Get Informed: Celebrex

Question/Comment:

I used Celebrex for one week and it worked wonderfully. I have severe arthritis in my shoulder and neck. I started experiencing anxiety and facial flushing and I called my doctor and he told me this was an allergic reaction. What is your opinion? Is this was an allergic reaction why did it take 7 days to show up. I would like to try it again because it worked so wonderfully but I am kind of scared because of what happened.Thanks for your help.

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Could it be possible that the alergic reaction was from something you ate and not the celebrex?

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I have been using Celebrex for a few months and I used Vioxx before and it messed up my heart. After getting my heart back in sinc, I got up the courage to try Celebrex. It is so much better than narcotics that mess with your head, and it last for 24 hours. To be able to live an almost normal life without pain has been well worth it. I would try for another week and if the same reactions show up, you know for sure that you can't take Celebrex. It is so worth the try to be pain free from the worst pain ever.

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I am a 65 year old male and have been on celebrex for about 8 years and agree that it works great for arthritic pain. I have never suffered any side effects from this medication.

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I did not know about these reactions to Celebrex. I have been taking Celebrex for a few years and have found that I cannot live without it. Within 2-3 days of stopping Celebrex, I am in extreme pain.

My fear for you is that if you reintroduce Celebrex that another allergic reaction could possibly be worse. Consult your doctor about other options. I hope you can find a solution.

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I hate to say it, especially because for me personally Celebrex is my miracle drug, but yes, it could very well be an allergic reaction. I was on an anti-depressant for over a week and then slowly my face started to swell up over a couple of day (out of town on work no less!) until by the time i got home i was really puffy and went straight to the docs the next morning without hesitation. We fought over what drug was doing this to me as i'm on many and have many docs. but i Knew it was the anti-d and so did one of my other docs. they loaded me up with benadril and other allergy meds and within the day i was getting back to normal. maybe there is another anti-inflam out there that will help you as much as the Celebrex, Indomethacin something like that was a good one for me also and i have friend who's been on it for years and loves it too.... best of luck!!

Question/Comment:

I started taking Celebrex approximately 10 years ago when I developed Post viral arthritis from Parvo virus. My joint pain in my feet knees, shoulders, elbows and hands was excruciating.. At that time I was on 800 mg a day. About 6 years ago I suffered a herniated lumbar disk. I went back and forth trying to take other NSAIDs because of risk os cardiac disease. I am already at high risk due to my elevated CRP and cardiac ratio and family history of cardiac disease. None of the other NSAIDs helped at all and all caused side effects--heating loss, extreme ringing of ears, heartburn and reflux. And the joint pain was unbearable. I went back to a small dose 200 mg a day of Celebrex which really does wonders for my joint pain. A couple of months ago I ran out of Celebrex and did not refill it. I started a pain cycle that was very hard to break! My hands, feet, knees and elbows were extremely painful. It took me about 3 weeks back on the Celebrex before things started to calm down. HAs anyone else experienced this?

At this point, for me, the pain relief benefit appears to be worth the risk--but it is something I wonder about every day.

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I can't get by without celebrex. It works great for me, I've been on it for over 13 years, 75 year old female from Hudson, Florida

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Celebrex 200 mg + 1 PRN (evry 3-4 days still works for me as well, with an occasionalao prn of oxocodone; but I'm post-polio with mucho arthritis,2 hip replacements and lumbar surgeries, and neck surgery pending.
No bleeding, from which I've suffered with other pain meds.

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I have been on clebrex for as long as anyone as I was in the study group. I have had to go off it for insurance reasons, but have since gotten back on it. I had a problem with it getting back to working when I started back on it. I have checked with my doctors and they feel that at the 200mg dosage a lot of the problems are not very likely. if you look at the research most problems occured at high dosages that were being tried for other treatments. I am a 64 year old female.

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Yes, I had take Celebrex, but my artritis doctor change my presciption to Cymbalta 30 mg. because I am also have Fibromyalgia. I am very happy with his medication

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I've been on Celebrex for about 5 years. When my family doctor discovered that my hypertension was due to a blockage in an artery from my kidney, he sent me to a nephrologist. I have no kidney damage, but the last two years, the nephrologist has expressed concern about the damage that Celebrex can do to the kidneys. I see him annually. The Celebrex works so well I am loathe to change it. I also take glucosamine/chondroitin supplements with magnesium. The osteoarthritis is much better everywhere except now it is flaring up in my hip again. The Celebrex has been very helpful, expensive, but a godsend.

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I also have been on Celebrex 200mg for well more than 6 years. I tried to go off of it thinking it wasn't helping me since I still had breakthrough pain, especially going up and down stairs. After being off of it for just a few days I could hardly get up out of bed. I now take my Celebrex faithfully along with Hydrocodone and this seems to do the trick. I am not pain free, but not nearly hurting as bad as I was. Hope this is helpful.

