I have been taking Vioxx for menstrual cramps. It works beautifully. I am extremely disappointed that I will no longer be able to get a prescription for this medicine. Do you have any suggestions about what I could use instead of Vioxx?
Vioxx was taken off the market because of increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Before Vioxx, doctors used to prescribe pain relievers like naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn) for menstrual cramps.
This anti-inflammatory drug is now available over the counter as Aleve. Ibuprofen is another possibility for cramp relief.
If over-the-counter products don't help, ask your doctor whether one of the many prescription NSAIDs might do the job.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, or e-mail them via their Web site, www.peoplespharmacy.org.
