Ischaemic colitis in a patient taking meloxicam

The safety of cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) preferential inhibitors such as mel oxicam is debated, We describe a patient who presented with bloody diarrhoe a after 15 mg meloxicam daily for 10 days for osteoarthritis. The endoscopi c and histological features were consistent with the diagnosis of ischaemic colitis. Symptoms and endoscopic lesions quickly regressed within 1 week o f meloxicam withdrawal. There was no evidence of another cause of colonic i schaemia. We suggest that meloxicam might have intestinal toxic effects whe n taken in high doses, because of reduced COX-2 selectivity.