title: Single and multiple oral dose pharmacokinetics of tenoxicam in the elderly.
abstract: Tenoxicam is a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with a long half-life. Since such drugs may be particularly prone to accumulate in elderly patients, a group of the population in which anti-inflammatory agents are most commonly prescribed, we have studied the pharmacokinetics of tenoxicam in 18 patients (age range 62-87 years) with osteoarthrosis or rheumatoid arthritis. A pharmacokinetic profile was performed after a single 20 mg oral dose. Patients then took regular medication until they had reached steady-state for chronic dosing (20 mg/day) when a further pharmacokinetic profile was performed. Approximately five-fold accumulation was found at steady-state (mean peak plasma level 2.6 micrograms/ml for a single dose against 12.4 micrograms/ml at steady-state). Twenty percent of the dose was eliminated in the first dose interval. Mean pre-dose plasma level at steady-state was 9.6 micrograms/ml with a coefficient of variation of 11%. Serial haematological and biochemical estimations during the study showed no evidence of drug toxicity.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000378:metabolism*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010894:Piroxicam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010894:Piroxicam; C032801:tenoxicam