The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Celebrex in 1998 as a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or NSAID. "Medical Surgical Nursing" describes Celebrex as a Cox-2 inhibitor that impedes synthesis of the chemical prostaglandin. Prostaglandin causes pain and inflammation in many conditions. Older classes of NSAIDs acted as both Cox-2 and Cox-1 inhibitors, meaning that the older NSAIDs not only blocked prostaglandin, but via Cox-1 inhibition also caused ulcers.
Pain
Since Celebrex blocks the production of prostaglandin, the drug works well in many conditions where pain is a problem. According to "Women's Health: A Primary Care Clinical Guide," menstrual cramps elevates the level of prostaglandin in the body, and Celebrex blocks this chemical. Celebrex effectively relieves the pain associated with menstrual cramps, minor procedures for biopsy of the uterus and premenstrual syndrome.
Colon and Rectal Polyps
The body produces small growths in the colon and rectal area, some of which may be pre-cancerous. "Health Technology Assessment" describes how, by preventing or reducing polyps, Celebrex reduces cancerous lesions, adenomas and the occurrence of advanced cancer in the large intestine.
Osteoarthritis
Because the United States' population is aging, the number of individuals with degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis has been increasing, with over 21 million people affected. Because the main joints of the hands, neck, lower back, hips and knees are affected by this disease, 30 percent of individuals with osteoarthritis report disability. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe the alteration in the joint seen in osteoarthritis as destruction of its padding, which causes bones to rub together, leading to pain and inflammation. Celebrex relieves the pain and swelling in the joint.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
In rheumatoid arthritis, an individual's own immune cells attack the tissue in the body. The disease causes the lining in the joint to swell and creates deformity in the joints. The underlying swelling remains the greater problem in rheumatoid arthritis, but chemicals in the fluid may destroy the padding in the joint as well. According to "Medical Surgical Nursing," Celebrex blocks the inflammatory process and decreases pain and progression of the disease.
Peri-operative Celebrex
"Anesthesia and Analgesia" delineated the capability of Celebrex to reduce pain and the need for narcotic medications after total knee surgery. In this study, S. S. Reuben et al. from Tufts University in 2008 found that patients achieved effective use of the knee in less time using Celebrex after surgery.
References
- Food and Drug Administration: COX-2 Selective and Non-Selective NSAIDS
- "Medical Surgical Nursing"; The new NSAIDS: Cox-2 Inhibitors; Teri Capriotti; 2000
- "Women's Health: A Primary Care Clinical Guide"; Dysmenorrhea; E. Youngkin and M. Davis; 2004
- "Health Technology Assessment"; Chemoprevention of colorectal cancer; K. Cooper et al.; 2010
- "Anesthesia and Analgesia"; A Prospective Randomized Trial on the Role of Perioperative Celecoxib Administration; S. S. Rueben, et al.; 2008
