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Is Long Term Use Of Celebrex Advisable?

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Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2015
Question: How safe is CELEBREX.is it safe to take it for long period of time?
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (36 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
should be used for a short time preferably

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

celebrex and similar drugs have a lot of potential side effects. A short term treatment is preferred to minimize the risks. If the patient experiences severe pain and no alternative works adequately then it has to be used.

-Celebrex may double or triple the risk for cardiovascular thrombotic events. The risk is not very high but it's 2-3 times higher than normal.
- it may also cause or worsen existing hypertension
- gastrointestinal ulceration is possible although less likely compared to other NSAIDs. The longer the duration of treatment, the higher the risk.
- renal toxicity: prolonged use may end up in chronic kidney disease.
- liver damage: liver enzyme elevation is fairly common (almost 15%) but more severe damage is also possible.

There are many more potential complications but I've presented to you the most important or common ones.

So the answer is that you should avoid using any NSAID (including celebrex) unless absolutely necessary. You can try other alternatives like paracetamol (acetaminophen) first which is much easier to use and has significantly less side effects (but also much lower effectiveness as a painkiller).

I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3814 Questions

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Is Long Term Use Of Celebrex Advisable?

Brief Answer: should be used for a short time preferably Detailed Answer: Hello, celebrex and similar drugs have a lot of potential side effects. A short term treatment is preferred to minimize the risks. If the patient experiences severe pain and no alternative works adequately then it has to be used. -Celebrex may double or triple the risk for cardiovascular thrombotic events. The risk is not very high but it's 2-3 times higher than normal. - it may also cause or worsen existing hypertension - gastrointestinal ulceration is possible although less likely compared to other NSAIDs. The longer the duration of treatment, the higher the risk. - renal toxicity: prolonged use may end up in chronic kidney disease. - liver damage: liver enzyme elevation is fairly common (almost 15%) but more severe damage is also possible. There are many more potential complications but I've presented to you the most important or common ones. So the answer is that you should avoid using any NSAID (including celebrex) unless absolutely necessary. You can try other alternatives like paracetamol (acetaminophen) first which is much easier to use and has significantly less side effects (but also much lower effectiveness as a painkiller). I hope you find my comments helpful! You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information. Kind Regards!