Hi,
I don't fit the 55 and over(I'm 40), but I wanted to say Bextra has been a life saver for my mom who is 68.

I believe it is in the same class of drugs as Vioxx. It has less side effects; stomach distress etc...

My Mom had taken this for a few months and decided to just stop taking it.
A week later she couldn't walk without me holding her up.

She has horrible compression fractures in her spine, arthritis in her knees and neck, healing from a broken sternum, spinal stenosis, and now plantar fasciatis(sp?)...
She has a bad heart, had rhuematic fever and severe bouts of pnuemonia... I do understand the heartbreak of aging, my heart and soul cries for her and her pain... My pain doesn't even compare, and I'm selfish when feeling sorry for myself...

She started on the Bextra again with lots of urging and is doing a bit better.

I certainly don't mean to imply Bextra is the only thing that gets her through her day. She is on pain meds too, but Bextra has helped with the arthritis pain.
Mom is a true stoic New England woman or is it a "generation thing" who believes pain meds are evil and doesn't "want to get addicted". I fight with her constantly to take the prescribed amounts of Oxy and break thru meds. Anyway.. I digress...

Thanks for letting me add my bit of info... ask about Bextra. And good luck to all.... Poco