Ever since the voluntary withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx) from the market, debate has raged regarding the risks of COX-2 drugs. Another casualty of the COX-2 0wars0 was valdecoxib (Bextra), for an unrelated reason (rashes).
The debate has been fueled, in part, by hysteria, rather than data. What do we know about COX-2 drugs right now? For one, we know that they cause many fewer severe side effects in the gastrointestinal tract than traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
Also, investigations regarding specific damage to the small bowel show that COX-2 drugs cause less damage in this location than NSAIDS combined with proton-pump inhibitors (drugs like Nexium, Protonix, Prilosec, etc.) As a result, it is recommended that in patients requiring an anti-inflammatory drug, that COX-2 preparations are preferred for patients with gastrointestinal risk factors such as a prior history of ulcers or who are taking medicines such as anticoagulants (Coumadin) or corticosteroids.
Two other advantages of COX-2 drugs are that they cause much less bleeding than standard NSAIDS because they do not affect platelet function and that they can be used in patients who have aspirin-induced asthma.
An increase in cardiovascular events in patients taking COX-2 drugs was first noted during studies assessing the effect of […]

Full Article At: KnowHow-Now.com Articles

Bookmark to: