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Vioxx FAQs
What is Vioxx?
Why did Merck take Vioxx off the market?
How can an arthritis drug lead to heart attack and stroke?
What are the side effects of Vioxx?
What is Vioxx?
Vioxx is a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) - a class of drugs
commonly referred to as "Cox-2 Inhibitors". It comes in liquid or pill
form, and is prescribed to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. It can also
be used to treat acute pain in adults, such as those patients who experience
severe pain associated with menstruation. Vioxx works by blocking COX-2 enzymes
in the body that trigger pain and inflammation.
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Why did Merck take Vioxx off the market?
Merck pulled its best-selling arthritis drug off the market based on data
indicating the drug increases the risk of heart attack and stroke among users.
Merck announced the immediate, voluntary worldwide withdrawal after a three-year
colon cancer clinical trial with 2,600 patients revealed that 18 months after
patients started taking Vioxx, test results showed an increased risk of heart
attacks and other cardiovascular complications. 84 million people have used
Vioxx since 1999.
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How can an arthritis drug lead to heart attack and stroke?
Scientists say they are not sure. However, several studies have indicated that
Vioxx and other COX-2 inhibitors are known to raise blood pressure and increase
the risk of heart attack. Drugs such as Vioxx and Pfizer's Celebrex
inhibit Cox-2, an enzyme that triggers pain and inflammation.
Vioxx has also been associated with several other life-threatening side
effects, including blood clots, angina and nonbacterial meningitis, severe
intestinal damage, ulcerations and bleeding, and kidney damage.
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What are the side effects of Vioxx?
Vioxx side effects may include, but are not limited to, heartburn, nausea,
diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, swelling of the lower extremities
(legs and/or feet), high blood pressure, itching, stomach ulcers or bleeding,
fatigue, vomiting, dark urine, and black stools.
In addition to increasing risk of heart attack and stroke, patients taking
Vioxx were found to be four times more likely to suffer from heart attack than
those taking Naproxen (Aleve). Vioxx is more likely to cause severe intestinal
damage, ulcerations and bleeding, blood clots and toxic epidermal necrolysis (a
fatal skin disease), than other arthritis pain relievers.
Other health problems include:
- Serious kidney problems that could lead to acute kidney failure.
- Serious liver problems.
- Allergic reactions, such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat
which can cause difficulty breathing or swallowing.
- The FDA reports that Vioxx has also been linked to at least five cases of
a non-bacterial type of meningitis, a rare but serious side effect.
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