A comparison of the newer COX-2 drugs and older nonnarcotic oral analgesics

The newer COX-2 drugs are safer analgesics than the older NSAIDs. At the us ual dose used in osteoarthritis, they have less analgesic effect than the o lder NSAIDs. The nonnarcotic analgesics such as acetaminophen, salicylate, NSAIDs, and the newer COX-2 drugs seem to have distinctly different mechani sms of action. In limited clinical trials, some of these drugs in combinati on give additive analgesia. Consideration should be given to using these dr ugs in combination, after suitable clinical trials, to enhance the efficacy of this category of analgesics.