Celebrex - An Overview

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One of the most well known prescription drugs of the last several years is celecoxib, best recognized by its brand name, Celebrex. It was marketed and manufactured by the well-known pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and prescribed to patients suffering from arthritis and similar problems. Further research also discovered that Celebrex aids in reducing the number of polyps in the colon and rectum for patients with certain kinds of polyps. It was also originally intended to relieve pain while minimizing the adverse gastrointestinal effects that were usually experienced with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Over the course of time, though, Celebrex came to be better known for how well it worked and lasted for long periods of time. One only needed to take a small dose of Celebrex once or twice a day to experience long-lasting relief from arthritis pain. After the recall of Vioxx in 2004, Celebrex was soon the it drug for prescription pain relief. Although the drug has been scrutinized, and warned against it have been issued, it remains on the market today.

But like all powerful drugs, Celebrex has side effects, some of them potentially serious and even life-threatening. Most of this was not particularly well-known when the drug was first marketed to the public. Like all NSAIDs, there is still a small risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. But Celebrex is particularly dangerous with regard to the cardiovascular risks, even more so than other NSAIDs. In fact, the American Heart Association has declared that Celebrex should be used only as a last resort on patients who have heart disease or who are at risk for getting it.

There is also some indication that Celebrex might be useful in reducing the rate of some kinds of cancers in some patients, but considering the side effects of the drug, it has not been recommended for use for cancer prevention or reduction.

Like many new drugs, Celebrex was seen as something of a cure-all when it came on the market in 1999. Millions of people got prescriptions for it, and doctors happily prescribed it. The early tests indicated it was effective, safe, and not liable to cause many significant side effects. But then the Food and Drug Administration began to look at those tests more closely and see omissions, errors, and loopholes. The drug's cardiovascular risks, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke came to light, and many patients began to report side effects beyond the mild things they had been told to expect when they started taking the drug initially.

If you have taken Celebrex in the past, or if you continue to take it, you should see a doctor to determine whether any damage has been done to your gastrointestinal system or cardiovascular system. Keep careful records of when you took the drug and for how long. It may turn out that you have suffered injury and do not even know it, or may be at a much higher risk of developing problems in the future. For some kinds of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular damage, only a doctor's tests can show what has been done or what may develop.

As reluctant as you may be to make it a legal issue, you really should consult a lawyer to see what your options are. There are a number of side effect injuries that a patient can suffer that might constitute a Celebrex lawsuit. Pharmaceutical companies have an obligation to be up front and honest with patients about the effects their drugs can have. It is their job to know what their medications will do, and to inform the public accordingly before they start making and distributing pills by the millions.

If you have been harmed by Celebrex, you are certainly not alone, and you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to see an attorney to discuss your options for recovering compensation and damages. You are not alone in this fight.

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