Arcoxiat

[grapefig]

Taking arcoxia for burstis pain...concerned about taking it "for ever" exercising as well and had ostinel injection....btw i am 80 and have always been active so bothers me a lot...

[Simba1992]

I can understand your concern. Arcoxia is not approved by FDA and I would really talk with your doc and perhaps have an other look at the med.

medpagetoday.com/productale...

[nomoreheels]

Hiya grapefig. As you know I take Arcoxia (etoricoxib). It's a very good NSAID (anti inflammatory), in the group COX-2. The fact it's no longer available in the US isn't relative as you're in the UK & NICE approves it in common with many other countries. Of those of us who take it here as an important part of our treatment, as well as NSAIDs in general our GP's & Rheumy's are well aware of possible, that's possible not probable, concerns of this med & prescribe accordingly for their patients. It's always a balancing act. Your medical history, current state & need will all have been considered. I have a cardiovascular exam each year as I take it long term & because I have heart disease on both sides (Mum & Dad). I have been fine in the 8 years I've been prescribed it, nothing to suggest I should be prescribed an alternative as it works very well for me & my heart is healthy. It's also worthy of note that it's kinder on the tum of most other NSAIDs, another reason it's often chosen over other more basic (COX-1) NSAIDs. I'm having a break from it at the mo but until recently I took 60mg every other day. I've tried 5 other NSAIDs since 2008, none works as well on my RD & OA inflammation.

Please discuss any concerns you have with the prescriber, I'm sure they'll be able to explain why they consider it the better choice for you rather than swayed replies you may receive here, both for & against.

[grapefig in reply to nomoreheels]

thank you..actually I am in Israel where it is also approved

[nomoreheels in reply to grapefig]

Apologies. As you say it is approved, one of the 80 countries who also do, otherwise you wouldn't be prescribed it of course! ☺️

[Simba1992]

A contraversy concerning the safety of meds should in my view always be known to the patient offered a med, since there are usually an abundence of other meds to chose from. Your current medical condition is ofcourse of central significans as is also age. It was not clear if you were suffering from RA but cardivascular risks are connected to this disease and should always be evaluated when chosing meds. This is why I feel you should take up this with your prescriber. Good Luck Simba

abcnews.go.com/Health/Healt...

[grapefig in reply to Simba1992]

thank you..No not R.A.

[helixhelix]

Like NMH I also use arcoxia. For me it has been the most effective anti-inflammatory and has worked better than others. However these days I only need to use it rarely.

You are obviously aware of the risks, which is sensible. Have you talked to your doctor about this and had a discussion about your personal risk profile? As there are other things that could increase or reduce the risks for you and which could sway your decision. And have you tried other drugs, as it may be for you that an alternative would work as well?

If you want to get a feel for your personal risks of heart problems, this is what doctors use as a basic evaluation.

qrisk.org/three/

But really it is up to you to assess risks and benefits. And be aware of the difference between relative and absolute risks...media stories tend to talk about relative risks and may say thing like " one and a half times as many people have heart attacks on drug x" which sounds very scary. However if the absolute risk is that 4 people in a hundred would have a heart attack during the next 10 years, and the risk has increased to 6 people in a hundred it sounds entirely different!

[grapefig in reply to helixhelix]

thank you for your reply...

[YuliaGiulia]

I used to take it before i had to go on a biologic (Infliximab), and it seemed to work at first, but unfortunately it started affecting my memory (maybe in connection with the stress caused by the illness) and also after a month or so it completely altered my sense of taste. Had to quit it. But it seems to be working for many others. Hope you won't have to go on to smth more serious than Arcoxia!

[Deb21]

Hi, I've been on Arcoxia now for over 3 years. I take 90mg a day, it's the only med I've found to combat the deep pain related to my conditions and reduce inflammation to a level where I've been able to continue working full time. My rheumy told me that as a COX-2 inhibitor it is far less likely to cause stomach problems than your usual suspects, and she's happy for me to stay on it long term. My GP has to order it in for me as it is a higher dose than usually used. Ive not discussed coming off it with either GP or rheumy. I'm in UK where thankfully it's licenced!

[grapefig in reply to Deb21]

thank you for this reply it is reassuring