By the way, doctor: Celebrex and bleeding

Published: May, 2008

Q. I take Celebrex for arthritis. I learned that it and the other NSAID medicines increase the risk of bleeding. If that's true, is my risk for hemorrhagic stroke higher?

A. It's all about the platelets. Platelets are tiny fragments of blood cells that help blood clot. Many nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a tendency to reduce the ability of platelets to form clots, so they increase the risk of bleeding.

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