Prescription medication · Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID)
piroxicam
Also sold as Feldene. Piroxicam helps to relieve the pain and swelling from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 6,176
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 15
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- $0.16
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
piroxicam (Feldene) is a prescription Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), reported less often than most tracked drugs (6,176 FDA reports), with 15 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
piroxicam (Feldene) is a prescription Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID). Piroxicam helps to relieve the pain and swelling from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Piroxicam is a medicine that reduces pain and swelling. It belongs to a class of drugs called NSAIDs.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.16/unit
Generic Available
Yes (4 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Piroxicam helps to relieve the pain and swelling from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Common side effects
Nausea, Constipation, Gas
Key warnings
Piroxicam may increase your risk of serious heart problems like heart attack or stroke, which can be fatal.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from piroxicam's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Piroxicam works by reducing substances in the body that cause pain and inflammation. It blocks the production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins contribute to inflammation and pain.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 6,176 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for piroxicam, by number of reports
- Drug Hypersensitivity
Drug Hypersensitivity
940 reports
- Rash
Rash
874 reports
- Arthralgia
Arthralgia
861 reports
- Condition Aggravated
Condition Aggravated
857 reports
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
809 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
806 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
802 reports
- Pain
Pain
797 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
788 reports
- Psoriatic Arthropathy
Psoriatic Arthropathy
781 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for piroxicam each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where piroxicam sits
piroxicam has more FDA adverse-event reports than 28% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is piroxicam; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 6,176 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
6,176
Reports Mentioning Death
1,024
16.6% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
2,479
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY | 940 |
| 2 | RASH | 874 |
| 3 | ARTHRALGIA | 861 |
| 4 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 857 |
| 6 | RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 809 |
| 7 | DIARRHOEA | 806 |
| 8 | FATIGUE | 802 |
| 9 | PAIN | 797 |
| 10 | NAUSEA | 788 |
| 11 | PSORIATIC ARTHROPATHY | 781 |
| 12 | SINUSITIS | 775 |
| 14 | SCIATICA | 725 |
| 15 | HEADACHE | 716 |
| 17 | JOINT SWELLING | 646 |
| 18 | VOMITING | 615 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Piroxicam may increase your risk of serious heart problems like heart attack or stroke, which can be fatal. This risk may happen early in treatment and increase with longer use. Piroxicam can also increase your risk of serious stomach and intestine problems, including bleeding, ulcers, and holes, which can be fatal. You should not take piroxicam if you are having heart bypass surgery.
Known Drug Interactions
Diuretics Clinical Impact: Clinical studies, as well as post-marketing observations, showed that NSAIDs reduced the natriuretic effect of loop diuretics (e.g., furosemide) and thiazide diuretics in some patients. In such high risk patients, monitor for signs of worsening renal function ( 7 ) • Diuretics : NSAIDs can reduce natriuretic effect of furosemide and thiazide diuretics.
Mechanism: Piroxicam can make your water pill less effective at removing salt and fluid from your body.
Methotrexate Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of NSAIDs and methotrexate may increase the risk for methotrexate toxicity (e.g., neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, renal dysfunction). Intervention: During concomitant use of piroxicam capsules and methotrexate, monitor patients for methotrexate toxicity.
Mechanism: Piroxicam can cause methotrexate to build up to toxic levels in your blood, which can harm your kidneys and blood health.
NSAIDs and Salicylates Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of piroxicam with other NSAIDs or salicylates (e.g., diflunisal, salsalate) increases the risk of GI toxicity, with little or no increase in efficacy [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ].
Mechanism: Taking these two similar pain medicines together increases the risk of serious stomach damage without providing any extra relief.
Table 3: Drugs that Can Increase the Risk of Bleeding Drug Class Specific Drugs Anticoagulants argatroban, dabigatran, bivalirudin, desirudin, heparin, lepirudin Antiplatelet Agents aspirin, cilostazol, clopidogrel, dipyridamole, prasugrel, ticlopidine Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents celecoxib, diclofenac, diflunisal, fenoprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, ketorolac, mefenamic acid, naproxen, oxaprozin, piroxicam, sulindac Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors citalopram, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, milnacipran, paroxetine, sertraline,...
Mechanism: Piroxicam is an anti-inflammatory drug that can increase the risk of bleeding when taken with blood thinners like warfarin. This combination makes it more likely for you to experience serious bleeding issues.
In the absence of data regarding potential interaction between pemetrexed and NSAIDs with longer half-lives (e.g., meloxicam, nabumetone), patients taking these NSAIDs should interrupt dosing for at least five days before, the day of, and two days following pemetrexed administration.
Mechanism: These are both the same type of pain medicine, and taking them together increases the risk of stomach and kidney damage without providing extra relief.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I take piroxicam with aspirin?
How long does it take for piroxicam to start working?
Can piroxicam affect my blood pressure?
What should I do if I experience stomach pain while taking piroxicam?
Can I drink alcohol while taking piroxicam?
Is it safe to take piroxicam if I have kidney problems?
Can piroxicam cause skin reactions?
Does piroxicam interact with other medications?
Can piroxicam cause drowsiness?
What should I do if I have an allergic reaction to piroxicam?
What are the common side effects of piroxicam?
Does piroxicam interact with other medications?
What drug class is piroxicam?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for piroxicam?
Related Medications in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID)
Other drugs grouped near piroxicam - same-class peers and common alternatives.
abatacept
Orencia
Orencia is a medicine that helps to reduce inflammation.
Compare with piroxicam →
acetaminophen
Tylenol
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a medicine that can relieve pain and reduce fever.
Compare with piroxicam →
acetaminophen/hydrocodone
Vicodin, Norco
This medicine contains acetaminophen and hydrocodone.
Compare with piroxicam →
acetaminophen/oxycodone
Percocet
Percocet is a strong pain medicine.
Compare with piroxicam →
adalimumab
Humira
Idacio is a medicine that blocks a protein called TNF.
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for piroxicam: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 6,176.
- chlorpheniramine Δ 45 reports · First-Generation Antihistamine 6,221reports
- phentermine Δ 67 reports · Sympathomimetic Amine (Appetite Suppressant) 6,109reports
- tolterodine Δ 147 reports · Anticholinergic (Overactive Bladder) 6,323reports
- cilostazol Δ 184 reports · PDE3 Inhibitor (Antiplatelet) 5,992reports
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 16.58%.
- glucagon Δ 0.00 pts · 3,944 reports · Glucagon (Hypoglycemia Rescue) 16.58%death share
- haloperidol Δ 0.00 pts · 23,495 reports · Typical Antipsychotic 16.58%death share
- aprepitant Δ 0.00 pts · 17,740 reports · NK1 Receptor Antagonist (Antiemetic) 16.58%death share
- octreotide Δ 0.05 pts · 5,230 reports · Somatostatin Analog 16.63%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for piroxicam
The FDA label for piroxicam (sold under brand names such as Feldene) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) class. Piroxicam helps to relieve the pain and swelling from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Official labeling lists 9 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Constipation, Gas.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 6,176 voluntary reports. The database also lists 15 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.16.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: October 25, 2023
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages