Ксефокам

Quick links to important sections

Ксефокам

Selected form

Medically reviewed

Marina Burgos

Last updated on 10/01/2026

This page provides general, reference-level information compiled from official medical sources. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For decisions about your health, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Overview of Ксефокам

Quick Facts

Property Description
Active ingredient Lornoxicam
Form Tablets (oral), Lyophilisate (for injection)
Pharmacological class Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID)
Origin Synthetic (Thienothiazine derivative)
Primary purpose Pain relief and inflammation reduction

What Type of Medicine is Ксефокам and How is it Classified?

Ксефокам is a prescription-only medicine containing the active substance Lornoxicam, and it is formally classified as a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID). Lornoxicam is a synthetic compound belonging to the oxicam chemical group. This places it among potent agents used for managing inflammation and pain. Lornoxicam is classified under the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code M01AC05, which confirms its role as a core anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory agent. As a member of the oxicam family, Lornoxicam possesses a distinctive structure and pharmacokinetic profile, which contributes to its recognition as a highly effective and generally rapid analgesic.


Lornoxicam: The Active Ingredient and Available Forms

The therapeutic action is concentrated solely on its active ingredient, Lornoxicam, utilized as a single-ingredient product. Ксефокам is manufactured in two main dosage form(s): tablets for oral intake, and a lyophilisate (a sterile powder that requires mixing with solvent) intended for parenteral administration. This dual availability is a differentiating feature, allowing for flexible therapeutic application in scenarios requiring quick symptomatic relief, such as managing acute musculoskeletal discomfort. The injectable form is structurally designed for prompt systemic delivery, a characteristic that is recognized for supporting rapid pain management.


General Therapeutic Purpose and Core Action

The fundamental purpose of Ксефокам is to provide effective, symptomatic relief by targeting acute pain and inflammation. Its core mechanism involves potent inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, which subsequently reduces the synthesis of pain- and inflammation-causing prostaglandins. Lornoxicam provides a strong analgesic effect (pain relief) and an anti-inflammatory effect (reduction of swelling). This robust action indicates the medicine is broadly used to quickly counteract the body's inflammatory response in general symptomatic use.

What side effects are possible with Ксефокам?

Possible Side Effects and Safety Information

Lornoxicam (Ксефокам), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has a safety profile common to its class. Adverse reactions are classified by frequency, with the most Common effects being mild gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia, and abdominal pain, as well as headache and dizziness.

Serious Adverse Reactions

All NSAIDs carry a risk of serious, potentially fatal, adverse events. Clinically significant reactions associated with Lornoxicam include gastrointestinal bleeding, ulceration, and perforation. Cardiovascular risk, including the possibility of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or stroke, is also associated with NSAID use, particularly at high doses or long-term treatment. Rarely, severe skin reactions (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis) have been reported, requiring immediate discontinuation of the medication.

Contraindications and Safety Restrictions

Lornoxicam is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the drug or other NSAIDs, severe heart, liver, or kidney impairment, active gastrointestinal bleeding or ulceration, and a history of recurrent peptic ulcers. Caution is required in the elderly due to an increased risk of severe gastrointestinal events. It is also contraindicated during the last trimester of pregnancy due to risks to the fetus. The risk of adverse effects, including GI bleeding, is minimized by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary duration. Regulatory documents note that Lornoxicam reduces platelet aggregation, which prolongs bleeding time, and may impair female fertility.

Overdose and Emergency Response

️ Overdose and When to Seek Help

Overdose of Lornoxicam (Ксефокам) is officially recognized to present a risk of severe, potentially life-threatening clinical manifestations, according to regulatory documentation. Due to this risk, the guidance strictly mandates that immediate medical attention must be sought if a real or suspected overdose occurs, and the medicine must be promptly withdrawn under professional supervision.

Documented Clinical Manifestations: Initial, milder symptoms may include nausea and vomiting. Further documented signs often involve the Central Nervous System (CNS), such as dizziness and disturbances in vision.

Severe and Life-Threatening Outcomes: Regulatory documents explicitly list severe outcomes involving vital organ damage and CNS depression. These risks include ataxia (loss of coordination) progressing to coma, the occurrence of cramps (seizures), and significant injury leading to liver damages and kidney damages.

Required Management Actions: Regulatory sources state that no specific antidote is known for Lornoxicam overdose. Management is therefore symptomatic and supportive. Official procedures include initiating usual emergency measures such as gastric lavage. The use of activated charcoal immediately after ingestion is noted as a measure that can diminish absorption.

Therapeutic Uses of Ксефокам

What Ксефокам Treats: Main Uses and Benefits

Lornoxicam (Ксефокам) is generally used to provide supportive symptomatic relief, applied across domains where additional management of discomfort is required. The medication is commonly used when short-term symptomatic assistance is needed, relevant in clinical settings that involve acute or unstable symptom patterns.


The medicine is used to help with symptoms in conditions characterized by periods of heightened symptoms, notably: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, acute postoperative pain, and painful musculoskeletal conditions like lumbago and sciatica. It is relevant for easing symptom clusters that may become intense or disruptive, such as persistent joint discomfort, stiffness, and localized swelling. This application provides support that helps ease the overall symptom burden, assisting with maintaining functional stability during phases of increased distress.


Quick Fact: Relief for Pain and Inflammation

  • Therapeutic Role: Plays a role in managing symptoms related to inflammatory or irritative states.
  • Key Benefit: Offers symptomatic relief that helps patients cope more steadily with difficult episodes.
  • Context of Use: Applied in scenarios where temporary symptom stabilization is important.

Eligibility and Restrictions for Use

Who Can and Cannot Use Ксефокам?

The eligibility for using Ксефокам (Lornoxicam) is strictly defined by regulatory authorities and is based on age, physiological status, and pre-existing medical conditions.


Populations for Whom Use is Contraindicated

The medicine must not be used by individuals with a known hypersensitivity to Lornoxicam or other NSAIDs, severe heart failure, severe hepatic impairment, or severe renal impairment. Use is also strictly prohibited in patients with active gastrointestinal bleeding, a history of recurrent peptic ulcers, or during the last trimester of pregnancy.


Age and Condition-Specific Limitations

Population Group Regulatory Status
Children and Adolescents (Under 18) Not Recommended (Safety/Efficacy Not Established)
Pregnancy/Lactation Contraindicated (Last Trimester); Not Recommended (Other Trimesters/Breastfeeding)
Mild to Moderate Impairment Use with Caution (Renal, Hepatic, or Heart Failure)
Older Adults Use with Precaution (Increased risk for GI events)

The drug is primarily approved for use in adult patients. Individuals with conditions like Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis must use the medicine with caution, as the label indicates these conditions may be worsened.

What should I know about interactions with other medicines?

Interactions with other medicines and products

Official regulatory documents define Lornoxicam's interaction profile across pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic mechanisms, leading to specific restrictions. Co-administration with other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesic doses of Acetylsalicylic acid must be officially avoided due to an increased risk of severe adverse effects.

Pharmacokinetic and Exposure Interactions

Interacting Substance Official Interaction Pattern
Anticoagulants (e.g., Warfarin) Enhances anticoagulant effects, significantly increasing the risk of bleeding and haemorrhage.
Lithium, Methotrexate, Digoxin Lornoxicam officially increases the plasma concentrations and adverse effects of these medicines by reducing their renal clearance.
Cimetidine Officially leads to increased plasma concentrations of Lornoxicam by reducing its oral clearance.

Pharmacodynamic and Efficacy Interactions

Co-administration with Oral Corticosteroids, Anti-platelet agents, and Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) officially increases the risk of gastrointestinal ulceration or bleeding. Lornoxicam also officially reduces the therapeutic effect of Diuretics and ACE Inhibitors, a concern particularly noted in patients with heart failure or renal impairment. Furthermore, alcohol consumption is not recommended due to the increased risk of severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Mechanism of Action

Ксефокам (Lornoxicam) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) whose mechanism of action is centered on modulating the eicosanoid synthesis pathway. The primary mechanism involves the inhibition of Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, specifically both the COX-1 and COX-2 isoforms.

This interaction interrupts an early molecular step—the conversion of arachidonic acid—in the arachidonic acid cascade, leading to a reduced synthesis rate of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules known as prostaglandins. This molecular blockade of mediator synthesis is the core driver of the drug's biochemical activity.

The resulting reduction in prostaglandin concentration influences key physiological systems involved in nociceptor sensitization and thermoregulation. By modulating mediator levels within the peripheral and central nervous systems, this mechanism affects downstream signaling events, leading to alterations in pathways linked to peripheral sensitization and hypothalamic thermoregulation.

Dosage and Administration Information

Administration Routes and Standard Dosing

Ксефокам (Lornoxicam) is administered via two primary routes: oral for film-coated tablets (available in 4 mg and 8 mg strengths) and parenteral for the 8 mg powder for injection, which is administered as an intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injection. The standard dosing regimen for acute pain is set between 8 mg and 16 mg daily, typically divided into two or three administrations. For the symptomatic management of conditions such as osteoarthritis, the initial recommended dose is 12 mg daily, also divided, with the maximum total daily dose for all approved uses not exceeding 16 mg.


Administration Conditions and Procedural Rules

Tablets must be taken before meals with a sufficient quantity of liquid; taking the medicine with food may reduce its effectiveness. The parenteral powder requires reconstitution immediately prior to use and is generally intended for short-term initiation of treatment. Procedural constraints mandate that IV administration must occur over a minimum of 15 seconds, while an IM injection requires at least 5 seconds.


