Vioxx recall??

BadBird, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2004

I just saw that on the news, apparently it can cause heart attacks if taken over a long period of time, I believe the news said 18 months. I guess we will have to wait for the lawyers to start the class action lawsuit process for the details.

LydiaGreen · Sep 30, 2004

Heart attack and stroke with the event occurring after taking Vioxx for approximately 18 months. It has been recalled here in Canada too. They are advising anyone taking Vioxx to see their doc asap. Lots of luck to them, the doctor shortage here is chronic. In my family of four, only one of us has actually seen our family doc ONCE in the last four years and it took me TWO YEARS to get that appointment. They only book 3 months in advance. You can call on a Monday morning and be told the appointments for the Monday 3 months away are already filled and to call back the next day. The running joke here (and it isn't funny anymore) is that by the time you get an appointment you are either better, dead, or in the hospital. Our ER department is now divided into emergencies and people who cannot get into their doc for a refill on prescriptions that they need.

As to Vioxx. My father had multiple embollic CVA's before starting on Vioxx. He continued having CVA's afterwards as well but Vioxx was the only thing that made his nerve pain tolerable.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 30, 2004

same over here in the Uk and for the same reasons...

Rep · Sep 30, 2004

This product has helped a lot of patients with pain problems. They found out that it double the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Sep 30, 2004

I just got a breaking news alert saying Vioxx was being recalled. I wonder what that is all about?

Oh my lord, this is huge. Do you know how many people take Vioxx for pain?? MILLIONS! This is such bad news.

Rep · Sep 30, 2004

Oh my lord, this is huge. Do you know how many people take Vioxx for pain?? MILLIONS! This is such bad news.

This is really bad news. The company will lose millions of dollars brought about by recalls and also class action suits brought about by patients.

As for those who are taking the drugs. Once they stopped the medication, the risk to develop strokes and heart attacks is diminish.

Good for Merck that they immediately withdraw the product.

Monica RN,BSN · Sep 30, 2004

Bad news....!!

I was just wondering about one thing though.... This is not a new drug, wonder why they are just now finding this out. I have many patients on Vioxx... Will have to educate them all to stop taking it and see the doc....

Rep · Oct 1, 2004

Bad news....!!
I was just wondering about one thing though.... This is not a new drug, wonder why they are just now finding this out. I have many patients on Vioxx... Will have to educate them all to stop taking it and see the doc....

They found this out when they were conducting a study on the use of vioxx on patients with polyp cancer cells. They noticed that more patients were experiencing heart attacks than those taking taking placebo.

jncRN · Oct 1, 2004

Thank you so much for posting this -- I hadn't heard about the recall. My husband has been taking Vioxx for about a year and a half for sciatica pain.

oramar · Oct 1, 2004

My mom has been taking it for three years for arthritis. It has really helped. It is going to be hard finding something to replace it.

Rep · Oct 1, 2004

My mom has been taking it for three years for arthritis. It has really helped. It is going to be hard finding something to replace it.

There are other COX-2 inhibitors in the market like Pfizer's Celebrex. Or Naprelan which is a controlled release version Naproxen sodium that has excellent safety profile than any other NSAIDs in the market.