Celecoxib Capsule: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Celecoxib Capsule contains celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that works as a COX-2 selective inhibitor. It relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and can lower fever, and is used for conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and acute pain. It relieves symptoms and reduces inflammation but does not cure the underlying illness or stop it from getting worse, and it only works for as long as you keep taking it.

What is Celecoxib Capsule

Celecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available as capsules for oral use. It has pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and fever-reducing properties. It relieves symptoms and reduces inflammation but does not cure the underlying illness or stop it from getting worse; it only works for as long as you keep taking it.

Celecoxib Capsule uses

• Managing the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis
• Managing the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
• Managing the signs and symptoms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in patients 2 years and older
• Managing the signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis
• Managing acute pain in adults
• Treating primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps)
• Short-term management of moderate to severe acute pain such as sprains, pain after orthopaedic surgery, and pain after dental extraction

Benefits of Celecoxib Capsule

• Reduces joint pain, stiffness, tenderness, and swelling
• Improves physical function and quality of life in people with arthritis
• Relieves moderate to severe short-term pain
• At recommended doses does not affect the prostaglandins that protect the stomach lining and does not appear to reduce platelet clotting

How Celecoxib Capsule works

Celecoxib works by blocking the production of prostaglandins, chemicals in the body that cause pain, swelling, redness, and inflammation. It does this mainly by inhibiting an enzyme called COX-2.

Celecoxib Capsule dosage

Celecoxib can be taken with or without food. For patients who have difficulty swallowing capsules, the contents can be emptied onto a level teaspoon of cool or room temperature applesauce and taken immediately with water. When sprinkled on applesauce, the capsule contents stay stable for a limited time when refrigerated. Higher doses should be taken with food to improve absorption. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Do not take more than one NSAID at a time.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, then take your next dose at the scheduled time; do not double up to make up for a missed dose.

Available forms and strengths

• Capsule 50 mg
• Capsule 100 mg
• Capsule 200 mg
• Capsule 400 mg

Side effects of Celecoxib Capsule

Common

• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Diarrhea
• Indigestion (dyspepsia)
• Gas (flatulence)
• Nausea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Back pain
• Swelling of the arms, legs, hands or feet (peripheral edema)
• Insomnia
• Sore throat, runny nose, sinus infection, upper respiratory infection
• Skin rash
• Vomiting
• Constipation

Serious

• Heart attack, stroke, or blood clots (cardiovascular thrombotic events), which can be fatal
• Stomach or intestinal bleeding, ulcers, or tears (perforation), which can be fatal
• Liver problems including liver failure, hepatitis, and jaundice
• New or worsening high blood pressure
• Heart failure and fluid retention
• Kidney problems including kidney failure
• Increased potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia)
• Life-threatening allergic (anaphylactic) reactions
• Worsening of asthma in aspirin-sensitive people
• Life-threatening skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Low red blood cell count (anemia)
• Serious bleeding events
• Aseptic meningitis (stiff neck, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, fever)
• Pneumonitis

Warnings and precautions

• NSAIDs including celecoxib can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke that can lead to death. This risk may occur early in treatment and increases with higher doses and longer use.
• Do not take celecoxib right before or after heart bypass (CABG) surgery.
• NSAIDs including celecoxib can cause serious stomach and intestinal bleeding, ulcers, and tears that can happen at any time, without warning, and can be fatal.
• Taking celecoxib together with low-dose aspirin increases the risk of stomach bleeding and is not generally recommended without your doctor's advice.
• Do not take celecoxib if you have had asthma, hives, or other allergic reactions to aspirin or other NSAIDs, or if you are allergic to sulfonamide medicines.
• Stop taking celecoxib and seek help right away if you develop any skin rash or other sign of an allergic reaction, as serious skin reactions can be fatal.
• Avoid using celecoxib from 30 weeks of pregnancy onward because it may cause premature closure of a blood vessel in the developing baby's heart. It is contraindicated in the third trimester. Use caution in the first and second trimesters and talk to your doctor before use.
• Low levels of celecoxib pass into breast milk. Caution should be used when taking celecoxib while breastfeeding. One source lists breastfeeding as a contraindication.
• Celecoxib is not recommended in people with severe or advanced kidney disease. Kidney function should be monitored in at-risk patients. It is contraindicated in severe renal impairment.
• In people with moderate liver impairment, the dose should be reduced by 50%. Celecoxib is not recommended in people with severe liver impairment.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine because it makes stomach problems more likely. Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of stomach bleeding.
• Celecoxib may cause drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, or light-headedness. If this happens, do not drive or operate machinery and use caution with activities that need alertness.

Storage

• Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); short-term exposure permitted to 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F).
• Store below 30°C.
• Keep in a safe place out of reach of children and pets.
• Do not keep outdated or unused medicine; return any outdated or unused medicine to your pharmacist.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have chest pain, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, weakness in one part or side of your body, or slurred speech.
• Seek immediate emergency help for signs of a severe allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the face or throat.
• Stop taking celecoxib and get medical care right away if you have signs of stomach bleeding such as stomach pain, vomiting blood, or black sticky (tar-like) stools.
• Stop taking celecoxib and seek medical care if you have signs of liver problems such as nausea, tiredness, itching, yellowing of the skin or eyes, right upper stomach tenderness, or flu-like symptoms.
• Contact your doctor if you have signs of heart failure such as shortness of breath, unexplained weight gain, or swelling.
• If you take too much celecoxib, contact your healthcare provider, hospital emergency department, or your local poison control center right away, even if there are no symptoms.

Alternatives

• Naproxen
• Ibuprofen
• Diclofenac
• Etoricoxib
• Meloxicam
• Aceclofenac
• Etodolac

ACT CELECOXIB is a brand of celecoxib capsules found to be bioequivalent to CELEBREX.