I managed to get my doctor to put me on Celebrex, on the basis that
"it works like Vioxx and hasn't been pulled ... yet!". If they pull
all the Cox-2 drugs then i will be left with Mobic I think - which i
tried once and gave up because it was so crap and Vioxx was the one
that worked - without giving me a(nother) stomach ulcer!

I just wish they'd do a bit more research before they withdraw a vital
group of drugs like the Cox-2s. Presumably Cox-2s are not 100% fatal,
as there are plenty of people alive (like us!) out there who take/took
them. So if they noticed an increase in heart problems what group of
people are affected badly by Cox-2s? When they have an answer to that
they can just make sure those people aren't prescribed the drugs and
the rest of us who are still alive after 5+ years of Vioxx can carry
on doing the stuff we all got used to - like walking and lifting
things with our arthritic hands etc etc. Grrrr

Chris

The official answer from nras is here:

18 th February, 2005
NRAS Response to announcement by the European Medicines Agency in
regard to regulatory action on Cox 2 Inhibitors
On 17 th February, the EMEA announced a number of regulatory actions
for the Cox 2 inhibitor class of drug during their meeting of the
Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).
The CHMP concluded that the available data show an increased risk of
cardiovascular adverse events for Cox 2 inhibitors as a class. These
regulatory actions are an interim measure pending the finalisation of
their ‘class’ review which is anticipated to be in April, 2005.
Please refer to the following link to the EMEA website for details of
the urgent safety restrictions taken by EMEA for Cox 2s:
http://www.emea.eu.int/htms/hotpress/d6275705.htm
NRAS hopes that this announcement will help to clarify some of the
confusion about Cox 2 inhibitors expressed by many of its members
following the withdrawal of Vioxx in November 04 and the subsequent
information in the press about the possibility of increased
cardiovascular risk related to another Cox 2, Celebrex.
There will undoubtedly be some people who have found Cox 2 inhibitors
to be an effective medication and who may not have any cardiovascular
risk factors who will be upset at yesterday’s announcement by EMEA.
However, NRAS would strongly advise anyone taking Cox 2 inhibitors to
visit their GP for advice on an alternative medication.
There are also some helpful answers to questions about Cox 2’s on
EMEA’s website, see link below, which you may find useful and wish to
print off to take to your GP when you discuss an alternative
medication.
http://www.emea.eu.int/pdfs/human/press/pr/6297805en.pdf
NRAS would also refer you to the statement by the British Society for
Rheumatology on the EMEA review. Their statement can be found on the
BSR website
www.rheumatology.org.uk.
For further information and advice contact: Lorraine Tanner on 01628
823524 email:
lorraine@rheumatoid.org.uk

___________________________________________________________

I am not on cox 2's but I asked my RD when I last saw him, and his
UNofficial answer was "why don't they let them take them, with half an
aspirin a day?"
--
Andy