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Celebrex and Crohn's

GoJohnnyGo

One Badass Dude
Anyone here can relate their experiences?

It's an arthritis drug. Doctor won't prescribe it while my Crohn's remains active.

Stuck with OTC Tylenol for now.
 
Hmmm, does the tylenol help? Not nice of you are having pain! Have you tried one of the herbal-type things like glutamine (I think that's the one) they put with condroitin for joint inflammation?
 
yep GJ ive been on it. a GI that wasnt very knowledgable on crohns was the one to prescribe it to me, so thats the reason i was able to get it.

it seemed to help my arthiritis, but i mean it was my first experience with arthritis EVER so who knows if it was the medecine or if it wouldve been better anyways?
i DID end up in the hospital shortly after due to bad ulcers in my esophagus and stomach, which Celebrex could have caused.

but as you know, crohns can cause those ulcers too. so, the what was the culprit for those ulcers, i will never know.

its not good for crohns because it can cause bleeding in your stomach and stuff. its similar to advil in that way you know? advil, excedrin, aleve...for the smae reasons we crohnies cant take those is also why we cant take celebrex.


as i always say MOIST HEAT!!! that helped me soo much. cause tylenol is really not adequate.
put a damp towel on the ache and then put heating pad on top of that. that really helped incrase my mobility and decrase swelling.

good luck!
 
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Crohn's 35

Inactive Account
It worked for my arthritis at the time but when Vioxx had their problems and the other one (escapes my morning brain) I went off Celebrex, didnt need any more problems than I already had. MY other GP didnt know it affects the gut that way. Have to choose your poison so to speak.
 
I use Tylenol Arthiritis because it seems to be a bit stronger than normal Tylenol. I had really bad back spasms for a while and that was the only thing that could knock them down worth anything (besides narcotics)
 

imisspopcorn

Punctuation Impaired
Alieve/ Naprosyn use to be the premoier arthritis med back in the 90's.....Is your gut really sensitive to NSAIDs? I usually only take tylenol, but sometimes it doesn't kick the pain. So I'll take a dose of Alieve or Ibuprofen......May be ask the doc if an occasional dose would be okay for those days when Tylenol isn't cutting it.

Tylenol does not relieve inflamation.
 

GoJohnnyGo

One Badass Dude
Yea, I take the Tylenol for Arthritis already. Popping 2-4 a day isn't a long-term solution though.
 
It an NSAID, which means it can cause gastric bleeding and ulcers in your GI tract. Anyone with Crohns taking Celebrex probably shouldn't be.
 
My rheumy tried to prescribe it, but my GI and GP said no way. Have you tried Gabapentin - it's obviously not an NSAID, it's a neuropathic painkiller and doing great things for me.
 
I needed the COX2 stuff to remain mobile during flairs of arthritic pain in my knees and ankles. Seriously, It was all I could do to carry a glass of water and walk when I was in full flareup with the arthritis. And stairs were two hands on the railing one step at time sideways. Not good for a 40 year old male who was otherwise physically fit. In the early part of my crohns diagnosis I was given the go ahead to take it as-needed because the loss of mobility was worse than the risk of taking it.

Since then I have been placed on Imuran which is used to treat Crohns secondarily to it's use for treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis. One Pill To Rule Them all if you will :D
 
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hi, Ive been diagnosed with crohns for about 5 years when i had a bowel resection. I am on mesalazine and been pain free for a while, but for the last 2 months have had crippling back pain. I have been to a physio for 4 visits to no avail so my gp prescribed celebrex, is this a bad idea, what do you think might help, getting ct scan done on back in few days and a score of blood tests for inflammation markers. For some reason its only bad in the morning, cannot sit down or bend over for first few hours of day, by the afternoon i am mostly pain free, do you think its crohns related?

chris
 
Hi and Welcome! It could be Crohn's related arthritis, or something else. The CT should help determine what it is.

I'd ask your gastro-consultant about the celebrex, mine was really against it.

I know what may help me, may not be appropriate for you but I'd really recommend asking your GP about Gabapentin - I have a slight back injury and shoulder problems and it's really helped lower the pain.
 
