Army Doctor: Soldiers Need Vioxx, Similar Drugs (war on terror)

[Kadie]

Army Doctor: Soldiers Need Vioxx, Similar Drugs
FDA Advisory Committees Enter 2nd Day Of 3-Day Hearing

POSTED: 5:31 am PST February 17, 2005
UPDATED: 2:49 pm PST February 17, 2005

WASHINGTON -- While most of the talk lately has been about yanking some popular painkillers off shelves, not everybody feels that's a good idea.

An Army doctor testified Thursday that the pain relievers are "essential to the global war on terror" when it comes to keeping troops on the battlefield. Dr. Christopher Grubb told a joint meeting of Food and Drug advisory committees that the drugs are better than aspirin, which could cause excessive bleeding.

Another witness told the panels that Vioxx gave her her life back. But Dimitra Poulos said since the drug was taken off shelves, she has 40 pills and 40 days before her "life will be altered."

The health panels are studying the risks of Vioxx and other drugs in a similar class. Vioxx was benched after studies indicated long-term users suffered higher risks of heart problems and stroke.

more...
http://www.thekcrachannel.com/health/4206817/detail.html

[Warpy]

1. COX2 inhibitors were the difference between working and

not working for about 3 years for me. They are much better than aspirin and I found them to be more effective than the older NSAIDS, which I'm allergic to anyway.

I think they may have a place for things like dental pain, sprains, strains, and other short lived conditions producing moderate pain.

For chronic pain, nothing beats the efficacy and safety of opiates. Alas, there was no way a critical care nurse could come to work on opiates, so it was COX2 inibitors or nothing.

And yes, I'm showing signs of cardiopulmonary damage. Was that extra 3 years of being able to work worth it?

Yep.

[nookiemonster]

2. First, the junta uses them as cannon fodder

and then gives them tainted drugs to boot. It looks like some of Rummy's old pharma buddies want to get in while the gettin's good.

Try Fascism. Everyone's doin' it! <sarcasm off>

[Technowitch]

3. Soldiers need to come home!!! That's what they really need.

[ausiedownunderground]

4. Looks like "Trigger Finger" pain is the new RSI of the 21st Century

Can't have the Marines and company unable to fire that last bullet because of Rheumatic "Trigger Finger". RTF replacing RSI (Repetative strain injury) as America's No 1 pain inducing injury. Merck and company have got love this!!

[Sgent]

5. The maximal dose of

Vioxx was actually approved for acute dental pain -- putting it in the same class of pain relief as Percoset.

The drug, like all drugs, has problems. Lithium slowly destroys your thyroid, opiates are addictive, etc., etc.

The real problem with the Cox-2's wasn't their side effects, but rather the fact that they were being used as a first line medication. Drugs like Relafen and Naproxen are nearly as effective (and in some cases moreso) than Vioxx.