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Celebrex FAQs
What is Celebrex?
How does Celebrex work?
What are some possible side effects of Celebrex?
Who should NOT take Celebrex?
Does Celebrex increase the risk of experiencing major heart
problems?
What is Celebrex?
Celebrex is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), manufactured by
Pfizer, that is used to reduce pain and inflammation (swelling and soreness). It
can be used to treat the following:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rhuematoid Arthritis
- Acute Pain
- Menstrual Pain
- To reduce the number of colon and rectum growths (polyps) in patients with
a disease called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
- Shown to reduce cancer that happens with FAP
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How does Celebrex work?
Celebrex works by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (Cox-2) enzymes that catalyze the
production of prostanoids, substances that spur inflammation and pain in the
body. Celebrex is believed to halt the production of prostanoids resulting in
less pain, without compromising the homeostatic quality of cyclooxygenase in the
kidneys, stomach, and gastrointestinal tract, protecting the GI system.
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What are some possible side effects of Celebrex?
Side effects of the drug include:
- headache
- indigestion
- upper respiratory tract infection
- diarrhea
- sinus inflammation
- stomach pain
- nausea
- stomach ulcers
- breathing problems
- serious allergic skin reactions
- swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat
- serious kidney problems
- liver damage
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Who should NOT take Celebrex?
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 medicines
- are allergic to Celebrex or to any of the ingredients in Celebrex
- 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 to
aspirin and other NSAID medicines have happened in aspirin-sensitive
patients, aspirin-sensitive patients should not take Celebrex.
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Does Celebrex increase the risk of experiencing major
heart problems?
A recent study by the National Cancer Institute revealed that patients taking
400 milligrams of Celebrex per day were found to have a risk of experiencing
heart problems that was 2.5 times greater than people not taking Celebrex. This
same study found patients taking 800 milligrams of Celebrex experienced 3.4
times the risk of experiencing major heart problems.
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For more information, visit our page on Prescription Negligence.
Contact us online through our free evaluation form if you have any questions about your claim.
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