== More common, non-life threatening, side effects include: == · Upper and/or lower respiratory infection and/or inflammation · Headache · Dizziness · Diarrhea · Nausea and/or vomiting · Heartburn, stomach pain, and upset · Swelling of legs and/or feet · High blood pressure · Back pain · Tiredness · Urinary tract infection.

== Which products contain Vioxx and Celebrex? == There are no generic equivalents for these medications. They are only sold as Vioxx and Celebrex.

== Are there any safer alternatives to Vioxx and Celebrex? == Older medications like ibuprofen, naproxen, or even just an aspirin have been used as alternatives for Vioxx and Celebrex.

== What could have been done to avoid current Vioxx Heart Attack situation? Several things: == Adequate and more accurate testing prior to FDA approval could have revealed same risks, like Vioxx Heart Attacks, that became known after products were already on market.

More extensive research could have been done prior to approval and release of these drugs.

Advertising campaigns could have included more accurate information about true effectiveness of these products.

A concerted effort was made to switch patients from less expensive prescriptions to these newer prescriptions which were much more expensive.

== What are Vioxx and Celebrex and what are they used for? == Vioxx and Celebrex are used to treat chronic pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute short-term pain, and for treatment of severe menstrual pain. Although two medications are slightly different in their chemical composition, Vioxx and Celebrex are both classified as COX-2 inhibitors and belong to a larger group of drugs knows as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. Other NSAIDs include older medications like ibuprofen and naproxen.

Serious problems, like Vioxx Heart Attacks, have been associated with long-term use of NSAIDs. Problems include bleeding stomach ulcers, intestinal bleeding, Vioxx heart attack problems, and damage to liver and kidneys. These complications can occur with or without warning symptoms. These problems, if severe, could lead to hospitalization or death.

On its own, Merck issued only a luke warm Vioxx warning.

In some cases, experts say, such warnings on Vioxx's official labeling aren't sufficient. Since 2002, Merck's Vioxx warning mentioned increased cardiac risks based on results of its own post-approval study, but disputed its own findings and drug remained on market despite Vioxx warning. Merck undertook latest study because less-rigorous experiments indicated Vioxx could prevent recurrence of potentially cancerous colon polyps, said company spokesman Tony Plohoros.

Dr. Alastair Wood, professor of pharmacology and associate dean at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said it should not have taken so long for heart risks to come to light. Had they come to light sooner, proper Vioxx warnings would have been issued.

People were hurt by inadequate Vioxx warnings "A helluva lot of people got drug between 2000 and 2004, and a very quick, very cheap study would have determined that risk" had FDA taken a tougher stance after first sign of trouble, Wood said. If better studies were performed, Vioxx warnings would have been more stringent -- or drug would not have been on market at all.