What Was Vioxx Used For?

Vioxx was a popular brand name for an oral prescription medication once available as a tablet or liquid known as rofecoxib. As a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, its purpose was to alleviate pain.

Background

• On September 30, 2004, all products containing rofecoxib were recalled worldwide and discontinued due to a risk of heart problems associated with its use, reports the Mayo Clinic. Because of this, Vioxx is no longer prescribed by physicians.

Function

• As a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, Vioxx functions by preventing the production of substances in your body known as prostaglandins, which help transmit pain signals to your brain and contribute to inflammation, explains researchers at the University of Virginia.

Uses

• Doctors once prescribed Vioxx for the treatment of many different types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in children and adults. Additional uses of Vioxx included alleviating the pain of severe menstrual cramps, migraine headaches and pain following surgery.

Dosage

• Doctors typically prescribed Vioxx for use only once per day, with the dosage varying from 25 mg to 50 mg in adults, depending on the the type of pain, according to RxList.

Considerations

• Because its effects upon fetal development were not fully understood, doctors restricted the use of Vioxx in pregnant women to instances when there was no safe alternative to treatment. Vioxx was not approved for use in children under the age of 2, asserts RxList.