Recommendation on taking mobic daily

Dear Ask The Doctor: My PCP put me on 30mg (daily) of Mobic 2 yrs. ago. He said it is above the maximum daily dosage but felt it was safe to do. I have severe arthritis and the 30mg really has decreased the amount of pain I live with. Would you think it is OK to continue with this regimen? My orthopedic MD suggested to have blood levels done for my kidney function on a regular basis but I'm not sure how frequent the intervals should be. Any thoughts advice on that? I actually did try edolac for a while and had horrible side effects, not to mention it wasn't nearly as effective as the Mobic. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Lois F.

Dear Lois: Mobic (meloxicam) in a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is used for pain relief. Since you're on 30 mg (exceeding the 15 mg recommended maximum daily dose), this may make you prone to bleeding from the stomach or intestines and liver/kidney failure. I would advise you to get for kidney and liver function tests done every 6 months or earlier to test for increased levels of the drug.