The Bextra debate

Recent Bextra warning statements have prompted concerns about the cardiovascular safety of taking this COX-2 inhibitor drug. Bextra is a prescription medication that was approved by the FDA in November 2001. Bextra is used to treat patients who suffer from the severe pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and primary dysmenorrhea. It was touted as an alternative for patients who could not tolerate the stomach upset often associated with other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.