Let's talk Celebrex please

ginger · Feb 17, 2015

can we talk Celebrex ? Anyone take it without problems ? Before my DS I had a sensitivity to aspirin/NSAIDS. I know we are allowed aspirin with the DS, but it concerns me with my past history. My arthritis is NOT doing well and we can't move to a better climate. Dare I try it ? I have snuck in a generic Advil here and there just to see and no issue.

I ask as our daughter has had good luck with it and I am wondering if I should bit the bullet and give it a try since our body chemistry would be similar. She has had the sleeve and not the DS but never had sensitivity to NSAIDS in the past. I think my PCP is tired of me and I am honestly tired of his pushing narcotics instead of looking for a solution. Plus the narcotics really do not help, other than take the edge off, and make me a bit foggy at times.

I thought maybe part of it was stress while dealing with Dad's passing and all the crap that went with his care and taking care of his items. After he passed, I have been focused on trying to figure out what's been happening. I had a suspicious mole removed on my upper lip. TG it was negative. A week later I had a knee scope on the artificial knee as x-rays showed a floating bone. Well it turned out to be very thick adhesions. I get my sutures out tmrw and start PT to try to get flexion back in that leg. Extension is fine, but flexion is not good.

I am so impressed that our daughter has done so well on Celebrex, I wonder if I should try it... wondering who else has tried.

I am sorry I have not been around. Dad's estate is complicated, work has been crazy, it's tax season / and wave season and getting caught up at home has been crazy, microwave croaked, dishwasher croaked and the ice maker quit. Not to mention a ton of other crap. So anyway...that's why I have not had time for the forum. Any input is appreciated.
Ginger <><

robs477 · Feb 17, 2015

Hi @ginger I have lower back Sciatica, scoliosis, arthritic degenerative disc disease, whatever you want to call it and it affects not just my lower back, but also my legs. I've been on celebrex before and many others. Over the yrs, I pretty much have settled with Naproxen. It works really well for me, even better than celebrex and magnitudes cheaper. I was taken of of it 3 weeks prior to my DS surgery 1 week ago and I had no clue how well it was really working till I had to stop it. But, thats just me, everyone is different as Im sure you know. Good luck with it though.

southernlady · Feb 17, 2015

I was on the maximum allowed dosage of Celebrex before my DS. Had to come off it the two weeks before and stay off for a month after while my sleeve healed.

Once healed, I was given the go ahead to restart. I asked my PCP for the lowest possible dose to start...after 6 weeks without, 50 mgs was plenty. Eventually I came off it completely and now just take ONE OTC ibuprofen daily at night with food for my back pain. I have wiggle room. if there are times I need more than one a day, I can take it.

A couple of rules, first one is for newbies..
Wait til your guts are healed or cleared by your surgeon to restart an NSAID.
Take the lowest dose possible.
NEVER, EVER exceed the recommended OTC dose
Take with food.

Larra · Feb 17, 2015

There are many people who unfortunately can't take NSAIDs safely due to allergies or stomach bleeding or other problems. These are people who have never had any kind of bariatric surgery. It's a shame, because they really are good drugs, but there is no drug that someone can't have a problem with.
so I guess what I'm saying is that if you were sensitive to NSAIDs before your DS, I see no reason that you wouldn't still be sensitive to them. Sorry.

ginger · Feb 18, 2015

Thank you all for your replies ! I am going to have a serious talk with my crazy arse PCP and see what can be tried again. Before my first DS surgery in 2003 I had problems with NSAID aggravating asthma, but I wonder with the asthma long gone if it would be different now. I am now more than year past my revision and I am sure I am well healed. I also hate to upset the apple cart so to speak, but our weather this year is not good and constantly changing, I can tell you before the weatherman does when it's changing. Hubby says I am more accurate too ! I am also thinking I need a new PCP, but so few in this area. I was pretty pissed off last visit when I heard him tell his new nurse, "she has had some weird WLS - she knows what she can take, give it to her" I was like WTF ! Yes I do know most of what I can as far as antibiotics etc, but this is other is all sort of new. Maybe I should call Dr Rabkin and see what he prefers for safety sakes.

Elizabeth N. · Feb 18, 2015

I didn't get much bang for my buck with Celebrex, so I take Volatren (oral).

more2adore · Feb 19, 2015

Celebrex was a godsend for me. I took it for years for knee pain (patellar subluxation). Here in Australia it's too much of a pain to get regularly so I take Mobic instead (meloxicam). It works as well, fortunately.

ginger · Feb 21, 2015

an update..... ortho doc started me on Mobic, will see how it works. Today is just day 3 so a little early to tell. I had called Dr Rabkin and he said it was okay to take any of them as far as he was concerned. Hopefully no allergic reaction will occur. I had trouble with NSAIDs pre- DS, but so many things are different now in my body chemistry I am hoping I can tolerate it.

marissamast · Feb 23, 2015

I was on Celebrex before my surgery - I stayed off of it for about 3 weeks after, and just started taking it again before I went back to work but had no issues with it. My prescription expired and I had to go see the arthritis doc before he would re-up it so I started taking my Meloxicam again and lo and behold it WORKS! So, since it is much cheaper than Celebrex, I have stayed with it. BTW, as of January, Celebrex is now available in Generic.