We’ve just received alerts about newly discovered dangers of several pharmaceutical drugs.
Bextra (valdecoxib), one of the new generation of COX-2 inhibitors, a supposedly safer version of the NSAIDs for arthritis sufferers, can cause life-threatening skin conditions.
The discovery was made in America, where the drug has been approved for use since November, 2001. Patients are now being warned to look out for any kind of skin rash – and if one appears, to stop taking the drug immediately.
The drug was approved for use in UK and Europe only last July, so word will not have gone out here yet.
If you are taking Bextra, watch out for any rashes; if you know someone who’s taking the drug, let them know.
The acne drug, Accutane (isotretinoin), can cause aggressive and violent behaviour, new research has discovered. People who take the drug for long periods may be particular vulnerable, and the reaction can also be magnified if the patient is also taking a corticosteroid or phenytoin.
To find out more about the dangers of drugs, read Secrets of the Drug Industry, which you can order from our website http://www.wddty.co.uk/shop/details.asp?product=341