Most Recent Celebrex Side Effect

Celecoxib, marketed as Celebrex, is an NSAID commonly used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Celebrex hit the market just under 10 years ago as an “alternative” NSAID with the same pain relief but fewer adverse gastrointestinal effects than “conventional” NSAIDS like ibuprophen and naproxen. As an “alternative” NSAID, Celebrex is a highly selective COX 2 inhibitor, whereas the “conventional” NSAIDs inhibit both COX 1 and COX 2. Because Celebrex is a relatively new NSAID, the side effects, risks, and suggested dosages seem to be changing rather frequently. The most recent and detrimental risk that has been identified for Celebrex is heart attack and stroke. As recent as 2007, Celebrex was deemed a drug that should be used as a last result anti-inflammatory medication for those who are at risk of heart attack or related cardiovascular disease. It seems like every year that changes to the Celebrex label have to be made to add more side effects and risk factors. I don’t know how the typical FDA approval and initial marketing of new drugs usually plays out, but it seems like there have been a lot of detrimental effects caused by Celebrex, and the Pfizer company who markets the drug is trying to focus solely on the fact that it has decreased gastrointestinal risks. So until their large scale clinical trials are complete in 2010, my suggestion would be to steer clear of Celebrex and find another NSAID that has been around long enough to have all of its risks and benefits ironed out.