not a doc but the other cox-2's are Celebrex and Bextra. You could add a gastro protective agent such as a PPI to a naproxen to provide gastric protection.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

While I am not a MD, I did stay at a Holiday Inn express last night. Just kidding, I do equit research on biotech and pharma comapnies for work. Celebrex and Bextra are the other cox-2 inhibitors on the market, both by Pfizer. Bextra has had some issues with skin rashes and cardio events when used off-label, where Celebrex has not that I know of. That said the EU believes that all cox-2 drugs could have cardio side effects. Keep in mind that the population that is taking these drugs are already at risk as arthritis sufferers are generally elderly. On a side note, it appears thus far that Merck may have know about the problems and tried to hid them. Not good.

As far as GI issuesgo that is one of the big benefits to cox-2 drugs. No gi problems. If it were me I would look at Celebrex over Bextra. For what it is worth Pfizer is starting a study to show cardiovascular benefits from Celebrex. There is some anecdotal eveidence in the literiture already.

Good Luck,



JW

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JW (on the comback trail)

Do you already use glucosamine? Doesn't work for everyone by any means, but very effective in some people, may be chondroprotective, and is has very few side effects. You need to take a lot of it, and take it religiously for months before you notice a difference. You can take it with your NSAIDs.

I am not a huge fan of lifelong NSAIDs - I think they are useful for the short and medium term, but taking them permanently to be able to run makes me uneasy. I realise there are lots of people who do, with few side effects, and many people who have to do it to be mobile. Bextra would be your next alternative if you need to; there is another Cox 2 inhibitor being released soon as well - don't know how the Vioxx thing will affect it.

Deke

Like they all said. Also, there's Mobic, which got cox-2 labeling in Europe but is not as cox-2 specific. Or you could consider going back to the Dark Ages and trying one of the popular non-cox-2-specifics, like Relafen.

But I have to agree with Deke - these meds aren't for regular, long-term consumption unless you have end-stage osteoarthritis. Sounds like the best favor you can do yourself is to pursue better weight control. And there's an easy answer to that: eat less. Every pound will help.

Good luck - hope this helps.

andklerk,

If i may be so bold as to offer advice, it may be better to ask a question of this nature of a qualified and licensed medical/pharmaceutical professional than the dangerous partially informed opinions of non medical/pharmaceutical professionals on ST. You could end up poisoning yourself. Don't forget about possible drug interactions with other medications and supplements you may currently be taking! This can be serious stuff!

Now if you wish to find out about performing open heart surgery upon yourself, then this is the correct source for that subject. Ask away.

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Ben Cline


Better to aspire to Greatness and fail, than to not challenge one's self at all, and succeed.

andklerk,

i second Wants2RideFast's opinion. Talk to your GP or go to an afterhours clinic to get this kind of advice from a licensced professional. Medications are not the kind of thing to deal with lightly, particularly due to side effects, adverse events and interactions with other drugs and conditions.

Just my 2-cents

Ben, you know deke and el guapp are orthopedic surgeons, right?

If he wanted dangerous and uninformed he would have PM'ed me personally ;)

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jhc,

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I should have checked deke's profile after such a technical response. el gaupo is posting while maintaining a secret identity. This I would not know even checking his profile but his equally technical response should have been a give away.

I will ask for andklerk's forgiveness.

I remain unconvinced, however, that an Internet forum is a good place to ask medical questions regarding diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and medication. There is much more room for error and the best intentions of the uninformed and insufficiently educatated on that subject for a dangerous potential to exist and be realized.

That said, this is still the best place to inform oneself on performing open heart surgery on themselves. I'm living proof of this. Ooops, I'm bleeding again. I have to run and stitch myself up again. Bye.

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Ben Cline


Better to aspire to Greatness and fail, than to not challenge one's self at all, and succeed.

i understand where you are coming from on such advise. in the current situation with most docs is they will push the drug that happened to give him a trip to hawaii last year or whats handy in the sample bin that day. I have a good freind that worked for merk for a while and the level of bribery... yes thats what i call it. is ludicrous. This is the reason i try to get different views than in the docs office.


I always forgive but rarely forget.

Quote: "I remain unconvinced, however, that an Internet forum is a good place to ask medical questions regarding diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and medication. There is much more room for error and the best intentions of the uninformed and insufficiently educatated on that subject for a dangerous potential to exist and be realized."

Ben:

I completely agree, and think all internet advice is to be taken with a grain of salt. I think any of my advice is general guidance, and is not meant to substitute for seeing someone in person.

In this case, I think that the glucosamine advice is pretty easy - really doesn't have much in the way of side effects, and just about anyone except maybe diabetics are OK to try it. As far as a substitute for Celebrex goes, he would need to get a Rx anyway for Bextra, etc, so this would imply seeing an MD.

Deke

Ben wrote: Now if you wish to find out about performing open heart surgery upon yourself, then this is the correct source for that subject.

Yep. I can help you with that. Orthopedics...nah....Orthopods think the heart is just something that pumps blood to the bones! PS, I do take glucosamine.

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

No, no, we know that its other use is to pump the antibiotics to the bone. You think we're so dumb, but we all know at least one antibiotic and even how it gets to the bone.

Deke

Hah! Good one about the antibiotics!

Actually, I don't know why Orthopods are sometimes not considered to be the brightest of all the stars in Medicine. Some of the smartest people I've ever met were Orthopods. PLUS, I've met some fairly dim bulbs in CV Surgery. I guess when it comes right down to it, the person that finishes last in his class is still called Doctor, no matter which specialty they go into; that would explain the not-so-smart ones in any group. I actually consider CV surgery to be pretty easy...usually just connecting one tube to another, or getting the geometry right in repairing/replacing a valve, or remodeling a ventricle, or creating/altering shunts. And there is the electrical component. You do need to be able to saw a fairly straight line. Oh, and the drugs affecting muscular contraction and vascular resistance. And the timing of it all. And the hemostasis system. And reading X-rays/doppler studies/ultrasounds. And the pesky complement/inflammatory/proteinase inhibitor stuff. Lung function/problems. Ventilators. And the stopping of the heart, and circulatory arrest, and brain protection. Oh, yes, fighting potential and actual infections with appropriate antibiotics. But, the hardest part is standing there all day not able to eat/drink/eliminate. I guess it isn't real easy after all! But I don't see how you guys get the tibial plateau angles correct, or the hip joint/femur angles...seems pretty amazing to me.

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

Measure with a micrometer, cut with an axe. (I don't think that would work as well in CV surg).

Deke