Meloxicam - How effective is this compared to Aleve & are the side effects the same I have?

Both of these medications are of a an anti-inflamatory non-steroidal class and work very much the same, however the half life of Aleve is anywhere between 12-17 hours however the Meloxicam carries a half life of 19.5 hours for females 17 for male I believe. Of course the Aleve is also used for fever where as Meloxicam isn't. You also need to take into consideration of overall cost and of course benefit of taking the Meloxicam vs. Aleve. Both can cause some stomach upset if not taken with food and maybe a lil sleepiness. My husband has been on Meloxicam after radio frequency surgery on his back as well it too helps with his osteoarthritis. Taken now for 8 months with no issues. Hope this was helpful!