Heart Association Says Use Pain Killers With Fewest Risks
April 1, 2005 16:33

Senior Journal, Fri, 25 Mar 2005 6:59 AM PST

March 25, 2005 - Confused about which painkillers are safe to use? A new American Heart Association science advisory on the use of COX-2 inhibitors and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) suggests this simple rule of thumb: Use the drug with the fewest known risks.

HealthCentral.com, Mon, 21 Mar 2005 11:08 AM PST Some patients have quit cox-2 therapy, others have cut back in the aftermath of public questions on the painkillers' heart risks.

Following months of public wrangling over the safety of cox-2 inhibitors and even with a federal advisory panel's endorsement to keep them on the market, consumers are still as confused as ever about these powerful painkillers. Recent surveys show many have cut back or stopped taking the medications because they're uncertain whether the heart risks seen with these drugs are outweighed by the benefits. ...

RedNova, Mon, 21 Mar 2005 1:02 PM PST Question: Before Vioxx was recalled, my wife and I both took the pain reliever Mobic. She had to spend two nights in the hospital with symptoms of a heart attack. It was a false alarm, but expensive! I too had chest discomfort, and my cardiologist did tests.

Question: Before Vioxx was recalled, my wife and I both took the pain reliever Mobic. She had to spend two nights in the hospital with symptoms of a heart attack. It was a false alarm, but expensive! I too had chest discomfort, and my cardiologist did tests. They were negative -- and expensive. I decided Mobic was responsible, and we both stopped it. When the Vioxx story broke, I concluded that these problems were a class effect, but I never saw Mobic mentioned. ...