Erythromycin and Vioxx have been found to cause increase in heart attacks.

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Educate before you medicate

 

 

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/health/s_270304.html

 

 

By Marjorie Wertz

FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Monday, November 8, 2004

 

 

In the past several months, two well-known and widely used prescription

medications, erythromycin and Vioxx have been found to cause an

increase in heart attacks.

For years physicians have known that erythromycin can cause cardiac

arrhythmia when taken with other drugs. A new study published recently

by the New England Journal of Medicine documented the risk after

researching the medical records of 4,404 Medicaid patients and studying

the medication use of each patient. A small number of the patients had

combined erythromycin with other antibiotics or heart drugs that

increased the risk for cardiac arrest. Three of the patients died.

 

"The study draws attention to drug interactions," said Samuel

Poloyac, a doctor of pharmacy and an associate professor at the

University of Pittsburgh's School of Pharmacy. "This study is an

outcome study that doesn't prove cause and effect. The real reason

behind the deaths may or may not be because of erythromycin."

Erythromycin is a drug in the macrolide class, said Poloyac. It is

broken down in the liver through isozymes or enzymes known as

cytochrome or CYP3A.