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Kidney Disease and Celebrex

07/26/2010

Question:

My mother found out she has very small kidneys and they were failing. She also has arthritus and wants to take Celebrex. Will Celebrex further damage her kidneys? Her primary doctor is willing to prescribe it to her but the kidney specialist she sees told her not to take it. I would appreciate any information you can provide for me as to wheather it will cause further damage. Thank You

Answer:

Celebrex may cause a temporary decrease in kidney function, which is usually reversible upon stopping the medication.  However, occasionally permanent damage can occur.  It sounds like your mother has significantly decreased kidney function (because her kidneys are small, which usually means that there has been a lot of scarring), so it would be safer for her not to take chances by using Celebrex or other meds in the category of “nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” (NSAIDs).  These include Motrin and Aleve, which can be bought over the counter.

For more information:

Go to the Kidney Diseases health topic.