Say goodbye to Celebrex ads. But don't expect your doctor to stop prescribing the top-selling arthritis and pain relief drug anytime soon, said Jeffery Evans, assistant professor at South University School of Pharmacy in Savannah.

Pfizer Inc. announced will stop advertising the anti-inflammatory drug because of concerns that high doses of the medication may be linked to risks of heart attacks. Celebrex is a cox-2 inhibitor, the same family of drugs as Vioxx, an arthritis drug that was pulled from the market by Merck & Co. in September.

The possible risk associated with Celebrex was uncovered in a long-term cancer prevention trial. Patients in the study took two to four times the usual dosages.

The drug has not been show to contribute to a higher risk of heart disease when taken at normal dosages.

Pfizer said it has no plans to discontinue selling the drug.

Still, people with a history of heart problems should contact their doctors to ask about alternatives to Celebrex, Evans said. "But they don't need to automatically stop taking the drug.''

"With someone that has a heart condition, I would be a lot more reluctant of recommending Celebrex to them,'' Evans said. "But I would not recommend that the entire world all of a sudden stop taking it.''

Persons taking Celebrex or Vioxx might consider switching to over the counter alternatives which are often as effective as well as less expensive, and until recently weren't thought to have the same risks.

But now a new study has found that Aleve, a popular over-the-counter painkiller made by Bayer, could increase heart problems, and federal officials are warning patients not to exceed the recommended dose of two 200-milligram pills a day or continue therapy for more than 10 days without consulting a physician.

It was the fourth big-selling pain medicine in recent months to be suspected of hurting the heart, and federal drug officials said that similar drugs, like Advil, might also increase heart risks.

The study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, was intended to measure whether Aleve and Celebrex, made by Pfizer, might prevent Alzheimer's disease. Nearly 2,500 patients were given one of the two drugs or a placebo and were followed for three years. Those taking Aleve had a 50 percent greater rate of heart problems - including heart attacks and stroke - than those given a placebo.

"This illustrates the fundamental dynamic that all drugs have risks," said Dr. Steven Galson, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration's center for drug evaluation and research. "All should be taken carefully."

However while Dr. Galson advises patients taking a prescription form of Aleve known as Naprosyn or naproxen should consult their physicians. Dr. Stephen Badolato, a Suntree, Fl. independent sports medicine physician says, "I tell people not to get too excited until all the information is in. One study is not enough - the jury is still out."

Celebrex and Aleve (naproxen) are part of a group of drugs called Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). While asprin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) are also NASIDs they could be considered as alternatives to naproxen and Celebrex as so far have not been shown to have any ill effects on the heart. But only aspirin has been shown to be beneficial for heart health.

Savannah Morning News reporter Anne Hart, Jamie Parker and the Associated Press contibuted to this story.