There is mounting evidence to suggest that Celebrex (aka celecoxib) is linked to an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Celebrex is one of the newer anti arthritic drugs called COX-2 inhibitors that were launched in the 1990s, and is marketed by Pharmacia Corporation and Pfizer Inc. The drug is prescribed for osteoarthritis, adult rheumatoid arthritis, and menstrual cramps. The FDA is currently taking independent advice on whether these COX-2 inhibitors, and Celebrex in particular, are safe to remain on sale. Current studies "strongly suggest" the COX-2 inhibitors increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, says Dr. Ned Braunstein, senior director of Merck Research Laboratories. A related study from the Cleveland Clinic, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that the risk of cardiovascular problems (including but not limited to heart attacks, chest pains, stroke, death and blood clots), was over twice as high in the rofecoxib sample than in the control group - a significant find given that the analysis was based on more than 8,000 patients. In yet another study of over 42,000 participants, 0.52% of patients taking a placebo pill had a heart attack each year compared to 0.74% for patients taking rofecoxib and 0.80% for those taking celecoxib. It's big business too - the drug will do over $6 billion this year alone.

If you want to know whether you can file a claim against the makers of Celebrex, you need to ask yourself 3 questions. Firstly, did you take Celebrex? Most good lawyers (a full list can be found on www.lawyersbench.com) will also accept cases where you have been taking other COX-2 inhibitors, (e.g.Vioxx or Bextra). You need to be able to show when you started and stopped taking Celebrex, and the dosage you were prescribed.

The second question is did you take Celebrex regularly? Regular Celebrex use is said to be linked to a much higher risk of stroke, heart attack, and other serious injuries because you will have simply had more of the drug in your system.

The third question is did you suffer an injury while taking Celebrex or after taking it? If you suffered a heart attack, stroke, or other heart problem (requiring hospitalization or surgery), you may have an excellent chance of filing a successful claim. You need to be able to say what kind of injury you suffered (a stroke, heart attack, blood clots etc.), when the injury happened, and if you were on Celebrex at the time of the injury.

If you can answer all 3 questions successfully, you need a lawyer now.