MEDICINES Pulled pills stir concerns

Patients are advised to consult with their doctor.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With Vioxx off the market and heart-risk questions being raised about Celebrex and Aleve, what is someone who needs pain relief to do?
That's a question vexing many Americans, and the answers aren't immediately clear.
These are drugs widely used for arthritis, a condition that can require long-term treatment.
Yet Dr. Sandra Kweder of the Food and Drug Administration says patients who routinely take naproxen, the generic name for Aleve, should follow the drug package instructions carefully, including directions not to take it for more than 10 days consecutively.
While the voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx by Merck & amp; Co. on Sept. 30 led to questions about two other drugs in its class, Pfizer Inc.'s Celebrex and Bextra, the report that indicated naproxen also might pose a heart risk was unexpected.
"Aleve sort of hit us by surprise," said Dr. Peter Bruno of the New York University School of Medicine.
Been around awhile
Naproxen, sold both over the counter as Aleve by Bayer AG and in stronger prescription versions, has been on the market for almost three decades. It is a different class of drug than the other three in question. It was under investigation by the National Institutes of Health for possible benefits in Alzheimer's patients when researchers found a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than in patients given placebos. The trial was halted, NIH announced Monday.
"In the meantime, we are in agreement with the FDA's recommendations that Aleve can be used safely as directed for pain relief and that consumers should not take the product for longer than 10 days unless directed to do so by a physician," the company said.
One thing most experts tend to agree on is a need for patients who take any of the drugs in question to discuss the risks and benefits with their physicians to decide what's best.