A few nights my husband and I went to a dinner sponsored by the competitor
of vioxx. There was a room full of rheumatologist and orthopedics who
thought the new generation of NSAIDS (the cox-2 inhibitors) were going to
revolutionize how we treat musculoskelatal pain despite the high cost of
these new medications. The speaker talked about the decrease in GI side
effects of these new medications as the most significant advantage to
switching people from the old NSAIDS to the new cox-2 inhibitors. The
current indication is treatment is signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Vioxx does have a quicker onset of action and is being used for acute pain.
Trials are being done for treatment of gout. The decrease GI side effects is
a important consideration in the geriatric population requiring chronic pain
relief. I don't have any experience using it in breastfeeding mother.
Feedback from patients using Vioxx, Celebrix and other NSAIDS has been
mixed. But many have benefitted.

Is there an advantage of going to these drug rep dinners?  It is one of the
only places I can go to meet so many doctors at once and share my interest
also.

Denise Punger MD FAAFP
Now having  both my 3 1/2 year old and 2 year old pulling at my shirt for a
turn.
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