Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Tai Chi Practice Became Painful on Generic Celecoxib

Celecoxib offered this reader less pain relief than its brand-name counterpart Celebrex.

Q. I’ve been a long-time user of Celebrex. Then my pharmacy gave me the generic.

After the first week, I had pain all over and found I could do fewer and fewer things I’ve always found easy. My hour of tai chi was nearly impossible.

My insurance will cover Celebrex, but not until the three month supply of celecoxib is gone. So I have three months of misery in store.

A. Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a kind of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called a COX-2 inhibitor. Supposedly, it is less likely to cause gastrointestinal irritation and ulcers than classic NSAIDs such as diclofenac, ibuprofen or naproxen.

There is controversy about its safety. The manufacturer warns that:

“Serious skin reactions, or stomach and intestine problems such as bleeding and ulcers, can occur without warning and may cause death.”

Celebrex may also increase the risk for heart attacks or strokes. Generic celecoxib is a relatively recent introduction, with four different companies making a formulation.

The FDA is quite interested in hearing from people having trouble with celecoxib. Please make a report to MedWatch at the FDA website. Be ready to include which company manufactured the specific drug that is giving you trouble.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
4.9- 15 ratings
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.