Etoricoxib

cox1058

Hi all - does anyone here take Etoricoxib please? I was originally taking Naproxen twice daily along with Omeprazole, but found it wasn't helping. It's just been changed to one x 60mg Etoricoxib with Omeprazole daily...I took it for the first time on Sunday but again felt no relief. I'm wondering if these have to be taken continually, daily, to get in to your system for maximum efficacy, or if they should just work as one-off pain relief as and when needed. Does anyone have experience of these please? It says take one per day on the box, but I don't want to take them continuously if they should work on an as and when required basis....any ideas please before I have to go through the rigmarole of reaching the doctors again. Thank you

Ellen

Good morning @cox1058

Welcome to the online community.

I see you have recently been prescribed Etoricoxib (Arcoxia) and have taken one tablet which doesn't appear to have done much. As you probably know it is a COX2 non-steroidal anti inflammatory medication, but is in theory gentler on the stomach than standard NSAIDs.

If you read this information below - scroll down to the part about NSAIDs you will see it says the following

"You should feel some relief within an hour of using NSAIDs, but it can take several days or weeks before you feel the full benefit."

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/painkillers-and-nsaids/

Hopefully someone will be along soon who has experience of taking this medication and will share their own experience.

Best wishes

Ellen.

frogmorton

Hi @cox1058 nice to meet you.

I take arcoxia and I take it as an as and when (PRN), but for me it takes a few days to actually do much. I take it when I'm in trouble rather than all the time and usually for about a week at a time.

My own experience with pain (and taught to me many years ago by a nurse when I had just had back surgery) is that it's best to keep the right side of it. I don't only take arcoxia for pain I have other medications for pain including (and I do not underestimate this one) paracetamol and codeine if necessary. Arcoxia has the added advantage of being anti-inflammatory too. Normal anti-inflams cause bad stomach issues for me unfortunately.

Somebody else said something else to me at the beginning of my arthritis journey she said "It's not like getting a headache - take a tablet and it's fixed" Not very cheerful, but at least I knew.

Over the years I have tried so much stuff; from gabapentin to tramadol, synthetic opioid patches to high dose co-codamol. All have worked to varying degrees but I do my best to take as little as possible using other methods of pain management alongside such as ice packs, a microwavable wheat-bag, tens machine daily exercise and distraction.

I really hope the arcoxia will help you.

Best of luck

Toni x

cox1058

Hi - thank you @Ellen (moderator) - that's really useful to know.

Also thank you to @frogmorton - Hi Toni...I'm reluctant to take any NSAID's in honesty as there is a family history of gastric issues with my mother passing from a perforated stomach ulcer, so I always ensure I take them with food and alongside the omeprazole.

I did take the Naproxen for 3 weeks but found no difference, so was concerned that these now coxibs may be the same. In my head I think that if Naproxen work on COX1 and COX2 and didn't help me, then surely this new medication working only on COX2 won't help either...what do I know? Someone else suggested Gabapentin, but not tried that. I think my main concern is that I was diagnosed by a FCP just by bending here there and everywhere - never had any scans, x-rays etc., and all my blood tests came back fine, all 15 of them. I feel like there is something else going on that they haven't picked up on, but at 59 and being overweight, I feel like I've been written off already lol. Just a case of 'keep taking the tablets'.

In truth, my mind feels about 21 - my body feel about 91, and I'm just really struggling with getting old in general and not being able to do as much.

Thanks again, and keep soldiering on x

frogmorton

Totally get you there @cox1058 ! I am still 17 in my head!

Ah well.

I do know what you mean about not seeing a Dr these days it is quite frustrating isn't it? Negative bloods don't necessarily indicate it isn't another form of arthritis though. They were mainly looking for the rheumatoid factor probably, but that isn't positive in a lot of arthritises not just osteoarthritis.

It is tough when you are carrying a bit extra weight because you do feel judged. My Mum used to say "If i went to Dr with a spot on my nose they'd say it's because I'm fat and smoke".

Are you taking a painkiller alongside the arcoxia? even paracetamol? I take both anti-inflam and a painkiller.

My main advice is not to give up. Keep pushing for what you need ask for some imaging to be done be firm - obviously try everything the FCP recommends, but you know yourself best. Do it for a while and if things do not improve book a face to face and ideally take someone with you to support you. 59 is too young to feel written off.

Best of luck

Toni x

PeggyAnn

Hi..I take Etoricoxib also, I have been taking it on and off for years..It does not react the same as other NSAIDS, so I take paracetamol and codeine if I need a pain relief boost..My reason for taking it is I am a ‘poor metaboliser’ so have a bad reaction to most meds..I hope you have some success with Etoricoxib..Peggy