FDA Health Advisory – Bextra, Celebrex and Aleve

Yesterday the American FDA issued a health advisory regarding the drugs Cox-2 drugs Bextra and Celebrex, and the NSAID naproxen.  Basically, they’re recommending that caution should be exercised with the drugs Bextra and Celebrex.  Recent studies seem to indicate that they may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.  There is also concern about naproxen (popularly sold as Aleve, Anaprox,Naprosyn and others), which is not a Cox-2 drug like Bextra.  Recent studies show that naproxen may also increase risk of heart problems.  If you’re taking naproxen in any form for more than 10 days, talk to your doctor.  If you’re on any of these drugs and you have any history of heart trouble, talk to your doctor.  The FDA is awaiting further reviews on these drugs.  You can read yesterday’s health advisory put out by the FDA on their website.  WebMD has some excellent information on some of the recent studies involving Bextra.