One little molecule??? Pharma Steve?

[mmglobal]

Yesterday, I was speaking to one of the spine surgeons I'll be seeing next month in Germany. He asked how I was doing and I said, "Much better! I've been doing substantially better for the last week, since I change anti-inflammatories. I switched from diclofenac (volateren) to meloxicam (mobic)."

He grumbled something like, "It's psychological. Those drugs are all the same. They change one molecule, give it a new name and charge more for it."

I've been on NSAIDS for most of the last 12 years. Without question, the one that worked best for me was Bextra. It was pulled from the market in 2005 after Vioxx (pulled 2004) because of increased risk of heart problems.

I switched NSAIDS because I'm starting to have some stomach issues. I also added a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) and that is going well too.

I'm not sure if it's the med change, but I have been doing better since starting the Mobic. The question for the community is:

Do you see a substantial difference from one NSAID to the next? (both side effects and effectiveness?

I'm curious what the pharmacist's take is on the variations from one drug to the next when you stay in the same class.

Mark