Celecoxib for Thyroid Eye Disease

The investigators intend to use celecoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, as a treatment for active TED. In vitro data have shown that transformation of orbital fibroblasts into adipocytes is mediated by cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and a case report suggests that COX-2 inhibition can improve TED in the acute phase. Thus, the investigators intend to evaluate the efficacy of COX-2 inhibition in the treatment of active TED and its ability to improve both the acute inflammatory signs and more permanent fibrotic changes of quiescent disease. The investigators will enroll patients with active TED and treat them for 3 months (a characteristic period of disease activity) and compare this to standard treatments for mild active TED (observation, with over the counter interventions such as lubrication with artificial tears) to assess efficacy.