Thanks, I will let you know what the scan shows, I suspect crohns because physio has no effect, i'll stop taking the celebrex till i talk to my gp again. thanks again

chris
 
Well if you are already taking it and your stomach/guts are fine with it I wouldn't stop taking it on my amateur advice! Just run it by your consultant soon as you can, maybe phone or email them rather than wait for an appointment.
 

farm

Captain Insaneo
I was given Celebrex, Meloxicam, Relafen, and other NSAIDs for my arthritis; I blame these for my current flare; but I was on them daily and for a long period of time.

I still take asprin from time to time with no ill effects to my Crohns.
 

soupdragon69

ele mental leprechaun
Hmmm lets see...

Currently I am on tramadol 100mg x 3 daily, Gabapentin 600mg morning, 600mg afternoon and 900mg at night, I also take paracetamol 1g x 3 daily.

Of the tramadol my pain team have said I can take up to 100mg x 6 daily for pain and up to 1g x 4 daily of the paracetamol. I am sick of taking tablets and I dont really think they do much for me pain relief wise. I have told my pain consultant this and that I dont think painkillers help long term as they just treat the symptoms not the cause. Yes, they have a place in our lives but as far as I am concerned the less "smarties" I take the better!

I have started using my TENS machine much more and getting better results that last longer too.

On the NSAID's my asthma consultant offered to take me into hospital and see if they triggered my asthma - to see if I was what they class as aspirin sensitive asthmatic - but both my GI and rheums were dead against it.

I have the same GI as beth - unless beth you have changed to another of late??

As already said they dont recommend NSAID's because they can cause ulceration anywhere in the gut and as crohnies we get enough of that to be going on with eh?

I have however been referred to a highly specialised pain clinic in London which I have done the questionnaire for and sent at the start of the week so waiting to see what they have to say. My pain consultant reckons I need a "higher level of input and support". If London accepts me it is a 15 day residential course over 4wks. They sent me a DVD to watch and brochure to read and it looks interesting. They arent looking to cure the pain I have but rather to help me cope better and they acknowledge I have chronic pain for many years and probably will do for the rest of my life so its about managing things to have a better quality of life with goals for me as an individual.

Am interested to see what happens... Will keep you all posted on the progress relating to it and if I am accepted.
 
Hello Jan! Yes I'm still seeing Dr Middleton, just now at Addies rather than private - although he has said if there are any problems getting appointments due to the 'Wonderful System' (not) I should just make a private appt!

As for pain... if that little lot of tabs aint doing the trick, I'm really surprised you aren't on a patch. I have access to Buprenorphine patches that are just brilliant. Only the little ones for me but it's just enough to take the edge off it enough for me to function again. Tramadol just bunged me up to the armpits and did little else!
 
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soupdragon69

ele mental leprechaun
Thanks IMP! Will do my best.

Hi Beth!
Yeah I have had a problem or two with being missed at clinic and he ended up putting his PA on the case - apparently has both a PA and a Secretary!. He has told her to keep an eye on my apps to make sure I am seen regularly and if I cant be fitted into a clinic then she is to put me in to see him on a Friday when he has NO clinics! Was stunned at that..

I dont really want to go any higher up what is known as the analgesic ladder if I can help it to be honest beth. I have so many different types of pain its hard to address them with just one thing i.e large and small joint pain and stiffness, muscle pain and feeling like every fibre of the muscle is stretched til there just is no more flexibility, a feeling that all the bones in my feet have been broken that is excruciating and makes it difficult to walk and on my worst days can barely stand. My hands are so seized up in the morning along with my back that I lie in bed in agony knowing I have to move to ease the pain but wondering how the heck I am going to manage it - I get there in the end though LOL

I know I am a walking/standing/lying down disaster Beth LOL I may end up with surgery on my right shoulder or at best a nerve block according to my pain cons. Am waiting to hear his decision on that one. In the meantime I am also going down the avenue of the team in London that he referred me to. He says I am doing all the right things constantly and thats why I need more in depth help than he can give me at Addies. They dont have that ability yet but are in the process of setting up a similar team he told me - just not soon enough for me.

Am keeping my fingers crossed the London bunch come through... Time will tell eh?

Maybe one of the days I am down for my Infliximab we could meet up somewhere for coffee?? How does that sound?
 
