About
Celebrex
This is a summary of the most important information about
Celebrex. For details, talk to your healthcare provider.
Usage
Celebrex
is used to:
- relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis (the
arthritis caused by age-related “wear and tear” on
bones and joints)
- relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in
adults
- manage acute pain in adults (like the short
term pain you can get after a dental or surgical
operation)
- treat painful menstrual
cycles
- reduce the number of colon and rectum growths
(colorectal polyps) in patients with a disease called
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). FAP is an
inherited disease in which the rectum and colon are
covered with many polyps. Celebrex is used along with
the usual care for FAP patients such as surgery and
exams of the rectum and colon.
Precautions
Do not
take Celebrex if you:
- have
had an allergic-type reaction to sulfa
medicines.
- have
had asthma, hives or allergic-type reactions after taking
aspirin or other NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) medicines. If you have asthma, you may have
aspirin-sensitive asthma. If an aspirin-sensitive asthmatic
takes aspirin it can cause severe narrowing of the airway
(bronchospasm), and even death. Since this type of reaction
also has occurred after taking NSAIDs Celebrex should not
be given to aspirin-sensitive patients.
Some
examples of NSAIDs are ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen
(Naprosyn, Aleve), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam), and
ketoprofen (Orudis). You can ask your doctor or pharmacist
for a complete list of these medications.
- are
pregnant, especially during your last 3
months
Side
Effects
Celebrex
and other NSAID medicines can cause serious problems such
as:
- Stomach ulcers that
bleed. The
chance of this serious problem increases the longer you
take Celebrex, but it can also happen suddenly. Stop taking
Celebrex and call your healthcare professional right away
if you get a burning stomach pain, black bowel movements
that look like tar, or vomit that looks like blood or
coffee grounds.
- Liver
damage.
Some of the warning signs of liver damage are nausea,
vomiting, tiredness, loss of appetite, itching,
yellow coloring of skin or eyes, “flu-like” symptoms
and dark urine. If this happens, stop taking Celebrex
and call your healthcare professional right
away.
- Kidney
problems that
include sudden kidney failure or worsening of kidney
problems that you already have.
- Fluid
retention (holding
of water in your body) and swelling. Fluid retention
can be a serious problem if you have high blood
pressure or heart failure.
In
addition to the serious side effects listed above, some common,
but less serious side effects with Celebrex may
include:
- headache
- indigestion
- upper
respiratory tract infection (a "cold")
- diarrhea
- sinus
inflammation
- stomach pain
- nausea
Consultation
Tell your
healthcare professional if you:
- have
heart problems or high blood pressure
- have
liver or kidney problems
- have
or had stomach ulcers or stomach
bleeding
- have
asthma
- are
allergic to aspirin or other NSAID
medicines
- are
trying to become pregnant, are already pregnant, or are
breast-feeding
Drug
Interaction
Tell your
healthcare professional about all the medicines you take,
including prescription and non-prescription medicines,
vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines may affect how
Celebrex works or Celebrex may affect how your other medicines
work. Your healthcare professional may have to adjust your dose
or watch you closely if you take any of the following
medications:
- certain blood pressure medicines called ACE
inhibitors
- furosemide
- fluconazole or ketoconazole
- phenytoin
- warfarin
- aspirin
Reference for
Celebrex Article
U.S. Food and Drug
Administration
Health
Related Websites
The National Cancer
Institute
The National Eye
Institute
The National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute
National Institute on
Aging
National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute on Drug
Abuse
National Institute of Mental
Health
National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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