64 year old female

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51-year-old female, I also started taking Celebrex approximately 8 years ago, when I was finally diagnosed, with Fibromyalgia, as my pain was/is also excruciating… At that time, I was also taking 800+ mg a day of Tylenol and Ibuprofen; about 17 years ago, when I suffered 3 herniated discs in the thoracic area of my spine. To make a very long story short, it took 7yrs of seeing every Dr imaginable, to render myself somewhat pain free. Thru seeing an Osteopath, Psychiatrists, an Anastegeologist, and finally a Rheumatologist; to get a grip, on rendering me, capable enough to function physically, around the house, ie: daily routines to the best of my ability, after being prescribed Celebrex along with a number of other medications. I’ve also experienced times where I’ve run out of my medication, rendering me helpless, in extreme pain where I’m unable to move, until I’ve brought my medication levels back, to the levels prescribed, to function again. By taking my medication as prescribed, more importantly the ones that facilitate my ability to function, like Celebrex, which I have also never experienced any side effects from, is far more important to me than the risks involved.

Question/Comment:

I've been taking Celebrex for ten years. It is difficult to get around without it. I have the following symptoms which have increased in severity. Insomnia {taking one Restoril (30 mg) one night and one
Ambien CR (12.5 mg) the next night -can't sleep without aid} and some light meds for elevated and ERRATIC blood pressure. I am handling my arthritis with Celebrex. For the past year I have a feeling of a lot of heat in my body (feels like it's on the inside) but my hands and ankles and feet are unusually cold. My body heat does not make me feel warm to anyone who touches me. After eight pm it gets hotter, and my face flushes. This feeling doesn't come and go, but gets worse until I finally go to sleep. I usually have a glass of white wine at dinner, and I've gone without for weeks at a time with no obvious benefit to my "condition". I also have a little neorapathy and am now trying Trazadone. (Tried Neurotin, Lyrica and had no relief - Cymbalta was tried for two days when it made me a little crazy.) Seen ten docs in this one year. No answer. Anyone help me about this Heat and flushing?

Question/Comment:

Why isn't there a generic for this drug yet? Celebrex is too expensive for me even though it works the best for me with my artritis and things. WHY ISN"T THERE A GENERIC?

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Re: Celebrex generic.
Drug companies own the patent for a drug for a certain number of years. It's only when that patent expires that a generic is made. Believe me, there are hundreds of pharmaceutical companies that would jump at the chance to make a generic! Celebrex is also the only thing that works for me without destroying my stomach and making my GERD worse! My insurance company doesn't want to know about it...so I pay and pay and pay.

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Drug companies own their patents for 17 years, unless this has changed recently. I used to work for a company that produced pharmaceuticals and pesticides and a few other things as well. I happened to work in the pesticide end of things as an analytical chemist, but I learned enough about the other areas, as well, because I became a toxicologist while I worked there.

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Pharmaceutical companies own the patent for a drug for a certain number of years. Only after the patent expires is the drug available for generic. Believe me, there are dozens of drug companies who are chomping at the bit waiting to make Celebrex as generic! I don't know when the patent expires...sometimes it's more than 10 years! It's the only thing that works for my arithritis too without destroying my stomach and making my GERD worse! My insurance company doesn't want to know about it...so I pay and pay and pay!
Leslie....age 67

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I have heard about the pharmaceutical companies owning the patent but I was also told that it usually takes 5 years for a drug to be out and then it is turned over for generic use. I do believe a pharmacist may have told me that. Does anyone out there know how long Celebrex has been on the market? I too depend on it for the relief of my osteoarthritis and I know it's the only safe drug out there for me. I can also use it without upset to my stomach so I guess we just wait now.

Sharon ...age 59

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I agree ,why isn't there a Generic? This is the ONLY drug that works, that relieves my pain. I do not have at this point to take them daily, but must even so get them at my Doctors discrestion as free samples. WHY????

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The reason their are certain med.s that are not availble in generic form. The Pharmacutical Co. that spent so much time researching and developing the drug has a Patent on them, until the Patent runs out. It will not be available as a generic.

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I am not sure, but I believe it is because the patent date has not yet expired.

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HI there! I read your post with interest. I lost my job over a year ago and with that my medical insurance and prescription coverage. After some research I found I could get Pfizer to provide it under their Medical Assistance Program. Simply go to the web site and Find the
link for patient assistance program. It is called "Connection to Care". You fill out a simple form, provide minmal financial information and take the form to your physician for their signature and a new prescription. They then mail or fax it to the company and if approved, the medication arrives at your door every 90 days! This is a wonderful program to help patients with neccessary medications.
Good luck and let me know if you need any help.
C.M.A.

Question/Comment:

what about celebrex and lyrica at the same time???

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I have been taking both celebrex and lyrica for some time now with great success. My doctor continually warns me about the risks of taking celebrex long term. However, this year he checked my liver function and found it to be fine. So far there has been no adverse affects. Previously I was on Bextra and had frequent chest pain. Once off the Bextra, the chest pain ceased.

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I have been taking Lyrica and Celebrex both for over 5 years and they work great together. I work for a Clinical Research IOrganization and understand the inhereent risks; but, between my doctor and my company, I have learned that Celebrex's risk is dependent upon other factors such as what other symptoms and condition(s) that you may have.
Personally, I am 57 and have chronic pain due to spinal column degeneration. I also am diabetic Type 2.
For my chronic pain, I thave taken Oxycontin, Percocet, Celebrex, Lyrica, Ameltryptilin for the past 5 years with no negative effects.