Background: Pseudo-allergic reactions against aspirin (ASA) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are quite frequent.
Objective: Our aim was to determine tolerance of Celecoxib, a selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), by oral challenge test in patients who showed skin reactions (diffuse erythema or urticaria/angioedema) after taking ASA and/or NSAIDs.
Methods: The oral challenge test was carried out in single-blind on 86 patients treated with a 200 mg cumulative dose of Celebrex, administered in 3 or 4 visits at 48-72 hours interval.
Results: Only 4 patients showed mild skin reactions. In addition, we observed 37 patients with osteoarthrosis taking a 200-400 mg/day dose of Celebrex 5-6 times a week, over a period of 75 days. At day 36, we observed in a single patient urticarial phenomena appeared on the chest and the back.
Conclusions: Our study proves therefore Celecoxib safety on a 72-hour observation period.