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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.
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Australian Prescriber Vol. 23 No. 2 2000
COX-2 inhibitors
Arthritis which involves inflammation of the joints can be treated with medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The problem with these medicines is that they can cause stomach ulcers, particularly in older people. These ulcers can sometimes cause severe bleeding, so safer treatments for arthritis are needed.
New drugs called COX-2 inhibitors act like the NSAIDs to reduce inflammation, but do not cause as many ulcers. Although this is an advantage, the new drugs do not work any better than the NSAIDs. They will probably be more expensive than the NSAIDs. They may therefore be reserved for people who need a medicine for their arthritis, but cannot take NSAIDs.
At the moment nobody knows if the COX-2 inhibitors have any long-term side effects.
