PRECAUTIONS: Before taking celecoxib, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to sulfa drugs, aspirin, other NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen), other COX-2 inhibitors (e.g., rofecoxib); or if you have any other allergies. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: kidney problems, liver problems, heart disease (e.g., high blood pressure, congestive heart failure), alcohol use, swelling (edema), blood disorders (anemia), serious infections, stomach problems (bleeding or ulcers), asthma, growths in the nose (nasal polyps), dehydration, poorly controlled diabetes. Related drugs (rofecoxib and valdecoxib) rarely have caused blood clots to form, resulting in heart attacks and strokes. Rarely, this medication has also cause similar serious problems. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the benefits and risks of treatment, as well as other possible medication choices. This medicine may cause stomach bleeding. Daily use of alcohol and tobacco, especially when combined with this medicine, may increase your risk for stomach bleeding. Limit alcohol and smoking. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Caution is advised when using this drug in the elderly because they may be more sensitive to the side effects of this medication, especially stomach bleeding and kidney effects. This medication should be used only when clearly needed during the first 6 months of pregnancy. It should not be used during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Breast-feeding is not recommended while using this drug. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription products you may use, especially of: high blood pressure drugs such as ACE inhibitors (e.g., captopril, lisinopril), oral bisphosphonates (e.g., alendronate), "blood thinners" (e.g., warfarin), corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone), fluconazole, lithium, "water pills" (diuretics such as furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, triamterene). Check all prescription and nonprescription medicine labels carefully since many contain pain relievers/fever reducers (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin) which are similar to this drug and if taken together may increase your risk for side effects. Low-dose aspirin, as prescribed by your doctor for specific medical reasons such as heart attack or stroke prevention (usually these dosages are 81-325 mg per day), should be continued. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details. Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) - Describes Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), which are medications used primarily to treat inflammation, mild to moderate pain, and fever.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis - Learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation, which has symptoms that include stiffness, fever, muscle and joint aches, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis incorporates the use of first-line drugs (aspirin and corticosteroids for pain and inflammation) and second-line drugs (methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine to prevent joint destruction and promote remission).
• meloxicam, Mobic - Explains the medication meloxicam (Mobic), a drug used to treat tenderness, swelling and pain caused by the inflammation of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

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