Word: vioxx
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...downing additional anti-inflammatories to quell their arthritis pain. Not a good idea. Scientists have discovered that ibuprofen, sold under the brand names Advil and Motrin, may interfere with aspirin's ability to protect the heart. What's left? Tylenol (in low doses) and prescription anti-inflammatories Voltaren and Vioxx don't mess with aspirin...
Scientists are still debating whether that is the case. When the FDA approved the COX-2 inhibitors, it required Merck, the manufacturer of Vioxx, and Pharmacia, which markets Celebrex jointly with Pfizer, to include warnings about potential gastrointestinal problems...
...their part, the drug manufacturers stand firmly behind their products. Merck says its own meta-analysis, which contains data that weren't included in the JAMA study, shows that Vioxx is safe for the heart. Others have focused on the study's admitted limitations, including its direct comparisons of dissimilar patient groups. Says Dr. Michael Friedman, a senior vice president of Pharmacia: "The JAMA article is based on theory, not on solid data...
Certainly, second thoughts about the safety of new prescription drugs, not just Celebrex and Vioxx, are understandable. Three weeks ago, Baycol, one of the popular group of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, was recalled because of an increased risk of rare but potentially fatal muscle problems. The same side effect--albeit at even lower rates--has been seen with the five other statins that remain on the market. But so few doctors and patients seem to know about the risk that last week, the Public Citizen Health Research Group, a consumer-advocacy organization, petitioned the Food and Drug Administration...
...leave the patient or doctor? For now, it's best to focus on what's known. If you already have heart disease, make sure it gets treated--whether or not you're taking a COX-2 inhibitor. If your blood pressure creeps up, which sometimes happens with Celebrex and Vioxx, make sure your doctor knows about...