new to the group and with a Vioxx problem

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone, My name is a and I am 1 year post op. I live out

here in the hot Southwest (Arizona). I too have had some difficulty

with Vioxx but it is of a different nature. I have had arthritis in

some form since I was 2 years old, JRA and now osteo. Now at age 50+

my joints have been pretty beaten up. For the past 3 years I have

been on Vioxx since I can no longer take other things for arthritis.

Well my recent blood work showed that my white blood count was

getting very low, 2.9. The Dr. said that it had been steading

dropping during the past year since surgery. Upon much investigation

I have discovered that Vioxx causes leukopenia in <1% of those who

take it. Since stopping the drug my WBC has begun to rise a bit, now

within normal limits. Strange that it would drop since the surgery. I

am doing pretty well without it with the occasional achey joint.

Thanks for the tips for other things I can try when the going gets

tough.

a

May 30, 2002

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