Should people continue to use celecoxib for pain relief?
The average dose of celecoxib used for pain relief in osteoarthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis patients, 200 mg once a day, is less than all doses studied in the APC and PreSAP trials. Therefore, it is unknown if the cardiovascular risks seen in these trials of higher doses apply to the use of celecoxib at lower doses in these patients. The FDA has advice for consumers and physicians regarding pain relievers and celecoxib on its Web site at http://www.fda.gov on the Internet.
