Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) may double the risk of developing acute urinary retention, Dutch researchers report.Urinary retention involves the abnormal holding of urine within the bladder, often due to bladder muscle failure.The new finding, which involves ibuprofen, naproxen (Aleve) and the cox-2 inhibitor Celebrex, adds to highly publicized cardiovascular issues surrounding the use of these popular medications.Both Vioxx and Bextra were pulled from the market after studies pointed to increased risks for heart attack and stroke with cox-2 inhibitor use. As a result, the FDA mandated warning labels on all similar prescription drugs and label changes on similar over-the-counter ones.Earlier case reports had also suggested that NSAIDS may increase the risk of acute urinary retention by affecting the production of prostaglandin, a hormone essential in muscle function, researchers report in the July 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
