Anti-inflammatories and risk of heart problems

[cjsmith]

I keep hearing news of heart problems related to anti-inflammatories. Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex, and now naproxen sodium (Aleve) have all been found to carry some risk. [Links plagiarized from sunnydale47 with thanks!]

I've never tried Vioxx and probably now never will, although I have an old outdated prescription for it lying around. It's been taken off the market entirely. Bextra and Celebrex do little or nothing for me. Naproxen works.

I can see getting worried about the dangers. I can understand this news being the reason for changing what one would do, if one's pain isn't all that bad to begin with.

My life without anti-inflammatories wouldn't be worth a mouse's fart. I'm going to keep taking Aleve. Of course, I am also going to hope that I'm lucky enough to escape the heart trouble. My life WITH anti-inflammatories is worth keeping.

I am also going to stock up in case the FDA decides for me what risks I can and cannot take.

Comments

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit concerned about this last round. When the Vioxx thing was announced, I was pissed because that's what I had a script for, but I hadn't taken it in a long time. However, my grandmother, who's on Celebrex for terrible arthritis, stopped taking that when the Vioxx announcement was made. She's incredibly conscientious about her heart health, almost to the point of obsession. I haven't talked to her since the Celebrex study was announced, but I'm going to try to convince her to NOT stop taking it. She wasn't able to get out of bed when she stopped a few weeks ago. I don't want to see her extend her life by living the rest of her life in bed in pain, when she could be out enjoying it as she does now.

eeks

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I'm begining to wonder about the FDA. Seems like every medicine is taking a risk.

I took Celebrex briefly for some ankle pain. Probably not long enough and too long ago to do any harm. I've taken aleve, but usually take ipufrofin or tylenol.

At least the levoxyl I need to take (as I have no thyroid now) is safe. And cheap.

[dieppe.livejournal.com]

Newflash! Life Causes Death...Film at 11...

I know we should be wary of drug side effects and possible long term consequences, but as you say, you take the drug that helps you the most... Or course it'd be ironic if what you really needed was marijuana but we'd never know if that would be the one to help, ya know?

(Under the "if you're stoned you can't feel pain" theory... Not that I've ever tried it, mind you.. ;) )

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

I was talking with my mom today about this stuff and chronic pain. I think there are a lot of people who would gladly accept the increased risk in exchange for having day-to-day mobility and manageable levels of pain. Aleve doesn't work for me, but Advil works on my TMJ pain and Exedrin works on all other headaches. If either of those were recalled, I would have a lot more sick days.

[oddhack.livejournal.com]

I suspect the FDA is less relevant to the continued availability of most of these drugs than is the ABA. Surely a flood of lawsuits will hit soon.

OTOH, 2005 may be a good time to pick up some cheap pharmaceutical stocks.

[firecat]

My life without anti-inflammatories wouldn't be worth a mouse's fart. I'm going to keep taking Aleve.

I'm going to continue taking Aleve too.

Statistics are fun.

The study on Aleve was only on Alzheimer's patients, who are mostly elderly and therefore already at greater risk of heart attack and stroke than young/middle-aged people. The full story said "about 70 patients of the 2,500 suffered stroke or heart attack, including 23 deaths, and that there were about 50 percent more such events in the naproxen arm of the study than in the placebo division." That means 2.8 percent of these patients had heart attacks and strokes. If there were "50 percent more events" among patients who were taking Aleve, I think that means something like 4 percent of these patients suffered heart attacks and strokes.

So - we're talking about a less than 1.5 percent increase in absolute risk (as opposed to a 50 percent increase in relative risk), among a fairly small number (about 830) of elderly Alzheimer's patients. This isn't what I would call a definitive study of the safety of Aleve, especially given that this is a drug that's been out for 30 years and that means there is a lot of data about what it does to the body.

I think the increased risk is sufficient for them to stop the study. But I definitely don't think the data is sufficient to consider taking Aleve off the market.