovered as well - that was scary!

[Rbarber1954]

I am having nerve damage from meloxicam too.

[Anx_wor]

Has anyone’s issues resolved? I️ know that many of you posted a while ago but I️ am curious because I am experiencing facial tightness on my right side and right eye twitching, right arm weakness and twitching feeling at times in different parts of my body after eight days of taking 7.5mg. Since then I have stopped taking it but the symptoms persist. Please tell me this will subside?

[Rbarber1954]

I am hoping the same thing. I hurt my back and was prescribed meloxicam. MRI showed damage to a lumbar disc. Started having some numbness in left leg. Then numbness in left foot. Then numbness in both feet and legs. Started to have numbness in right arm then both arms. Started looking up side effects of meloxicam and found this site. Will never t take the drug anymore. My numbness changes every day. It may not be there when I wake up or in just my legs or just my arms. Some days no numbness. Has anybody gotten rid of all their numbness altogether. Or does it never go away?

[Ammarie1088]

Just wanted to share my input. My dr prescribed me 15 mg of Meloxicam per day but said I could just take it as needed for my knee. I took it once the first week and the next day when I woke up I noticed my legs were so weak and sore I could barely walk. Almost like I had an intense leg day at the gym. I figured I just needed to get up and get moving around but my legs felt like that all day. I didn't equate this episode with the Meloxicam. However, last night I took one to help my knee. Today I woke up with the same leg weakness as the first time I took it! There's no doubt in my mind it's the Meloxicam and I won't be taking it anymore.

[Snowflake505]

I know this thread is a few years old but I'm just wondering if any of you have had your issues resolve. I am currently experiencing my own meloxicam nightmare. I've been diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease. My joints swell similar to rheumatoid arthritis and I was prescribed this drug in November 2014 when my knees swelled to the point where I couldn't walk. I took 7.5 2x daily for 7 days. It worked great for my swelling and my knees barely hurt at all. On the seventh day, my entire abdomen broke out in pin point red dots. I started to get this sever pain in my left side. It was burning and throbbing. 2 days later my entire body started to shake 24/7. I went to the er 3 times and was admitted to the hospital for 2 days. I had a million dollar work up and not one doctor can tell me what's wrong. Every symptom I experienced is listed as a possible side effect yet no doctor has admitted it nor can they tell me what it is. Today is almost 6 months since the incident. The body trembling is down to a tolerable level, my entire abdomen is still covered in dots, and the pain in my side has never left. I have days when it's better than others but it never completely leaves. Has anyone ever had a similar experience? Thanks so much!

[Wagriff]

I have to add my own Meloxicam experience here too. First of all, I am a 54 year old male and have Type 2 Diabetes for about 4 years and had a Very mild bit of Peripheral Neuropathy that would come and go. It was not troublesome and I always keep my blood sugar in Very strict control. When I developed a very painful Chostochondritis pain in my frontal rib cage, my doctor gave me Meloxicam before attempting more aggressive treatments. The Meloxicam worked Very well on the Costochondritis -eliminating, perhaps, 75% of the pain. However, the Very Next day after beginning it, my "mild Neuropathy" suddenly kicked into Full Strength Neuropathy and I began having balance problems, totally numb feet, partially numb hands and arms and overall unsteadiness and a host of other Neuropathy problems. I did continue the Meloxicam for about a week until I finally connected the 2 together and stopped taking it. It had ceased working for the chest pain at that point in any case. What is more alarming,is that the Neuropathy has Steadily continued to get worse ever since and from what little I can find on this side effect, it is sounding like this is a Permanent Problem that may well end with killing me. And there is Nothing that can be done to counter this effect. Why don't Doctors take a few minutes and Read up on medications before they casually write prescriptions? My life is literally being destroyed because I took One Pill a day for chest pain for a Week. Every Week it now gets worse symptoms. It's gotten so that I dread even imagining what next week will bring.    William

[connie7650]

