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Idiopathic paresthesia reaction associated with rofecoxib
Kimberly K Daugherty1, Mary Lea Gora-Harper
1University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|February 19, 2002
Summary
This case report details a rare paresthesia reaction to rofecoxib, a medication for osteoarthritis. Symptoms like numbness and tingling resolved upon discontinuing the drug, suggesting a potential adverse effect.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Neurology
Background:
- Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease often treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Rofecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, was widely used for osteoarthritis pain management.
- Adverse drug reactions, including neurological symptoms, can occur with NSAID use.
Observation:
- A 55-year-old woman experienced tongue numbness and hand paresthesia (tingling and numbness) during rofecoxib therapy for osteoarthritis.
- These neurological symptoms appeared shortly after initiating rofecoxib and resolved upon its discontinuation.
- The temporal relationship between rofecoxib use and symptom onset/resolution was clearly established.
Findings:
- This case represents the first reported instance of paresthesia-type reaction specifically linked to standard-dose rofecoxib use in osteoarthritis treatment.
- While paresthesias have been noted in premarketing studies of rofecoxib (0.1-1.9% incidence), causality was not definitively established.
- The patient's reaction, though potentially linked to rofecoxib, is classified as idiopathic due to lack of established causality.
Implications:
- Clinicians should consider paresthesia as a potential, albeit rare, adverse effect of rofecoxib.
- Awareness of this adverse reaction is crucial for accurate diagnosis and patient management.
- Further investigation may be warranted to understand the mechanism of rofecoxib-induced paresthesias.