Vioxx is a drug that has recently been taken off the market because it can cause some serious side effects that are irreversible. Vioxx is also known as “Rofecoxib” and was approved by the FDA in early 1999. This drug was used mainly to treat pain in adults, to treat osteoarthritis, and bring some relief for women that were experiencing severe menstrual cramps. The reason Vioxx was so popular was that it had few gastric side effects that are usually associated with this type of drug.

The thing about Vioxx that wasn’t known was that after continued use, of over eighteen months or longer, Vioxx caused some serious side effects that would prove to be deadly for some people. Vioxx caused an increase in a patient’s chances of having a stroke or heart attack when they had been taking the drug continuously. These side effects are called “silent” side effects since Doctors aren’t able to monitor them until some time has passed and a patient has a stroke or heart attack that can be linked to the use of Vioxx.

In September of 2004 Vioxx was pulled off the US shelves. Some of the other side effects that Vioxx caused, besides an increase in the chance of stroke and heart attack, were also quite serious and jeopardized the health of patients seeking relief from pain. These side effects included (1) blood clots, (2) kidney problems, (3) allergic reactions (especially on the throat and face), (4) headaches, (5) high blood pressure, (6) vomiting and nausea, (7) liver problems, and (8) problems with the upper respiratory system.

With so many different side effects, Vioxx was no longer the miracle drug that it first appeared. This meant that those people that had been successfully using Vioxx, and either had little or not side effects, had to find another drug to replace it. To this day there is yet a drug similar to Vioxx that the FDA has approved to take its place.