Can Celecoxib and Ibuprofen be used interchangeably?

Hi folks/Stephen,

My mother is a grade 4 brain cancer patient. We have been using Celebrex(Celecoxib) as a part of her drug cocktail.

However, in situations of heavy head/headaches and/or body aches, she often asks for Ibuprofen which we've observed helps relieve her pain.

Both being COX-2 inhibitors, I wanted to ask if both Ibuprofen and Celebrex can be used interchangeably, or is there some reaction that I should know of? If there is a reaction between the two, how much difference in time should I keep between the two medicines?

Would love to hear from you guys.

Ibuprofen and Care Oncology

Hi all,

My Mum was sadly diagnosed with Glioblastoma in July. I have been meaning to post her cocktail here and get involved in this blog, so bare with me, I plan to write a full post this weekend. This blog has been so helpful and Stephens website too so I am keen to start contributing.

I have an update from the COC (Care Oncology Clinic) in London. I went to speak with them yesterday. My Mum is seeing them and they have prescribed the four drugs for her on top of the standard treatment which is great. As I live in San Francisco I was unable to go with my Mum for her first appointment, but as I am over here in the UK for a few weeks I booked an appointment to go and speak with the Doctor there and ask my long list of questions.

One thing that I really wanted to share was that apparently there is a new form of Ibuprofen that is going to become available in the next few months that does not cause stomach irritation. The Doctor said that the COC will be looking at adding this to their list of prescribed medications. They have held off recommending it at the moment as it can cause stomach problems so with this new version they are hoping it will be a great addition to people fighting GBM.

I will let you know if I hear more and if they prescribe it to my Mum in a few months time.

The drugs they prescribe for GBM are Atorvastatin, Metformin, Mebendazole and Doxycycline and they all sound really worthwhile taking. They have been chosen by the COC as they seem to have the least side effects of all the potential complimentary drugs. I really recommend seeing these guys if you are in the UK or contacting them wherever you are in the world.

I will post Mums cocktail soon. She is keen to keep it as streamlined as possible and that is what we are trying right now.

All the best to everyone.

Alison