Health is the best wealth. It is not just a saying, it is the truth. Every person would like to preserve his/her good health or to get rid of the existing illnesses. An immense variety of pharmaceutical drugs was developed by the best doctors and scientists to help patients solve their health problems.
However, they say even the sun has dark spots. No wonder that all the medications have side effects, meaning that under the favorable circumstances they can harm our body causing the development of some diseases, or aggravating the existing ones. Naturally, every patient should be aware of the risks he can be faced with taking a drug either prescribed by a doctor, or bought over-the-counter.
Celebrex is a popular and effective painkiller used by millions of people all around the world. It is capable of relieving different types of pain caused by many health disorders (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, familial adenomatous polyposis, acute pain, and menstrual cramps).
It seems reasonable to talk about Celebrex pros and cons taking into account so much ado about its safety profiles, which arose not so long time ago and caused fears and prejudice both in sufferers and doctors, who, by the way, became reluctant to prescribe this medication to their patients.
In comparison to the older NSAIDs, Celebrex relieves arthritis pain and inflammation for a longer period of time – up to 24 hours after taking 200 mg dose.
Clinical studies proved a lower percentage of gastrointestinal adverse reactions (indigestion, abdominal pain, nausea, etc.) due to the treatment with Celebrex than with the other painkillers. The reason for that is that Celebrex is a selective NSAID inhibiting only COX-2 enzyme and not interfering with the work of COX-1, which protects stomach lining.
Celebrex does not thin blood; therefore, it can sometimes be used with low-dose aspirin, unlike the other prescription NSAIDs.
Even low doses of Celebrex relieve pain effectively and quickly in many people.
Risks
The question about the safe use of Celebrex arose during the clinical study designed to evaluate the possibility of Celebrex to be helpful in preventing certain types of cancer. During the study scientists noticed the increase of dangerous cardiovascular side effects (heart attack and stroke). However, it should be noted that the study participants were taking higher doses of the drug than it is usually prescribed for pain relief.
To clear the situation several studies were said to have been conducted, which concluded that lower doses of Celebrex taken for a short period of time are not likely to increase the risks of experiencing serious cardiovascular events.
In spite of the mentioned facts the U. S. Food and Drug Administration decided to place the so-called “black box warning” on the Celebrex packaging telling its consumers about the possible risks of heart attack and stroke in case the high doses of medication are used or if it is taken on a long-term basis.
It was also reported that people with known existing cardiovascular diseases, kidney and liver disorders, patients with asthma or people allergic to sulfonamides (Celebrex also belongs here) must take the given medication with special caution and only under doctors’ control.
The drug should not be used right before or after certain heart surgeries. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid taking Celebrex.
Although Celebrex is said not to irritate stomach like the other NSAIDs do, gastrointestinal adverse reactions (stomach bleeding and ulceration) are also included into the list of possible though rare side effects.
These preventive measures were decided to be sufficient. Unlike two other painkilling drugs Vioxx and Bextra, Celebrex was not removed from the market, since the American FDA concluded that the benefits of this medication overweigh the risks if patients are properly selected and well-informed about the possible complications.
To make a conclusion it should be said that Celebrex will work safely and effectively if doctors evaluate the overall health condition of every patient, prescribe doses individually and correctly, and notice any negative changes in patients’ state timely. Patients, in their turn, must follow doctors recommendations strictly, give full and accurate information about any other health disorders they experience, and report of any adverse reactions after taking Celebrex.
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