i have a bulging disc in my lower back and went to the doc. he gave me some celebrex to take, as an antiinflammatory. I don't pay much attention to trends and news in medicine but am certainly aware of Vioxx b/c I'm a lawyer. Anyway, I'd appreciate anyone's comments regarding Celebrex. Just want to get some sense of comfort before takign the stuff. Thanks guys.
I LOVE Celebrex.... I took it when I broke my ankle, and keep a bottle handy for big migraines etc.... It is related to Vioxx, so don't take too many, but man...for an occasional relief of pain, it rocks. DD
is it prescription only?? I slept on my neck very badly the other night and it has made me completely immobile to the point that my shoulders, neck, and chest were all stiff... i was feeling chest pressure and went to get chest x-rays for a pneumothorax(collapsed lung)... there were no problems, but that doesnt fix the severe pain I am going through... a few ibuprofen made it feel a little better this morning
For context: I'm 33 and in not the best shape. I was prescribed both Celebrex and Bextra (the other COX-2 inhibitor available) last year when I had a lisfranc fracture, and Celebrex again a few months later after elbow surgery. When taking the doses prescribed to me, I had horrible stomach problems with the medicine and it wasn't worth taking for the pain relief it was providing. I had no heart related issues with it though.
Have taken it daily for years without problems. If I miss doses for a day or two I can not get out of bed. However, if you take any anti-inflammatory long term, they can destroy your stomach and contribute to kidney problems (ask Alonzo Mourning). Be sure to have your doctor prescribe something like Prilosec or Nexxium to protect your stomach lining. Celebrex is not a pain killer that simply masks the pain (like Vicodin). It is an anti-inflammatory that reduces the inflammation, thereby eliminating the pain.
I have disk problems too, multiple ones. I got Celebrex a few years back when my back was really screwed up. I could never tell that it did anything. Ibuprofen seemed to do more for it. The best thing for your back is stretching and massage, maybe some beer.
I was prescribed celebrex for an inflamation in my shins from jogging. It worked great but I don't know about more serious problems.
Be careful about Celebrex. Several studies indicated a class effect with Cox-2 drugs such as Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx. It may help you to relieve the pain, but does it worth the significant increase in cardiovascular risk? Try some alternative or generic drugs instead.
I took Vioxx when I had a herniated disc - it didn't do squat for me. I took Vicodin and it didn't do squat to kill the pain. I hate drugs - which is why I hate taking drugs. I've come to the conclusion that they're all bad for you. lol.
I used to work in a pharmacy. There was always a long running joke about whether you preferred your illness or the side effects of the drug(s) you chose to take to cure the illness. What makes things worse is people will pop pills for anything instead of letting the body take care of itself (at least in trivial cases). I don't even like taking Tylenol or Advil unless I have a crazy fever or something. "I have a headache... I better take 10 meds for that".
Yes, and become hooked on them to the point then you take other drugs to wean yourself off that one...lol.
