Vioxx & Celebrex

Just throwing in a personal anecdote about COX-2 inhibitors, in light of the most recent episode. The guest said that he wasn’t sure if Celebrex (celecoxib) is really prescribed anymore. It was originally marketed as an arthritis (rheumatoid & osteo-) pain med, and is still used as such, but maybe less often than in the past. But my case is different.

I am allergic to ibuprofen (mild anaphylaxis I had as a young child many years ago). Out of an abundance of caution, I avoid all NSAIDs, and the only painkiller I took until ~16 years old was acetaminophen/paracetamol/Tylenol.

At that point (2010?), I was doing high school sports and sometimes acetaminophen wasn’t cutting it for minor injuries. My doctor recommended that I go to an allergist and take Celebrex (celecoxib), just to see if I could handle it. I could, and since then I’ve taken it as-needed for short-term pain management (ex. I roll an ankle and take it for a week or so). I’ll tell you all firsthand that that shit is EFFECTIVE. So I push back on Robert’s mention that the meds aren’t that great at alleviating pain (but all I have is anecdotal evidence).

This fall I was training for a marathon and, as one does, I got a few minor overuse injuries (podiatrist said that nothing structurally was wrong, so pain management could get me to race day), and celecoxib was a godsend for managing pain. I’m aware of the cardiac issues (especially as an enthusiast endurance athlete) that long-term use can cause, which is why I only use it for short periods.

Just a data point with some non-bastardry.