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How to Use
You should continue to take CELEBREX as prescribed even when you are feeling better. CELEBREX can be taken with or without food. CELEBREX capsules come in 2 strengths: 100 mg and 200 mg.
In O
steoarthritis, the recommended dose for CELEBREX is 200 mg a day. CELEBREX delivers 24-hour relief from a once-daily dose of 200 mg. Or if preferred, a dose of 100 mg twice a day is available.
In Rheumatoid Arthritis, the recommended dose for CELEBREX is 100 mg to 200 mg, twice a day. CELEBREX provides relief through the day and through the night.
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Significant Interactions:
Include on your medical history/personal profile all of the other medicines you are taking or plan to take while you are on CELEBREX, even other medicines that you can get without a prescription. CELE
BREX has significant drug interactions with :
- Methotrexate (a medicine used to suppress the immune system).
- Warfarin (a blood thinner).
- Rifampin (an antibiotic).
<
br> - ACE inhibitors (medicines used for high blood pressure and heart failure).
- Lithium (a medicine used to treat a certain type of depression).
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What special precautions should I follow?
Celebrex has been known to cause kidney or liver problems, particularly in people with an existing condition. If you have such a disorder, take Celebrex with caution. If you develop symptoms of liver
poisoning, stop taking the drug and see your doctor immediately. Warning signs include nausea, fatigue, itching, yellowish skin, pain in the right side of the stomach, and flu-like symptoms.
Although Celebrex can reduce the number of growths, you'll still need the other treatments and frequent checkups that this condition requires.
Celebrex sometimes causes water retention, whi
ch can aggravate swelling, high blood pressure, and heart failure. Use this drug with caution if you have any of these conditions.
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Why is this medication prescribed?
Celebrex is prescribed for acute pain, menstrual cramps, and the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It is the first of a new class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
s (NSAIDs) called "COX-2 inhibitors." Like older NSAIDs such as Motrin and Naprosyn, Celebrex is believed to fight pain and inflammation by inhibiting the effect of a natural enzyme called COX-2. Unli
ke the older medications, however, it does not interfere with a similar substance, called COX-1, which exerts a protective effect on the lining of the stomach. Celebrex is therefore less likely to cau
se the bleeding and ulcers that sometimes accompany sustained use of the older NSAIDs.
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Possible Side Effect
Rare side effects may include:
- loss of appetite, loss of balance, low blood sugar, menstrual disorders, migraine headache, mouth ulcers, muscle ache, nail disorders, neck stiffness, nerve pain,
nervousness, nosebleeds, pain, painful urination, pancreatitis, phlebitis, pneumonia, poor coordination, prostate problems, severe diarrhea, severe skin rash and peeling, skin reaction due to sunligh
t, skin sensitivity, skin tingling, stroke, suicide, sweating, swollen face and throat, taste disturbances, tendonitis, tiredness, tooth disorders, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, vagi
nal problems, vomiting, weakness, weight gain
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Overdosage
Any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical attention immediately.
Symptoms of Celebrex overdose may include:
Breathing diffic
ulties, coma, drowsiness, gastrointestinal bleeding, high blood pressure, kidney failure, nausea, sluggishness, stomach pain, vomiting
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