Hi Shanifaye, after numerous blood tests ordered by both my Neurologist and primary care physician, MRI's (brain, cervical spine, lower lumbar), none of the tests showed any abnormalities. Both Doctors were puzzled and would never acknowledge that the use of Meloxicam was the root of all of my problems. But, I suspect that it was, since I was perfectly healthy before starting the Meloxicam (with the exception of minor back pain in the morning associated with osteoarthritis). Also, I made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon after all of my tests came back normal from the Neurologist and Primary Care Physician. The Orthopedic Surgeon confirmed the original diagnosis of osteoarthritis (which was diagnosed by my Primary Care Physician and this is why I was prescribed the Meloxicam in the first place) and the Orthopedic Surgeon also took numerous x-rays. The Orthopedic Surgeon also diagnosed me with bursitis in my hips. All 3 Doctors prescribed physical therapy in hopes it would help me regain all of my strength. As info., I did not want to start the physical therapy until I had seen all 3 Doctors because I wanted to be sure that I did not have a spinal injury of some sort that could be aggravated by physical therapy. Long story short, I started my physical therapy last June (2013), went 3 times a week for 8 weeks (this all my insurance would pay for). Physical Therapy was a lifesaver and helped me regain almost all of my strength. I would say after the first couple of weeks, the numbness and tingling decreased dramatically. However, I still felt like a baby with Jelly legs at the beginning of the therapy sessions and thought there is no way I will be able to do it and did not put much faith in a physical therapist being able to help me with all of my problems. But, week by week I gained strength and towards the end of 8 week treatment plan, I had no tingling or numbness and regained a lot of strength in my legs. I continue to do physical therapy at home with an exercise plan my therapist prescribed for me. Just simple stretches, hip flexors and strengthening exercises using the exercise bands the therapist sent home with me. Don't get me wrong, I am not back to 100%, but so much better than I was a year ago (I'd say maybe 80% - 90%). Still cannot stand for long periods of time without my legs starting to feel weak. But, no longer experiencing burning, numbness or tingling sensations anywhere in my body. As for your eye issue, the only issue I can remember having is shortly after beginning the Meloxicam, I remember it feeling like a bomb exploded in my head with a sharp shooting pain up my left temple, super loud ringing in my left ear and my left eye twitching, but this only lasted a few seconds and I did not and to this date do not have any issues with my sight being hampered in any way. Hang in there and hopefully you will regain the strength & feeling in your leg through Physical Therapy, though it will most likely take some time. :-)

[Shanifaye]

Connie765 I have sent you a and MM0111 a message about my experience, but I wanted to add my post that the dr has proven that my similar problem is linked to taking the Meloxicam for 8 days. I lost vision and neurological problems on my left side which still have not resolved themselves.)  These included, tingling so bad it  felt like someone was touching battery cables together under my skin in my lower left leg, but having absolutely no feeling in my lower left leg if it was touched, pinched, etc. Extreme pain in my left thigh and it gives out constantly if I don't watch how I walk. In my left eye I lost vision and could only see a white light (which I know was not a problem with my eye, as I had had my annual eye exam the week before I started the pills)

My vision came back 3 days after stopping the pills, but my left leg has absolutely no reflex and no feeling, though that sparky tingly pain is gone.  I still cannot walk properly because that leg gives out on me constantly.

I'm wondering if either of you had your issues resolved?  I start physical therapy on Monday to try to help and my doctor is reporting my case to the drug company that manufactured my pills.

[MM0111]

Can you share what the doctor said about your tingling and how do you feel now?

[MM0111]

I took Meloxican for 7 days, I experienced pain in my right arm, I could not hold my purse anymore, tingling, and some numbness on my left arm, and sensations that move to different parts of my body. I stopped taken Meloxican  and the pain of my right arm is gone, but the tingling, pins and needle sensation and pain are still present every day. I am taking B supplement and I think that the Meloxican is the cause.

MM0111

[Anx_wor]

HI I know this was a while ago but did your symptoms resolve?

[raven111186]

I stopped taking meloxicam 15 mg dose and three days later my face and arms are numb and tingling. The same thing happened last time I ran out of Meloxicam. I do not think it is a coincidence.

[connie765]

Here are the serious side effects of meloxicam (Mobic).........

"Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop taking meloxicam and seek medical attention or call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

*  chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance;
*  black, bloody, or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
*  urinating less than usual or not at all;
*   nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
*  fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; or
*  bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness."

My symptoms are the last bullet point.  My back pain is gone now, and the tradeoff, although less painful, is much more worrisome.  I'll be seeing a Neurologist soon after my normal Doctor has completed all of his tests and screening.

If my symptoms are a result of an adverse reaction to meloxicam and I do have nerve damage, I just hope that it will get better and eventually go away.  Does anyone else out there have any experience from nerve damage due to adverse reactions to any drug, and how did your recovery turn out over time and was there anything that helped?

Thanks.

[msnova74]

I have never heard of Mobic causing that type of issue.
Most likely it is whatever was wrong with your back in the first place.  Mobic is an NSAID and has all of the normal NSAID issues ulcer, stroke etc. If you are feeling worse talk to your doctor.