The recent withdrawal of the prescription drugs Vioxx and Bextra have arthritis patients concerned about their health, lawyers busy with lawsuits, and Congress poring over thousands of pages of documents obtained from the manufacturer. The drugs, part of a family of medications known as COX-2 inhibitors, have recently been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes among users who take the drugs for long periods of time. These findings have more and more people starting to pay more attention to the drugs that are prescribed for them.Many people, when ill, see their doctor and ask them to prescribe something that will make them feel better. When appropriate, their physicians will do so, and the patients typically run down to their pharmacy to get that prescription filled. They then take their medication as prescribed, usually without giving it much thought. This is probably not wise, especially in view of the recent findings with Bextra and Vioxx. Patients would be well advised to become more informed about the medications prescribed for them. Here are some things you can do to be more informed about the medicines you take: Ask your doctor questions. Make sure he or she knows about any allergies you might have to particular medications. Ask if there is anything important you should know about the drug, its use, or its side effects.Ask your