Celecoxib and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Kij...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2019

Celecoxib for Pain "Celebrex was so much easier on my stomach but it was 'weaker' than other NSAIDs, and I have taken almost all of them. But, because it didn't irritate my stomach, I could take it twice daily. With that said, on Celebrex I gained at least 15 pounds in the first month, with actual increase in activity and no dietary changes. I've had this happen with other medicines before, notably, Lyrica. At my age, and with my health conditions all complicated by weight gain, it was not worth it for me. If it weren't for the weight gain this would get a 9-10. But, since the weight gain was so profound, I couldn't continue. Which is super sad because it really was awesome otherwise! Within weeks of stopping I lost nearly 10 pounds already. If you can stand to gain weight, like if you are underweight, I highly recommend this. But, if your weight is a problem, stay away!"

• DMa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 1, 2013

Celecoxib for Pain "I had great relief of the pain issue, but I gained 40 pounds in 3 months. My weight has been stable for 15 years until I began gaining weight overnight. The sudden weight gain is worse than the initial pain, so I have discontinued taking Celebrex."

• Kel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 21, 2018

Celecoxib for Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have RA, DDD (degenerative disc disease), and osteoarthritis. This medicine helps me so much. I like to take walks 2 to 3 miles a day. But if I don't take Celebrex at least twice a week, I am in so much pain. My feet and back the most. I try not to use it so much because the side effects scare me. I do think it causes weight gain too. Or it's just my age (54). Celebrex seems to work better than methotrexate. But I will continue methotrexate to help reduce joint damage later in life."

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2018

Celecoxib for Pain "I hurt my muscle while in the gym. Though this medicine works well, I had to stop taking it as I noticed rapid weight gain in a short amount of time. I was barely eating as I was also ill, so nothing else could have caused the sudden increase in weight. Monitor this carefully, as this could be an indication of something else going wrong."

• Cha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 14, 2020

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "Female diagnosed with reactive arthritis in 2014; some doctors label it spondyloarthritis. Whatever it is, it is horribly painful. Methotrexate made me sick as a dog. Other NSAIDs tore up my stomach. Celebrex works if I take it daily. 400 mg a day allows me to move, function, and look like nothing is hurting me everywhere. My experience over the last 2 years is this: after 7-10 days of taking only 200 mg Celebrex a day culminates in a massive level 8 pain flare-up. It must build up in the system. I do not skip my mid-day dose for more than 3 days. Liver and kidney lab tests show all is good. I do get infrequent minor heart palpitations that could be from anxiety or could not. Key inflammatory markers are over the standard range regardless, so I can’t say it is a miracle drug. Without it, I’d pretty much feel like I did before going on a powerful biologic. I also found an 8-10 pound weight gain at this high dose. C’est la vie. Think of it as a sacrifice for the greater good."

• Anonymous
• March 3, 2020

For Pain "My doctor diagnosed me with enteropathic arthritis, and now, over the past 4 years, I have increasing hip, neck, shoulder pain, spine pain, and foot pain. I am in pain every minute of every day, so he put me on Celecoxib 100 mg bid. I previously tried Cymbalta, but it made me gain 18 pounds in 4 months, so I stopped it. Advil didn’t help my pain either. The first day on Cymbalta, I noticed dizziness, the second day, I had dry eyes and slight blurry vision. I took the medication for a total of 5 days, gaining 5 pounds in water weight. It took me about 6 months after the Cymbalta to lose 13 pounds of the water weight gain, so I really don’t want to go through this again. I'm normally a very fit person, so it’s odd for me to gain weight. I also already suffer from hair loss that I’ve been battling for almost 6 years, and I’m in my early 40s, so I really don’t need anything to make me more depressed right now. Did it help with the pain? I noticed about a 50% pain improvement."

• Rig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2021

For Osteoarthritis "I am 59 and have arthritis in my right knee. I had a steroid injection, which was great for only 5 weeks, living pain-free. I have been taking a generic brand of Celebrex for over a month now. I take 200 mg in the morning. I don't feel like it helps me much. My knee hurts terribly, and if I don't take it, I do notice worsening pain, but it doesn't take the pain away as I would have hoped it would. I have also gained weight taking this. I am already overweight, so I am going to stop for a while. I am exercising with cardio chair workouts, weights, and doing knee arthritis video workouts, which I feel give me more relief than the Celebrex. Glad it works well for some of you, though. The weight gain has me very upset. I can't afford to gain weight."