I thought that about the patches - much too heavyweight and only used for cancer patients - but my GP said the Buprenorphine are alongside the likes of tramadol/codeine/etc, rather than above them like say a fentanyl patch would be which really is serious stuff. It meant I'm not popping pills and counting down the hours & minutes till the next dose. I only occasionally felt the need to top up with paracetamol. Since I started gabapentin I haven't needed the patch but have them on my repeats so I can in future...

...which is all a bit of a diversion from the original posting! Ooops :)

And yeah, I could do coffee somewhere. I'm going to be off up to Scotland rather a lot this year but do PM me when you are about and we'll see if we can meet up.

Hope your pain clinic appt comes soon, sounds like you really need to get it under control sharpish! I dont think I could handle what you're dealing with!
 

Astra

Moderator
er, NO-ONE HAS EVER TOLD ME NOT TO TAKE IBUPROFEN!!
I had a neck injury from one of my students in Oct 09 and had physio with occy health, and was prescribed ibuprofen even tho I mentioned the Crohns to the physio and my GP.
So been taking them every 4 hours since the injury, til I was hospitalised 4 weeks ago!
No wonder I nearly died! probably bleeding to death inside!
Just a thought
Joan x
 
I am on Celebrex also! Have been for months ! My Rheumatologist recommended it and my GI knows. When it wears off, I can hardly move! I have an appt with GI on Feb. 25. Will ask him about it. I don`t need any more ulcers!!!
 
I wouldn't like to suggest wikipedia as the definitive medical text, but...

http://en.wikipedia.orgwiki/Diclofenac#Contraindications

Which is an example of an old-fashioned NSAID, the more modern like the COX2 inhibitor Celecoxib (celebrex) is less definitive about Crohn's, but does say:


In theory the COX-2 selectivity should result in a significantly lower incidence of gastrointestinal ulceration than traditional NSAIDs. The main body of evidence touted to support this theory were the preliminary (6 month) results of the Celecoxib Long-term Arthritis Safety Study (CLASS) as published in 2000, which demonstrated a significant reduction in the combination of symptomatic ulcers plus ulcer complications in those taking celecoxib versus ibuprofen or diclofenac, provided they were not on aspirin (Silverstein et al., 2000). However, this was not significant at 12 months (full study length).


So, as ever, your GI should be the one to give you advice.

However, be prepared to ask if you really should be on the any of the NSAIDS/COX2 inhibitors if you have Crohn's or UC because not all medical staff are aware: I was very nearly given IV diclofenac for post-op pain despite the conversation with anesthetist beforehand where I'd told him of a history of suspected stomach ulcer, diagnosed Crohn's, and asthma, and requested opiate pain relief instead. Which reminds me; the method of delivery is immaterial. If you shouldn't have NSAIDS you should not have them as a topical gel, IV, or suppository. It doesn't have to hit your stomach to do its damage!

Another thing to bear in mind is the interaction of NSAIDs with methotrexate which isn't normally a problem with the dosages used for Crohn's or arthritis, but just gives me another reason to be wary (of both!).
 
My Neurologists just put me on this for a month(due to my other drug allergiies) help my migraines. I will admit it does help the joint pain! But I told my Neurologist and my Pharmasicist about my Crohn:s and they both said it would help my crohns, so i didnt even consult my GI! i got h my tongue horrible ulcers all over my tongue and then spent # days in the ER w a flare up
 
My MIL swears that the LaKota arthritis supplements helped her where the condroitin and glucosamine did not. Its got a money back guarantee and she said sure enough right at the end of that month her arthitis started to feel better.
 
kenny said:
I needed the COX2 stuff to remain mobile during flairs of arthritic pain in my knees and ankles. Seriously, It was all I could do to carry a glass of water and walk when I was in full flareup with the arthritis. And stairs were two hands on the railing one step at time sideways. Not good for a 40 year old male who was otherwise physically fit. In the early part of my crohns diagnosis I was given the go ahead to take it as-needed because the loss of mobility was worse than the risk of taking it.

Since then I have been placed on Imuran which is used to treat Crohns secondarily to it's use for treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis. One Pill To Rule Them all if you will :D
Just an update on my situation related to Celebrex and Crohn's. I have not had to take any med for Arthritis to date. The Imuran is either keeping the problem from occurring or The chronic joint pain was resulting from some kind of overload that went away with surgery. Either way I am still taking Imuran and my decade long affair with anti-inflammatories has ended.
 
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