Experts Advise Users to Follow Directions On Painkiller Label
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007By Marilynn Marchione, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Getting a headache trying to choose a painkiller?
The government’s advice is to take the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time, and talk with your doctor about what’s best for you.
No medicine is without risk, but nonprescription pain pills appear safe when taken at the suggested dose for no longer than two weeks, officials said.
Some answers for consumers:
Q: Which drugs are off the market and why?
A:Merck & Co.’s Vioxx and Pfizer Inc.’s Bextra have been removed by their makers. Pfizer’s Celebrex still is being sold. Vioxx and Bextra raised the risk of heart disease and strokes and Bextra also has been linked to serious skin problems.
Q: Are problems limited to these two drugs?
A: No. FDA officials think all prescription drugs in a wider category called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, may carry some risk of cardiovascular problems and should now carry warnings. They said Celebrex’s benefits appear to outweigh its risks “in properly selected and informed patients,” and that’s why it is allowed to remain on the market. There are a variety of other prescription NSAIDs.