Max
12-17-2004, 04:25 PM
What Should Celebrex & Bextra Users Do?
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Medical News Keywords
CELEBREX BEXTRA VIOXX COX-II COX-2 PAINKILLER HEART
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Description
The announcement that Celebrex and Bextra, popular pain drugs in the same family as Vioxx, have also been found to pose an increased risk of heart problems is bound to leave many pain patients confused and worried. A Univ. of Michigan physician with expertise in this area offers help.
Newswise - The announcement that Celebrex, a popular pain drug in the same family as Vioxx, has been found to pose an increased risk of heart problems is bound to leave many pain patients stunned, confused and worried.
The Celebrex news came just one week after the Food & Drug Administration required the manufacturer of Bextra, another drug in the same family of Cox-II medications, to warn patients of a heart risk associated with that medication.
And of course, Vioxx has been off the market since October, when it was pulled because of mounting evidence that it carried heart risks.
Now, with a shadow cast over the entire Cox-II family of drugs, a University of Michigan expert offers advice for patients who have been taking Celebrex or Bextra, or who stopped taking Vioxx and still aren't sure which drug to choose for pain relief.
"In light of this discouraging news, individuals who are taking either Celebrex or Bextra should immediately contact their physician," says Mark Fendrick, M.D., a U-M professor of internal medicine who has studied the use of the family of medicines that includes the Cox-IIs, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs.
"Even if these drugs remain on the market, given the availability of other therapies that provide equivalent levels of pain relief and stomach protection, it would be prudent to avoid Celebrex and Bextra until we know for sure about their cardiovascular safety," Fendrick adds.
The choice may come down to letting your heart or your gut decide - literally. Patients should be treated with medications based in part on their individual risks for heart disease and stomach problems, says Fendrick.
He recently published a pain-medication guide for doctors in the November issue of the American Journal of Managed Care (http://www.ajmc.com/Article.cfm?Menu=1&ID=2754 ). This guideline takes into account the evidence that Vioxx and its cousins likely raise the risk of a heart attack.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/508943/
http://stores.ebay.com/MAKSYM-Variety-Store
Libraries
Medical News Keywords
CELEBREX BEXTRA VIOXX COX-II COX-2 PAINKILLER HEART
Contact Information
Available for logged-in reporters only
Description
The announcement that Celebrex and Bextra, popular pain drugs in the same family as Vioxx, have also been found to pose an increased risk of heart problems is bound to leave many pain patients confused and worried. A Univ. of Michigan physician with expertise in this area offers help.
Newswise - The announcement that Celebrex, a popular pain drug in the same family as Vioxx, has been found to pose an increased risk of heart problems is bound to leave many pain patients stunned, confused and worried.
The Celebrex news came just one week after the Food & Drug Administration required the manufacturer of Bextra, another drug in the same family of Cox-II medications, to warn patients of a heart risk associated with that medication.
And of course, Vioxx has been off the market since October, when it was pulled because of mounting evidence that it carried heart risks.
Now, with a shadow cast over the entire Cox-II family of drugs, a University of Michigan expert offers advice for patients who have been taking Celebrex or Bextra, or who stopped taking Vioxx and still aren't sure which drug to choose for pain relief.
"In light of this discouraging news, individuals who are taking either Celebrex or Bextra should immediately contact their physician," says Mark Fendrick, M.D., a U-M professor of internal medicine who has studied the use of the family of medicines that includes the Cox-IIs, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs.
"Even if these drugs remain on the market, given the availability of other therapies that provide equivalent levels of pain relief and stomach protection, it would be prudent to avoid Celebrex and Bextra until we know for sure about their cardiovascular safety," Fendrick adds.
The choice may come down to letting your heart or your gut decide - literally. Patients should be treated with medications based in part on their individual risks for heart disease and stomach problems, says Fendrick.
He recently published a pain-medication guide for doctors in the November issue of the American Journal of Managed Care (http://www.ajmc.com/Article.cfm?Menu=1&ID=2754 ). This guideline takes into account the evidence that Vioxx and its cousins likely raise the risk of a heart attack.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/508943/
http://stores.ebay.com/MAKSYM-Variety-Store