Almost every meloxicam tablet is yellow, so the imprint code, not the color, is what identifies it. Below are the verified imprints for both strengths.
That matters more than it sounds. The imprint 512 appears on a yellow meloxicam 7.5 mg tablet and also on a white oxycodone and acetaminophen tablet. Same three digits, two very different drugs.
What Meloxicam Pills Look Like
Meloxicam is a prescription NSAID for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, sold for years under the brand name Mobic and now filled almost entirely as a generic. Because dozens of manufacturers make it, appearance varies more than most people expect.
Across the 56 meloxicam products listed in the Drugs.com pill database, the pattern is consistent. Nearly every tablet is yellow. Most are round, some are oval, and a handful are oblong, four sided, or rectangular. Two manufacturers produce a peach tablet rather than yellow.
The capsules are the exception, and they are where the white and blue searches come from. Meloxicam capsules are made in white, in green, in yellow, and in a two tone blue and pink. Those are 5 mg and 10 mg products, not the 7.5 mg and 15 mg tablets most prescriptions are written for.
Meloxicam 7.5 mg Imprint Codes
Every imprint below is a 7.5 mg meloxicam tablet, and every one is yellow unless the entry says otherwise.
Meloxicam 15 mg Imprint Codes
These are 15 mg meloxicam tablets, yellow unless noted.
Meloxicam Capsule Imprints
Capsules are the 5 mg and 10 mg products, and they are the only meloxicam that is routinely not yellow.
The blue and pink capsules match the description of Vivlodex, which the labeling described as pink and blue capsules containing 5 mg or 10 mg. Vivlodex has been discontinued in the United States, though generic 5 mg and 10 mg capsules remain.
Why a Yellow Pill Marked 152 Is Usually T 152
This is one of the most common meloxicam searches, and the answer has a wrinkle in it.
In the Drugs.com database, a yellow round tablet imprinted T 152 is meloxicam 7.5 mg. An imprint of exactly 152 with no letter is not meloxicam at all. The two products listed under a plain 152 are a chewable multivitamin with fluoride and a white oblong ibuprofen 600 mg.
The practical issue is that the T sits apart from the digits and wears down with handling, so a T 152 tablet is frequently read and searched as plain 152. If your tablet is yellow, round, and reads 152, look closely for a letter to the left of the numbers before assuming either answer.
Why the Imprint 512 Deserves a Second Look
Imprint codes are assigned by manufacturers, and nothing stops two companies from choosing the same one. The number 512 is the clearest example on any meloxicam tablet.
Five separate medications carry the imprint 512. Meloxicam 7.5 mg is yellow and round. Oxycodone and acetaminophen 325 mg and 5 mg is white and round. Chlorpromazine 100 mg is white and round. Divalproex sodium delayed release 250 mg is brown and oval. Acetaminophen with dextromethorphan and phenylephrine is orange and oblong.
Two of those, the meloxicam and the oxycodone product, are the same shape. Only the color separates them. That is the single strongest argument on this page for checking imprint, color, and shape together rather than searching the number alone, and it is why a loose yellow tablet marked 512 should still be confirmed by a pharmacist rather than assumed to be an anti inflammatory.
Why Your Refill Looks Different
A meloxicam refill that arrives a different color or shape is usually a manufacturer change, not an error. Pharmacies switch generic suppliers based on contracts and availability, and each supplier stamps its own imprint.
What should not change is the strength printed on the label. If the bottle still says 15 mg and the tablet is a yellow oval instead of a yellow round, that is normal generic substitution. If the strength on the label changed, or the tablet does not match any listed meloxicam imprint, call the pharmacy before taking it.
Meloxicam Forms Are Not Interchangeable
This is the detail most identification guides leave out. The oral formulations of meloxicam have not shown equivalent systemic exposure and are not considered interchangeable.
The numbers make that concrete. Tablets and orally disintegrating tablets are dosed at 7.5 mg to start and 15 mg as the maximum. Capsules start at 5 mg and top out at 10 mg. A 10 mg capsule is not a lower dose version of a 15 mg tablet, and swapping between the two forms is a prescriber decision rather than a pharmacy equivalent.
Meloxicam also exists as an oral suspension at 7.5 mg per 5 mL and as a 30 mg per mL intravenous injection given in a clinical setting.
What to Do With a Pill You Cannot Identify
If you think a child, a pet, or another adult has swallowed an unidentified pill, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or seek medical care rather than waiting for symptoms.
When an Unknown Pill Points to Something Else
Meloxicam itself is not addictive. It produces no high, no cravings, and no withdrawal, and people do not escalate the dose chasing an effect.
The reason unidentified pills still matter on a site like this is the 512 case above. Loose tablets found in a home are sometimes not what the label or the assumption says, and prescription opioids are among the most commonly misidentified. If identifying a pill is how you found out someone is using something you did not know about, that is a different conversation than a pharmacy question.
Related Topics
Meloxicam Pill Questions People Ask Most
What does meloxicam look like?
Nearly every meloxicam tablet is yellow. Most are round, some are oval, and a few are oblong, rectangular, or four sided. Meloxicam capsules are a separate group and come in white, green, yellow, and a two tone blue and pink.
Is there a white meloxicam pill?
Yes, but it is a capsule rather than a tablet. The white meloxicam products listed are 5 mg and 10 mg capsules imprinted 076 novitium 5 mg and 077 novitium 10 mg. No white meloxicam tablet is listed.
Is there a blue meloxicam pill?
Yes, in the same narrow sense. The blue meloxicam products are two tone blue and pink capsules imprinted IP 205 5 mg and IP 206 10 mg. They are capsules, not tablets, and the blue covers only half the capsule.
What is the yellow pill marked 152?
A yellow round tablet imprinted T 152 is meloxicam 7.5 mg. An imprint of exactly 152 with no letter is not meloxicam. Because the T wears away, check for a letter before deciding which one you have.
What strengths does meloxicam come in?
Tablets and orally disintegrating tablets come in 7.5 mg and 15 mg. Capsules come in 5 mg and 10 mg. There is also an oral suspension at 7.5 mg per 5 mL and a 30 mg per mL injection.
Can you identify meloxicam by color alone?
No. Most meloxicam is yellow, but so are thousands of other tablets. The imprint code combined with the color and the shape is what identifies a pill.
Is meloxicam addictive?
No. Meloxicam is an NSAID. It does not produce a high, cravings, or withdrawal, and it is not a controlled substance. It should still be taken exactly as prescribed because of its bleeding and cardiovascular risks.
Are meloxicam tablets and capsules the same thing?
No. The oral forms have not shown equivalent systemic exposure and are not considered interchangeable. Tablets run 7.5 mg to 15 mg, capsules run 5 mg to 10 mg, and switching between them is a prescriber decision.
References
Drugs.com. Meloxicam Pill Images and Imprint Database. drugs.com/imprints.php?drugname=meloxicam
Drugs.com. Meloxicam Dosage Guide. drugs.com/dosage/meloxicam.html
Drugs.com. Vivlodex (meloxicam) Capsules. drugs.com/mtm/vivlodex.html
Drugs.com. Pill Identifier Results for Imprint 512. drugs.com/imprints.php?imprint=512
MedlinePlus. Meloxicam. U.S. National Library of Medicine. medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601242.html
