Q. I’ve been a long-time user of Celebrex. Then my pharmacy gave me the generic.
After the first week, I had pain all over and found I could do fewer and fewer things I’ve always found easy. My hour of tai chi was nearly impossible.
My insurance will cover Celebrex, but not until the three month supply of celecoxib is gone. So I have three months of misery in store.
A. Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a kind of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called a COX-2 inhibitor. Supposedly, it is less likely to cause gastrointestinal irritation and ulcers than classic NSAIDs such as diclofenac, ibuprofen or naproxen.
There is controversy about its safety. The manufacturer warns that:
“Serious skin reactions, or stomach and intestine problems such as bleeding and ulcers, can occur without warning and may cause death.”
Celebrex may also increase the risk for heart attacks or strokes. Generic celecoxib is a relatively recent introduction, with four different companies making a formulation.
The FDA is quite interested in hearing from people having trouble with celecoxib. Please make a report to MedWatch at the FDA website. Be ready to include which company manufactured the specific drug that is giving you trouble.
