Harmful Drugs Law
Is Bextra right for me?
You should not take Bextra if you:
• Had asthma, hives or allergic reactions after taking aspirin or other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or COX-2 inhibitors. Some examples of NSAIDs are ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam), nabumetone (Relafen), ketoprofen (Orudis), celecoxib (Celebrex), and rofecoxib (Vioxx). You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list of these medications;
• Are allergic to valdecoxib (Bextra) or to any of the ingredients in Bextra.
Bextra, like all NSAID medications can cause stomach ulcers that bleed. The chance of this serious problem increases the longer you take Bextra, but it can also happen suddenly. Stop taking Bextra and call your doctor right away if you get:
• A burning stomach pain;
• Black bowel movements that look like tar;
• Vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds.
Bextra and other NSAID medications can cause serious problems such as liver damage. Some of the warning signs of liver damage are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, itching, yellow coloring of skin or eyes, “flu-like” symptoms and dark urine. If this happens, stop taking Bextra and call your doctor right away. Bextra can also cause fluid retention (holding of water in your body). Fluid retention can be a serious problem if you have high blood pressure or heart failure.