[Maria]

Dale,
I took Vioxx for awhile which was excellent for my arthritic type of pain altho it caused such a tight feeling in my chest I had to stop taking it (sadly).

The way you describe the relief from the pain is the way I felt back in about 2005 when I tried to stop taking Neurontin and oh did I ever spend a terrible July 4th that year. I was at the beach and the pain just kept getting worse and worse (in my legs) with that gnawing burning cramping pain.

Finally the next day I took the Neurontin again and OMG.. the relief was near instant or so it seemed. I never thought I was going to be able to stop taking this drug...

Anyway, Celebrex is a Cox 2 inhibitor as I recall? I have had it offered to me a number of times since I cannot take Vioxx but since it has a sulfa component I cannot take it.

Your pain in the feet sounds neuropathic in nature but the pain that is zapping and like bolt of lightening doesn't. I have had that in the past as well but I think between the Methadone, Neurontin and ESIs that pain got under control and actually "stopped" as did the burning neuropathies of many years.

I hope someone that actually answers your question will reply tho I did wonder if the pain was more arthritic in nature (as with the swelling you mentioned) or neuropathic or a mix sort of ???