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Celebrex
Generic Name: Celecoxib
Brand Name: Celebrex
Indications
Celecoxib is indicated for relief of the signs and symptoms of arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and menstrual pain. Celecoxib is also used in the treatment of hereditary polyps in the colon.
Celecoxib is in a group of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Celecoxib works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.
Dosage and Administration
Celebrex is available for oral administration as 50mg, 100mg, 200mg, and 400mg capsules.
Normal dosage:
Arthritis: the lowest dose of Celebrex should be sought for each patient. These doses can be given without regard to timing of meals. The recommended oral dose is 100 to 200 mg twice per day for adults and an oral dose of 50mg to 100mg twice per day for children as prescribed by the physician.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS): For the management of the signs and symptoms of AS, the recommended dose of Celebrex is 200 mg daily single (once per day) or divided (twice per day) doses. If no effect is observed after 6 weeks, a trial of 400 mg daily may be worthwhile. If no effect is observed after 6 weeks on 400 mg daily, a response is not likely and consideration should be given to alternate treatment options.
Management of Acute Pain and Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: The recommended dose of Celebrex is 400 mg initially, followed by an additional 200 mg dose if needed on the first day. On subsequent days, the recommended dose is 200 mg twice daily as needed.
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): Usual medical care for FAP patients should be continued while on Celebrex. To reduce the number of adenomatous colorectal polyps in patients with FAP, the recommended oral dose is 400 mg twice per day to be taken with food.
Overdose: Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, drowsiness, black or bloody stools, coughing up blood, shallow breathing, fainting, or coma.
Drug Description
Celebrex (celecoxib) is chemically designated as 4-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl] benzenesulfonamide and is a diaryl-substituted pyrazole. It has the following chemical structure:
The empirical formula for celecoxib is C17H14F3N3O2S, and the molecular weight is 381.38.
Side Effects
The drug has certain side effects that can affect individuals in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are often associated with the drug:
- Allergic reactions
- Gastrointestinal problems
Stomach upset or gas may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:
- severe headache
- unexplained weight gain
- swelling of the hands or feet
- change in amount of urine
- difficult/painful swallowing
This drug may rarely cause serious liver disease. If you notice any of the following highly unlikely but very serious side effects, stop taking celecoxib and consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately:
- yellowing eyes or skin
- dark urine
- persistent stomach/abdominal pain
- unusual fatigue
In the unlikely event you have a serious allergic reaction to this drug, seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include:
- rash
- itching
- swelling
- dizziness
- trouble breathing
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Precautions
- This medicine can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk will increase the longer you use Celebrex. Do not use this medicine just before or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
- Seek emergency medical help if you have symptoms of heart or circulation problems, such as chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, or problems with vision or balance.
- This medicine can also increase your risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking Celebrex. Older adults may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects.
- Call your doctor at once if you have symptoms of bleeding in your stomach or intestines. This includes black, bloody, or tarry stools, or coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.
- Do not drink alcohol while taking Celebrex. Alcohol can increase the risk of stomach bleeding caused by Celebrex. Do not use any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or pain medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Many pain medicines available over the counter contain aspirin or other medicines similar to Celebrex. If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of this type of medication.
- This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Taking celecoxib during the last 3 months of pregnancy may result in birth defects. Do not take celecoxib during pregnancy unless your doctor has advised..
- Celecoxib passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing baby. Do not take celecoxib without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
- Do not give this medicine to a child younger than 2 years old without the advice of a doctor.
Drug Interactions
Before taking celecoxib, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
- aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), meloxicam (Mobic), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and others;
- a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
- diuretics (water pills) such as furosemide (Lasix);
- lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);
- methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall); or
- an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik).
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