Population-Specific Use and Missed Doses

Specific dose adjustments are required based on the patient's physiological status. The maximum daily dose is restricted to 12 mg for individuals with mild-to-moderate renal or hepatic impairment. The medicine is not recommended for use in children and adolescents below 18 years due to a lack of data. If an oral dose is missed, a double dose must not be taken to compensate.

Recent Clinical Evidence

Research Evidence / Overview of studies for Ксефокам (Lornoxicam)


Research Evidence for Acute Pain Management

Research has extensively used short-term, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine the use of Lornoxicam, exploring outcomes related to acute, or sudden and intense, pain. These studies were applied in research contexts involving fluctuating or unstable symptoms, such as the period immediately following surgery. Researchers monitored patient-reported outcomes describing perceived discomfort using functional pain scales, and they also tracked objective measures like the time until patients requested supplementary pain medication.

Studies conducted during periods of increased symptom activity reported that the observed patterns indicated a change in discomfort levels shortly after Lornoxicam was administered. Comparative research, including trials against an inactive placebo, has explored how symptoms evolved in the observed populations. Evidence suggests that in the immediate postoperative period, findings included observations of lower recorded use of other types of pain medication, such as opioids, in some studies.

However, the existing evidence for acute pain is heavily concentrated on short-duration observation periods, often only covering the first few hours or days. Therefore, long-term outcomes related to continued pain management extending beyond the immediate post-procedure phase are not fully established or well characterized.


Research Evidence for Musculoskeletal and Rheumatic Conditions

Research explored the influence of Lornoxicam on outcomes related to pain and inflammation associated with longer-lasting conditions, such as Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The research focused on conditions characterized by fluctuating or episodic manifestations. The primary study type used in this area was intermediate-term RCTs, which often compared Lornoxicam against other well-known pain and inflammation medications.

These studies were designed to measure outcomes related to physical discomfort and outcomes reflecting daily functioning or activity level. Findings from trials that explored short-term symptom changes reported how symptoms evolved in the observed populations, indicating patterns of symptomatic change over periods ranging from a few weeks up to a few months. Research highlights changes measured during the study period, showing that reported outcomes included measurements of physical mobility and functional status were monitored over the study period in the observed patient groups.


Evidence in Specific Patient Groups

The majority of research was observed in adult populations (18 to 65 years old). The research examined how symptoms change over time in older adults (patients over 65) who were included in the general study populations, though these patients were often closely monitored.

A significant research limitation is that data for certain groups remain insufficient. Specifically, research was not conducted on the use of Lornoxicam in children and adolescents (under 18 years old). Furthermore, findings describe group patterns, and data for patients with severe pre-existing health conditions or comorbidities, particularly severe liver or kidney problems, are often excluded from primary efficacy trials, meaning evidence for these groups is sparse.


Areas of Uncertainty and Research Gaps

Despite the available evidence from controlled trials, the available research provides context regarding what has been studied—and what is still uncertain. The primary research gap involves long-term outcomes, as the existing studies provided limited insight into the patterns associated with continuous use over periods longer than a few months. Study results reflect the specific research conditions and do not predict personal outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions about Ксефокам (FAQ)

Q: How long does it take for Lornoxicam to start working after I take the tablet?

Official regulatory documents indicate that the onset of action for Lornoxicam tablets is typically observed within 30 to 60 minutes.

This window reflects the time when the medicine starts working, according to official data. However, individual results may vary.

Q: Is Lornoxicam a narcotic or opioid pain reliever?

Lornoxicam is not classified as a narcotic or opioid pain reliever.

According to official regulatory classifications, this medicine is a Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID) and is categorized as a non-narcotic analgesic.

Q: Does this medicine interact with common cold or flu medications (e.g., decongestants)?

Official product information advises that the use of Lornoxicam with other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) should generally be avoided.

This caution is necessary because many common cold and flu medications may contain an NSAID, which could increase the risk of severe side effects. Patients are typically advised to consult a healthcare professional regarding all other medications, including over-the-counter products.

How should Ксефокам be stored and disposed of?

Storage and Disposal of Ксефокам (Lornoxicam)

Official Storage Requirements

Ксефокам must be stored according to regulatory guidelines to ensure product stability. The medicine requires storage at room temperature in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place.

It is mandatory to keep the product in the original container with the lid tightly closed and protected from heat, direct sunlight, and sources of ignition. To prevent accidental ingestion, the medication must be kept out of the reach and sight of children and should be stored locked up.

Disposal Instructions

Unused or expired Ксефокам must be disposed of according to local, regional, and national regulations. The product must not be discarded with household garbage or allowed to enter the sewage system, drains, or water courses. Disposal should occur through an approved waste disposal plant.

Attention! Always consult to a doctor or pharmacist before using pills or medicines.

Available in countries:

Equivalent of Ксефокам found in:

A-Z Index: