Idiopathic paresthesia reaction associated with rofecoxib

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of a paresthesia-type reaction due to the use of rofecoxib in standard doses for the treatment of osteoarthritis. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old white woman was receiving rofecoxib for treatment of osteoarthritis. The patient began to have tongue numbness and hand tingling and numbness shortly after starting therapy with rofecoxib. The occurrence and resolution of her symptoms correlated with the start and end of the therapy. DISCUSSION: An adverse reaction with rofecoxib is a likely explanation for the patient's symptoms. Paresthesias have been reported in 0.1-1.9% of patients who took rofecoxib during premarketing studies, but no causality has been established. One case report of paresthesias occurring in a 59-year-old white man who took one 20-mg dose of piroxicam is available. Information on when the reaction occurred in relation to the dose and resolution of the reaction was not recorded in this study. Our patient's reaction is best classified as idiopathic. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of a paresthesia-type reaction to rofecoxib in a patient receiving the drug in standard doses for treatment of osteoarthritis. Although the reaction is rare, clinicians should be aware of its potential.