High Rate of Darvocet Overdose

Darvon and Darvocet, before their 2010 ban, were among the most popular prescription painkillers on the pharmaceuticals market. The relatively weak painkillers were pulled after it became clear that the active ingredient, propoxyphene, metabolizes in the human body to a metabolite known as norporpoxyphene, which interferes with the electrical activity of the heart even in small doses. The United States was late on the ban,which is leading to many victims filing Darvocet lawsuits, however - the United Kingdom banned propoxyphene products in 2009, while it was banned in the European Union in 2005.

Since 2005 around 1,000-2,000 people lost their lives because of propoxyphene overdoses and fatalities, which are considered side effects of Darvocet, according to

the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. Many opponents of the drug are arguing that these were unnecessary deaths caused by a lack of vigilance, and these deaths could have been prevented if the United States had followed Europe’s lead in banning the drug more quickly. Propoxyphene has been on the market for more than half a century, and the Food and Drug Administration was first appealed to for a ban on the drug more than twenty years ago.

Darvocet is dangerous for a variety of reasons. The relatively weak painkiller can keep patients taking more and more in order to feel the effects, which can contribute to a buildup of the drug in a patient’s bloodstream. A buildup of the drug can trigger an overdose.

 A Darvocet overdose can be caused by circumstances beyond a drug maker’s control, including suicide and foul play. However, many Darvocet overdoses occurred in patients who were taking their prescribed dose. Even when the drugs are used as directed, they can contribute to overdose.

Even when Darvocet, Darvon, and generic propoxyphene products do not prove fatal, there are a multitude of side effects that have been reported by patients of the immensely popular painkiller. Cardiac side effects are perhaps the most common, with Darvon and Darvocet heart arrhythmia and heart attack are the being linked to conditions related to the use of the drug.

The low safety margin and slow metabolizing of the drug into a patient’s bloodstream contribute to the potential danger to consumers. Although the drug has been removed from pharmaceutical markets across the globe, patients who have already been affected by the drug may be interested in filing suit against makers of propoxyphene products. Former Darvocet patients who think they may have a case should speak to a personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible in order to avoid being prevented from filing suit by the statue of limitations in their state.