Is Arcoxia an effective Arthritis Medicine?

Arcoxia (generic name Etoricoxib) was developed by Merck & Co as an improvement on it’s earlier COX-2 medication. It is an investigational arthritis drug that is touted to be the best of the new breed of NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) treatments.
Arcoxia is used to treat pain and inflammation of joints associated with various types of arthritis such as Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout. Though it is used in over 63 countries worldwide, as of April 2007, the FDA has denied approval to use
Arcoxia in USA.

How does Arcoxia work?

Arcoxia is a COX-2 selective inhibitor. Most anti-inflammatory drugs act by inhibiting the enzyme on the inflammatory pathway. But while doing this they inhibit both Cox-1 and COX-2 thus causing gastrointestinal toxicity.
Arcoxia on the other hand acts inhibits only Cox – 2 thus bringing immediate relief and lessening of inflammation without any toxic side-effect.

Efficacy of Arcoxia

Arcoxia is available in dosages of 60, 90 and 120 mg. These varied dosages are prescribed depending on the severity of the condition – be it gout, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical trials indicate that the onset of relief is as early as 24 minutes after taking the prescribed dosage. Merck also claims that
Arcoxia’s analgesic effect is effective for 24 hours after drug intake.

1. Dosage for Osteoarthritis: The recommended dosage of
Arcoxia for Osteoarthritis patients is 60gm once a day. It proved as beneficial as 500mg of naproxen twice daily and as effective as diclofenac 50 mg three times daily in pain relief and increasing mobility.
2. Dosage for Rheumatoid Arthritis: 90mg of
Arcoxia once a day reduces tenderness in joints, relieves pain and reduces swelling. Clinical studies show that a single dosage of
Arcoxia is far superior than a twice a day dosage of 500mg Naproxen and Placebo.
3. Dosage for Gout: Though a dosage of 120mg
Arcoxia provides immediate relief to gouty arthritis, it should be noted that the maximum dosage period should not exceed 8 days.

While these are the recommended dosages, patients should always consult a specialist who will advise on dosages based on the patient history and severity of the problem.

Side-effects of Arcoxia:

Known side-effects of
Arcoxia are fatigue and dizziness. High dosages in older people are sometimes known to cause ulceration, bleeding or perforation of the stomach or intestinal lining. Cox-2 inhibitors also increase the chance of a stroke and hence are not advised for heart patients.

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