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Celebrex: how safe is it?

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Posted 12/6/2012 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
Greetings!

I'm really on the fence about Celebrex and desperately seeking opinions from folks who might have experience with this medication.

My rheumy gave me samples of Celebrex (200mg) last month, and wouldn't you know it worked like a charm on my severe costochondritis pain, which hasn't responded to much else the past two and half years. (I have exahusted all natural/home remedies. Trust me!)

So, we moved forward with a prescription (still 200mg, once a day), and a plan for me to continue taking Celebrex for at least two to three months -- to fully calm the inflammation in my chest wall, ribs, cartiledge, etc.

I'm pretty freaked out about the risk of heart problems, heart attack, and stroke. During my stint with SLE and MCTD, I've had a bit of trouble with my heart (abnormal EKGs, enlarged chamber, pericarditis), but my rheumy seems rather nonchallant.

I'm about 21 days into a 2 to 3 month treatment, and over the moon about the immense pain relief, but really worried about the risks.

Any and all responses greatly welcome!!!

My best regards to you all,

Nina 

 

Posted 12/6/2012 5:35 AM (GMT 0)
I've never taken it before, but I was warned by my kidney doctor not to take NSAIDS because I had a protein spill from my kidneys. She said all NSAIDS are bad for the kidneys.
Do you have any kidney issues?
Posted 12/7/2012 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
I took Celebrex years ago when the Rheumatologist was trying out different meds on me. It worked extremely well, but it eventually caused problems with my digestive tract, so he pulled me off of it. It did provide good pain relief, so I was disappointed when I could not take it any more.

Laura
Posted 12/7/2012 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
Celebrex works great but like all Nsaids it can cause stomach or liver problems.  I took it for a number of years for osteoarthritis and it worked when nothing else did and I had no problems with it.  about 10 years ago an earlier cox2 inhibitor, vioxx, was withdrawn from the market.  I believe it was thought to cause heart problems.  Celebrex usage fell but in recent years research has shown it safe.  Personally, I would take it again if necessary.  All drugs have some risks and some patients should not take certain drugs.  You should do the research on line and talk to your doctor about the relative benefits and risks of the drug.  All you can get from this forum is anecdotal stories like mine while others might have a completely different experience.

http://osteoarthritis.about.com/od/osteoarthritismedications/a/celebrex.htm

Bill

 

Posted 12/8/2012 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Joy, Laura, and Bill -

Thank you so much for your prompt responses!

Joy: I have had my kidneys "spill" protein this summer, so I will ask my doctor if we can perform a kidney screen next month. Thanks so much for the advice!

Laura: I'm sorry you can't take Celebrex anymore. :-( I noticed a difference in my costochondritis within 48 hours. While I certainly don't wish to take this medication long-term, I am amazed at how effective it seems to be.

Bill: Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts on the drug. I will definitely ask my doctor to screen my liver next month! The very first line of the literature that comes with Celebrex is in all capital letters and cautions the user about heart problems, heart attack, and stroke. I did a bit of online research on Celebrex, but wanted to reach out to the forum members for their opinions and experiences with the drug.

My fingers are crossed that the benefits outweight the risks, and I'm hoping that the risks will be lessened (a bit) by short-term use.

Thanks again!

Nina

Posted 12/8/2012 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
Your kidney condition is called proteinuria and i have that. Meds like lisinopril can control that condition and although it was severe at first I have no problems with it now but will take meds the rest of my life.

More on celebrex and heart risk: vioxx was the drug that was withdrawn but celebrex was never withdrawn for heart risk.

http://arthritis.webmd.com/news/20050217/study-low-dose-celebrex-poses-no-heart-risk

Bill
Posted 1/1/2013 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
I had taken it for a few years and never had a problem.
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