Washington ? An Oregon man stopped taking the painkiller Vioxx when it was pulled from the market, switching to Bextra. Then questions were raised about Bextra — and four other drugs — and he returned to his doctor with a new set of worries.

Similar conversations are happening between doctors and patients all around the country.

In testimony Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee, Food and Drug Administration drug safety reviewer David Graham cited Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, Bextra and Serevent as unsafe.

Drug makers defended the safety of their products and one of Graham’s bosses at the FDA derided his comments as “wildly exaggerated, inaccurate, baseless statements.”

Patients — uncertain whether to believe the FDA or one of its own safety reviewers — are pressing their own doctors for guidance.

A majority of patients in Dr. Elizabeth A. Tindall’s practice in Portland suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, like the patient who switched painkillers from Vioxx to Bextra. The 50-something man is thin and athletic, but has a family history of heart disease.

“He had tons of questions, 25 minutes of questions,” Tindall said.

Tindall expects another volley of questions once Graham’s testimony makes the rounds on news shows.

“After Vioxx, it was unbelievable the number of phone calls and questions and anxiety level that patients had. It was very, very scary,” she said.