What is Celebrex?
Similar to Vioxx, Celebrex is a COX-2 inhibitor belonging to the drug class nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Like Vioxx, Celebrex was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the relief of pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as management of acute pain in adults and primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual cramping). And, like Vioxx, Celebrex provides pain relief by inhibiting the COX-2 form of the COX enzyme to block production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that contribute to the symptoms of pain, fever and inflammation.
Other Celebrex FAQs
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Q:
What is the COX enzyme?
A: The cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme has two forms: COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is found in a lot of cells all the time, notably the lining of the stomach where it regulates … More -
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What is the problem with Celebrex?
A: It has been recently found that Celebrex, like the other COX-2 inhibitors Vioxx and Bextra increases the risk of heart attacks by 2.5 times, as well as strokes and … More -
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What are the Celebrex side effects?
A: The ones causing the biggest uproar are the greatly increased risk of heart attack, and the increased risk of stroke and blood clots because those indicate overall … More -
Q:
What are NSAIDs?
A: NSAIDs are a large group of drugs that have pain-relieving (analgesic) and fever reducing (antipyretic) effects, as well as the effect of reducing inflammation when … More -
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What is edema?
A: Edema is an observable swelling in certain parts of the body. Edema most commonly occurs in the feet and legs (peripheral edema). The swelling is the result of the … More -
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What is pitting edema?
A: If you depress the skin of a swollen area (e.g., leg) with a finger and the pressing causes an indentation in the skin that persists for some time after the release … More -
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What is non-pitting edema?
A: Non-pitting edema is where there is not a persistent indentation to the skin. It normally affects the arms and legs. Non-pitting edema can occur in certain disorders … More
