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Information about CelebrexCelebrex is a drug that is used to treat inflammation. It is commonly used to treat arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis. It is in a class of drugs known as oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It is one of a new class of NSAID known as Cox-2 drugs. This class of drugs has less risk of causing gastrointestinal tract ulcerations and bleeding than conventional NSAIDs such as aspirin, Advil, or Naprosyn.You should not take Celebrex if you have an allergy to sulfa drugs, or if you have had an asthma-like reaction to aspirin or other NSAIDs, if you are pregnant, if you have ulcers or stomach bleeding, or if you have severe liver or kidney problems. Celebrex can cause fluid retention and swelling in some patients. Consequently, you should check with your personal physician before starting on Celebrex if you have a history of retaining fluids, have high blood pressure, or have a history of heart failure. You should check with your personal physician before starting on Celebrex if you take any of the following medication: Accupril, Aceon, Altace, Capoten, Lotensin, Mavik, Monopril, Prinivil, Univasc, Vasotec, Zestril, furosemide (Lasix), fluconazole (Diflucan), lithium, or warfarin (Coumadin). You should also consult with your personal physician before starting on Celebrex if you have a history of ulcerative colitis, Chrohnâs disease, or a history of thrombocytopenia. Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as a bleeding, ulcerations, and perforation can occur at anytime, with or without warning symptoms, in patients treated with NSAID's. Although Celebrex minimizes the GI side effects by selectively inhibiting cyclo oxygenase-2, the risk is still present. You should discontinue Celebrex and promptly report to your physician any problems with skin rash, unexplained weight gain, swelling, or symptoms of GI bleeding such as stomach pain and black or tarry stools. You should also discontinue use of Celebrex and seek immediate medical attention if you happen develop problems with nausea, fatigue, lethargy, itching, jaundice (yellow skin or yellow eyes), right upper abdominal tenderness, and flulike symptoms. Celebrex is a somewhat expensive drug . There are relatively inexpensive alternatives, however, these do have a higher risk of gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding. Less expensive but higher risk non-prescription alternatives include aspirin, Advil, Aleve, ibuprofen, and Orudis KT. If you wish to use one of these instead of Celebrex you may do so as long as you understand that they do have some increased risk. You should not use any of these along with Celebrex. If you prefer to be treated with a less expensive conventional NSAID that requires a prescription (such as Naprosyn) which would also have some increased risk of gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding, you may contact our office and request a prescription. If you have an insurance plan that covers prescription medications it may not cover Celebrex. If your insurance plan does not cover Celebrex you have the following alternatives: Pay for the medication without using your insurance. Contact your insurance company and request a list of anti-inflammatory medications that they cover. You may then contact our office and request to be changed to one of these medications as long as you understand that anti-inflammatory medications other than Vioxx or Celebrex do have a higher risk of gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding. Contact your insurance company and ask if there are circumstances in which they will cover Celebrex (such as prior unsuccessful treatment with several other conventional anti-inflammatory drugs or a history of indigestion with prior use of other anti-inflammatory medications). If so, have the insurance company provide you with a list of the criteria in which they will cover Celebrex and determine if you meet those criteria. If you do you may contact our office and provide us with a list of the insurance criteria that you meet and we can then send a letter to your insurance company with this information requesting that you be approved for treatment with Celebrex. |
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