Darvon and Darvocet Lawsuit filed against FDA by Public Cititzen

Austin Kirk

By Austin Kirk
Posted June 22, 2008

ADD YOUR COMMENTS 24

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2010: The FDA has announced a Darvon and Darvocet recall on 11/19/2010 after linking a potential risk of heart arrythmias to the medication, in addition to other side effects, such as suicide, overdose and death. The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential claims for individuals who may be entitled to compensation through a Darvocet lawsuit or Darvon lawsuit.

The consumer watchdog group, Public Citizen, has filed a Darvon / Darvocet lawsuit against the FDA as a result of their failure to act on a petition filed in 2006, which called for the painkiller to be removed from the market. The petition claims that Darvon, Darvocet and other generic painkillers containing propoxyphene have been linked to thousands of deaths, are highly addictive and are no more effective than safer alternatives.

Darvocet and Darvon are narcotic pain drugs that contain the chemical propoxyphene. The drug is also available as a generic from several different pharmaceutical companies. It is approved for treatment of mild to moderate pain, and is often prescribed to manage pain after surgery.

Public Citizen originally filed a petition with the FDA on February 28, 2006, requesting that a Darvon / Darvocet recall be issued to phase the drug off of the market. The petition indicated that more than 2,000 accidental deaths were linked to the medication since 1981. In addition, it is a relatively weak painkiller, which Public Citizen indicates is no more effective than common drugs like ibuprofen or acetaminophen for many kinds of pain.

Earlier this year, Public Citizen also filed a lawsuit against the FDA as a result of their failure to act on a different petition filed as a result of side effects of Levaquin, Cipro and other antibiotics which increase the risk of serious tendon ruptures. The consumer group has a strong history of identifying dangerous drugs, such as Vioxx, ephedra, Bextra, Rezulin, Baycol and Propulsid.

DAVRON AND DARVOCET LAWSUITS

The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing the potential for Davron and Darvocet lawsuits for individuals who have suffered injuries which may be a side effect of the painkiller. If you, a friend or family member have suffered an overdose or death after taking Darvocet, Davron or another painkiller containing propoxyphene, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

24 Comments • Add Your Comments

  • Joan says:

    I have been using Darvon for cuff tear and it is a mild pain killer. The problem with Darvocet it has Tylenol in it and doctor don’t tell patients. I even met a gal who was prescribed another drug with tylenol so add that to Darvecet she was on a high Tylenol.Tylenol is the abuseddrug and it will eat your liver.If you want to chase a bad drug go after Tap and lupron. I have thousands of womenI am in touch with who have been destroyed from that drug.I also have a LNC avalable to me, so this nurse is very informed.

    Posted on June 23, 2008 at 9:06 pm

  • Robert says:

    I received two prescriptions of Lavaquin, the most recent Jan 2008. The 1st a 10 day consumption period, the 2nd 15 days. Reflecting back: I experienced pain in my hands/wrist, elbow & right hip shortly after starting the 10 day period. I didn’t know what to attribute the pain to, never had joint or limb problems. I’ve always been athletically advanced, at 43, I was able to compete against 25/35 year old players & dominate 40 & over players. Reflecting back: Days after taking Lavaquin I couldn’t participate in any activity without pain. Now, I can’t carry things without pain. As a fire figher, it’s painful to work with hose and/or tools for long periods of time, but I have no choice, it’s my livelihood! I have constant pain in my right elbow and wrist that runs into my hand. Pain in my hip after sitting or lying for long periods. Instead of normal sleep, I wake up throughout the night in pain. I’m totally frustrated!!! All of the sudden the things I have to do and love to do I can’t, or do in moderation with pain. I’m 46 in age, but my body is retired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted on August 10, 2008 at 2:04 pm

  • Rodney says:

    I’ve been taking Darvon 65 for over 30 years, and it is the ONLY medication that gives me relief from my daily headaches. My doctor put me in the hospital for a week once, to try alternative medicines, and NOTHING worked for me but Darvon 65. The FDA MUST NOT ban Darvon, it would affect my quality of life tremendously.

