Loss of Vioxx Leads to Increased Pain For Arthritis Sufferers :: Interviews Prescription Drugs Papers

Loss of rofecoxib Leads to Increased Pain For Arthritis SufferersThe consequences of Kevin Swearingens two-story fall in 1988 were more diverse and long term than expected. The 41-year-old look worker sustained a spinal injury that left him with arthritis on the inside of his spinal column causing him pain, frustration, and depression.After I recovered from the fall I had to keep working, but at a much dismount pay scale since going back to construction work was impossible, Swearingen said. traffic with the pain, inability to work and play with his kids, he fell into a depression.I was an emotional mess. I was drinking to kill the pain and I was contemplating suicide, he said. It wasnt until Swearingen began taking Vioxx that things began to look up. It gave me much of my life back. I could play with the kids on better pain days and it greatly decreased the pain on the bad days.Vioxx is a Cox-2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that cuts down on pain, stiffness and swe lling by reducing the production of prostaglandins which help the brain read messages of pain from the body. new(prenominal) popular cox-2 inhibitors include Celebrex and Bextra.Vioxx and Celebrex were positive for those who had stomach problems like ulcerations and bleeding, Dr. Bukowski from Bostons Brigham and Womens hospital said. Swearingen having suffered an ulcer at age twelve was put on Vioxx by and by being diagnosed with Osteoarthritis at age 26.Merck, the drug manu detailurer, took Vioxx clear up the market last September after studies revealed the drug ca utilise complications of heart problems in users. When taken off the market, some 80 million patients who have used it were affected. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, it was the largest prescription-drug withdrawal in history. Many arthritis sufferers such(prenominal) as Swearingen were distressed with Mercks decision.The mental test revealing heart risks associated with Vioxx was conducted by an independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB). The Adenomatous polypus Prevention on Vioxx (APPROV) trial revealed that Vioxx did in fact pose heart risks. 3.5 percent of the 2600 patients using the Vioxx had suffered myocardial infractions or strokes compared to the 1.9 percent who took a placebo pill. The trials goal was not to essay Vioxxs safety, but rather to test its posture in preventing colorectal polyps in patients with a history of colorectal adenomas. The trial was stopped prematurely once these statistics were discovered.