Darvocet and Darvon

In November of 2010, the popular painkillers Darvocet and Darvon were recalled by the FDA and Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which manufactures the popular pain medications, after it was determined that all medications containing the painkiller propxyphene pose an unreasonable risk of heart problems.  All generic Darvocet and generic Darvon versions of the medication have also been recalled

Darvon was first introduced in 1957, containing propoxyphene to relieve mild to moderate post-surgical pain. Today it is most commonly prescribed as Darvocet, which combines the active ingredient in Darvon with acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.

An FDA advisory panel first recommended that the agency recall Darvocet and Darvon in February 2009, after determining that the minimal pain relief benefits provided by the drugs do not outweigh the substantial risk of overdose and suicide. However, the FDA decided in July 2009 to allow the medications to remain on the market with a new “black box” warning about Darvon and Darvocet side effects, which is the most stringent warning label possible under federal regulations.

However in November of 2010, the FDA determined that new clinical data, which shows that side effects of Darvocet include an increased risk of serious and sometimes fatal heart rhythm abnormalities, made it necessary to issue a recall of the medication.

If you or a loved have taken Darvocet and/or Darvon and have experienced symptoms such as arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, other heart related complications or death, please contact one of our experienced lawyers today to assess any potential claim and possible lawsuit.