Hey everyone. I'm not sure how many of
you were fairly dependant on celebrex or
vioxx for your arthritus or joint pain
from lupus. I have been on celebrex for
over a year now and the doctor just took
me off of it because of the heart problems
it causes.
It is good that he took me off, I do have
a lot of heart issues as well as clotting
etc. But I am wondering what is out
there to replace this drug. Celebrex was
a very helpful medication for me as far as
pain control. Now, it is like every time
I move I want to cry.
I try to hide it from the kids and things
cuz I don't want them to worry, but the
pain is at times almost unbearable. So,
other then pain pills, and muscle
relaxants any suggestions?
Oh and judy if you are reading this don't
bother to let steve know about this stuff.
I don't need or want his pity.
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mjk
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Baltimore
Celebrex And Vioxx Posted: 01-04-05 13:28pm
Hi there,
i have fibromyalgia and we are
investigating lupus. (i'm not too
thrilled with some of these
''specialists''--do they take anything
seriously they cannot see? It does not
seem so...)
anyway, I thought i'd pass along something
I discussed with one of my better doctors
last week, concerning the risks associated
with taking those cox-2's like celebrex,
in my case bextra. He told me that if
you take an aspirin per day, 81 mg., like
st. Joseph's or something, that will
offset the risk associated for heart with
cox-2's. I told him he should write an
article or something because it is such a
hot topic now. I'm sure that he is going
by the results of clinical tests that
associate lower risk with an aspirin per
day, and that this recommendation cannot
blanketly apply to anyone because of each
individual's medical picture. However I
am going to start the aspirin (he says he
takes it himself) and because it is a low
dose it is ok to take along with an
ibuprofen or cox-2. I take the bextra
only when my symptoms are making me crazy,
so not very often.
Other meds for pain I have had good
experience with is a low dose actiq,
either on a stick or the durogesic patch.
First time I really slept in several
months of breakthrough pain flares was
when I put that patch on (same med as
actiq, fentanyl, but on a patch) last
week. The cycle was broken and I take
less pain med during the day wearing the
patch. The actiq on a stick does not
make me sleepy at all, which is so much
better than other painkiller meds. The
durogesic patch does make me sleepy but so
far I can just take it off if I am too
sleepy. The first time I put the patch
on I slept through the night and was ok
during the day in terms of daytime
sleepiness. But I put it on another time
and felt sleepy all day so I took it
off--couldn't stand it. The pain cycle
was broken though at least for a while.
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kait77
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jul 2005 Posts: 13
Posted: 08-29-05 23:24pm
Personally I was extremely dependant on
vioxx before they pulled it off the
market- I took 50mg a day and was able to
function at about 75% of my former level
(also on plaquenil at the time).
Unfortunately the same time vioxx was
pulled my blood work suddenly turned neg
and my dr un dxed me and pulled the
plaquenil too. I spent a year trying to
find a dr who was willing to take the
positives turning neg after 3yrs on
plaquenil as a sign it was doing its job.
But during that time my disease took a
nasty turn. I have been bounced from one
nsaid to the next in the search for
effective pain relief- nothing has been as
effective as the vioxx. I wish I could
offer more help- what I can say is have
your dr try the older medications I take a
generic with a long name that begins with
a whose name brand begins with an r and it
is more effective than anything else we
have tried thus far. I hurt too much to
get up out of bed or else I would go grab
my pill bottle and tell you the generic
name. Just talk to your doctor and also
think about seeing a pain specialist.
