Bextra
Bextra is a prescription medication that was once prescribed as a traditional non-steroid anti-inflammatory treatment. It was thought to be a good choice for patients who needed a strong pain medication without the side effects that some medications cause. The pharmaceutical company, Pfizer that makes Bextra felt that it was a perfect medication. However, it was later found to have serious side effects.
In November 2001, the Federal Drug Administration approved the prescription drug Bextra. It was known at that time that Bextra could cause some skin related side effects. This was not seen as a major defect and the FDA approved use of this drug. It was later discovered that Bextra had side effects, such as an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, which was similar to the findings of the similar pain medication called Vioxx.
At the time of those findings and when Vioxx was pulled off the marker, Pfizer was concerned about the side effects. This drug, along with Vioxx is what is called a cox-2 inhibitor and these drugs, along with similar medications started causing concern among both doctors who prescribed the medications and patients that took it. Patients that took Bextra for a long period of time were indeed at an increased risk for having a higher rate of both heart attacks and strokes.
Despite these risks, Bextra has not been pulled off of the market and the drugs are still being prescribed to millions of patients. If your doctor recommends Bextra to you, you should do some research into the product and speak to your doctor about your concerns. If you are going to take the medications for a short period of time, the doctor may tell you that it safe. The major concern is for patients that take the drugs for a long period of time.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article. |
