What Is Celebrex?
Celebrex is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.Celebrexworks by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain.
It is used to treat pain or inflammation caused by many conditions such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and menstrual pain. It is also used in the treatment of hereditary polyps in the colon
Celebrex is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), specifically a COX-2 inhibitor, which relieves pain and swelling . It is used to treat arthritis, acute pain, and menstrual pain and discomfort. The pain and swelling relief provided by this medication helps you perform more of your normal daily activities. Celecoxib is also used to decrease growths found in the intestines of persons with a family history of this condition.
Celebrex works by blocking the enzyme in our which makes prostaglandins. Decreasing prostaglandins helps to reduce pain and swelling.
How To Use Celebrex?
Nearly a decade after reports first surfaced linking the prescription pain reliever Celebre to an increased risk of heart attack, and two years after the American Heart Association (AHA) warned against the drug for people at risk of heart problems, about 11 million prescriptions for it are still filled each year, often for arthritis, menstrual cramps, and acute pain.
DOSING: The lowest effective dose should be used for each patient.
* For the management of osteoarthritis, the dose usually is 100 mg twice daily or 200 mg as a single dose.
* For rheumatoid arthritis, the dose usually is 100 or 200 mg twice daily.
* For acute pain or menstrual cramps, the dose is 400 mg as a single dose on the first day followed by an additional 200 mg if needed, then 200 mg twice daily as needed.
* For FAP, the recommended dose is 400 mg twice daily.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Concomitant use of celecoxib with aspirin or other NSAIDs (for example, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) may increase the occurrence of stomach and intestinal ulcers. It may be used with low dose aspirin.
Fluconazole (Diflucan) increases the concentration of celecoxib in the body by preventing the elimination of celecoxib in the liver. Therefore, treatment with celecoxib should be initiated at the lowest recommended doses in patients who are taking fluconazole.
Celecoxib increases the concentration of lithium in the blood by 17% and may promote lithium toxicity. Therefore, lithium therapy should be closely monitored during and after therapy with celecoxib.
Why? Well, maybe it's no coincidence that Pfizer, maker of celecoxib, has resumed heavily advertising it directly to consumers, spending $54.8 million on ads in 2007 and $58.5 million in 2008. A new ad—a full two minutes long, and also available online at www.celebrex.com depicts a man walking a dog and riding a bike. It suggests that the drug is no riskier than other related nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil and generic) and naproxen (Aleve and generic).
Celebrex Side Effects
In light of the recent Vioxx recall, Celebrex side effects are being closely examined, and there are concerns that similar problems may exist with this popular anti-inflammatory drug as well.
Doctors prescribe Celebrex for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other painful conditions. But, the FDA has recently issued a warning regarding potential Celebrex adverse side effects for those patients who use the drug for an extended period of time.
According to a study sponsored the National Cancer Institute, for individuals who took 400 to 800mg daily of Celebrex heart attack risk increased. In addition, preliminary reports from several long-term studies sponsored by the National Institute of Health point to similar risks for users of Celebrex. The FDA also linked Celebrex to bleeding stomach ulcers, liver damage, kidney failure and fluid retention.
However, for now, the FDA has concluded that the benefits of the drug outweigh the potential Celebrex adverse side effects, as long as doctors properly select patients and inform their patients of the drugÕs dangers. The danger of a Celebrex heart attack was not enough for the FDA to pull the plug on this drug for the moment.
How similar are the two pain relievers Vioxx and Celebrex? And, are Celebrex side effects the same as those associated with Vioxx? Celebrex and Vioxx are both types of selective NSAIDs known as COX-2 inhibitors. The FDA encouraged the manufacturers of Vioxx to remove the product from the market in September 2004, because studies associated it with adverse side effects, such as increased heart attack and stroke risk, as well as increased danger of gastrointestinal bleeding. The side effects of Vioxx are identical to the Celebrex side effects; however, the FDA believes the risk of a Celebrex heart attack or GI bleeding related to Celebrex is lower.
Celebrex is also related to the nonselective NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen, known also by the brand names of Motrin and Advil, to name a few. In fact, the FDA recently advised manufacturers to revise their labeling and provide more specific information about the potential heart attack and gastrointestinal risks of their individual products. The FDA admits that its review board has not conducted long-term controlled clinical trials with most of these NSAIDs. They conclude, however, that the available data suggest that use of these drugs may pose a cardiovascular risk, similar to the Celebrex heart attack risk.
Do Celebrex users have other options to help ease their pain and inflammation? Yes, other options do exist. Fortunately, reputable vitamin and supplement manufacturers offer a host of natural anti-inflammatory supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and an organic sulfur compound known as MSM. Pain sufferers can avoid Celebrex adverse side effects by taking natural supplements. Instead of tricking the body into not receiving pain signals, these supplements go straight to the cause of the disease by strengthening and rebuilding connective tissue.
Despite the FDA's go-ahead to leave Celebrex on the market, whether the Celebrex heart attack risk outweighs its effectiveness in treating pain remains to be fully tested. More studies are underway to determine how detrimental the Celebrex side effects truly are to pain sufferers.
Celebrex Alternatives
Celebrex is a prescription medication licensed to treat several conditions related to pain and inflammation. It is part of a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short. Celebrex is a specific type of NSAID known as a COX-2 inhibitor. It is the last COX-2 inhibitor left on the market, as the others have been withdrawn due to safety concerns. With no other COX-2 inhibitors available, alternatives to Celebrex are limited to other types of medications or treatments.
Some of the possible substitutes include:
o Other medications
o Non-medication pain relief options, such as:
o Exercise and weight control
o Surgery
o Alternative therapies.
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