Health
Ease Joint Pain Without Side Effects
Aching joints often are a consequence of aging and aspirins and other anti-inflammatory drugs can be far from ideal. But medical research has now come up with a new drug to ease such pain without the usual side effects.
Drugs such as aspirin, while effective as a pain-killer, also can cause stomach upsets and lead to ulcers. British physician Dr. Rosemary Leonard says the new drug, rofecoxib, does the job on pain just as well, but without the gastric side effects.
Leonard says it "may be the safest 'aspirin' ever." It works by blocking an enzyme called COX2, found mainly in joints where it causes arthritic pain, but ignores a "cousin" enzyme, COX1, which helps protect the stomach lining. Aspirin can deal with COX2, but it also goes after COX1, often causing gastro-intestinal troubles.
Trials so far show that in patients suffering from osteoarthritis, a dose of 12.5 milligrams of rofecoxib taken once daily for six weeks was just as effective as aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, Leonard says. The new drug is more expensive, but "could work out cheaper if it makes taking a second, stomach-protecting drug unnecessary," she says.
Drugs such as aspirin, while effective as a pain-killer, also can cause stomach upsets and lead to ulcers. British physician Dr. Rosemary Leonard says the new drug, rofecoxib, does the job on pain just as well, but without the gastric side effects.
Leonard says it "may be the safest 'aspirin' ever." It works by blocking an enzyme called COX2, found mainly in joints where it causes arthritic pain, but ignores a "cousin" enzyme, COX1, which helps protect the stomach lining. Aspirin can deal with COX2, but it also goes after COX1, often causing gastro-intestinal troubles.
Trials so far show that in patients suffering from osteoarthritis, a dose of 12.5 milligrams of rofecoxib taken once daily for six weeks was just as effective as aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, Leonard says. The new drug is more expensive, but "could work out cheaper if it makes taking a second, stomach-protecting drug unnecessary," she says.
