Darvocet a Danger to Patients’ Hearts

Heart disease is the primary cause of death across the board in the United States today. Victims of heart disease and their loved ones are already aware of the warning signs and the severe consequences associated with this all-too-common affliction. But users of the popular prescription painkillers Darvon and Darvocet may not know that these drugs, which are commonly prescribed, have the potential to result in heart arrhythmia and even sudden, fatal cardiac arrest.

Study Links Propoxyphene to Heart Problems

Darvon and Darvocet had faced scrutiny and criticism for years, but it wasn’t until the latest study on the drugs’ active ingredient, propoxyphene, that the FDA decided to ban the prescription drugs in November 2010. Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, the Kentucky-based manufacturer of Darvocet and Darvon, conducted a study on propoxyphene last year at the behest of the federal government.

Their researched determined that propoxyphene—an opioid narcotic—could produce life-threatening heart arrhythmia in otherwise healthy individuals, even when taken in prescribed doses. Subsequent to these findings, the FDA issued a ban on Darvon and Darvocet, though generic forms of painkillers containing propoxyphene continue to be available.

Darvon and Darvocet Have Impact Across the Nation

Professionals in healthcare who have studied Darvon and Darvocet advise any individual currently taking one of these dangerous medications to seek the advice of their doctor immediately. It is imperative that a substitute pain medication be arranged for as soon as possible. It is estimated that approximately 10 million Americans have used or are now using Darvon, Darvocet, or another propoxyphene-based painkiller.

As published by the Federal Drug Abuse Warning Network, the side effects stemming from Darvon or Darvocet use have been connected to thousands of deaths and many more instances of injury. Attorneys, seeing the opportunity to acquire compensation for victims, have been preparing litigation in literally hundreds of Darvon and Darvocet lawsuits throughout the country.

One Case of Darvocet Litigation

Within a short time of the FDA’s mandate to recall Darvon and Darvocet, a woman in Tennessee filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the makers of Darvocet. She alleged that her husband’s death from sudden heart troubles was a result of having taken the now-banned painkillers.

Her complaint further claims that Xanodyne, the manufacturer, failed in its responsibility to inform physicians and patients of the fact that propoxyphene’s side effects are known to increase the risk of developing possibly life-threatening heart arrhythmia.

Decades-Long Story of Propoxyphene Dangers

It has been more than fifty years since Darvon was first made available in 1957. It debuted as a pain management drug used to ameliorate mild to moderate pain following surgery. Most often, the form named Darvocet was prescribed. Darvocet combines propoxyphene with the active ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen.

Great Britain was the first to ban Darvon in 2005, after years of reported suicides and accidental overdoses related to the drug. The European Union imposed ban of its own in 2009. Those concerned with public safety in the United States have said that the FDA was remiss in waiting until 2010 to ban the drugs, especially since other, safer, painkillers on the market offered greater pain relief.

Consumer advocacy group U.S. Drug Watchdog worries that millions of Americans still have yet to hear about the FDA’s ban, and may continue taking Darvon, Darvocet, or a generic form of propoxyphene to this day.