    Posted on January 31, 2009 at 2:40 pm

  • Isabelle says:

    I am not surprised that Darvocet is linked to suicide and death from overdose. It provides no pain relief whatsoever. It was presceibed to me for pain possibly related to Cervical nerve root compression and has had no effect at all

    Posted on April 26, 2009 at 11:26 pm

  • don says:

    Darvon is a great drug that I’ve been taking for 30 years for chronic pain. I’ve had no problems because I take the drug as prescribed. Why should I have to pay for these foolish people who abuse the drug. It’s absolutely untrue that Tylenol alone is as effective as Darvocet in relieving pain–this is poppycock. The fatalities linked to Darvocet are undoubtably people who took it by the hands full and probably chased it with booze. What a shame that I will have to suffer the rest of my life because of other peoples mistakes

    Posted on November 20, 2010 at 11:06 pm

  • David says:

    My mother has been prescribed Darvocet off and on to deal with the pain from several cardiovascular surgeries. The strange thing is, her initial surgery was a bypass to replace the left ventricle artery(the widowmaker) and the doctors said her heart was strong before and right after the surgery. I believe she was prescribed Darvocet some tim after the bypass and endedup having a pacemaker installed a couple of years later. Is it possible the Darvocet weaked her heart or created an arrythmia?

    Posted on November 21, 2010 at 5:53 pm

  • Penny says:

    My Mother had used Darvocet off and on for several years for sciatic pain. This year (2010) she was told by her doctor to begin using the pain killer twice a day, everyday, which she did. Then, suddenly a few months ago we had to take her to the hospital due to difficulty in breathing and some chest pains. She had never been diagnosed with any kind of heart problems but did have emphysema, Her diagnosis was congestive heart failure, which took her life last month, Oct 20, 2010. She had never, ever had any doctor tell her she had a heart problem. We were totally shocked and then we heard that Darvocet was removed from the market for causing heart problems. That’s all I can think of that could have caused us to lose her in death. Makes me so angry that what we thought was helping her actually hurt her.

    Posted on November 30, 2010 at 7:25 pm

  • Renee says:

    I have taken Darvocet 15 years ago and not soon after I started going into what I thought was a panic attack. My doctor diagnosed me with panic attacks when I described the symptoms.; About 8 years ago, I called 911 because my “panic attack” was getting really scary. I was then diagnosed with SVT(supraventrical tachycardia). I now know that it wasn’t panic attacks and it was svt. I now have a bad electrical node in my heart that effects the natural pacemaker. I am wondering can svt be casued from the Darvocet and would I still have SVT without the Darvocet if it was caused by the Darvocet?

    Posted on December 4, 2010 at 10:32 pm

  • Kristin says:

    WHERE IS THE ALTERNATIVE!!!!!! For those of us who are ALLERGIC to pretty much everything else out there. I cannot toerate anything else that has been suggested as an alternative – so NOW WHAT. All medications have risks. Whom is public Citizen to decide for me???? this is beyond absurd!!!!!!!

    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 9:18 pm

  • mark says:

    How long do you have to be on Darvocet before you have symptoms? I experience panic attacks 6 months after surgery and I am very athletic and in good shape. Just kind of curious.

    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:30 pm

  • Jerry says:

    Darvocet was prescribed to me for a back injury. I took it for at least 3- years. On several ocassions I thought I was having panic attacks or heart attacks as far as I knew and ended up in the E.R. All the sudden Dr.’s started telling me that I had heart arrythmias during my back injury case, pre-op and beyond. Heart palputations,arrythmias,” panic attacks” chest pains that cotinue into the shoulder blade area, on several occasions I thought I was going to die for sure. These events were frightening to me and my family. I quit taking Darvocet on my own. the only difference between then and now is that no more damage is being inflicted on me due to this drug. Long term effects will yet to be seen.

    Posted on December 9, 2010 at 12:26 pm

  • Pam says:

    My Mother (97yrs old) took Darvocet (generic) for about 15yrs.She took the medication for shoulder pain. She only took it twice a day. She also took Tylenol in between. I did not know that Acetaminohen was in Darvocet. On September 17,2010 she died very suddenly. She had no chronic illnesses. She was active and mentally very alert. She lived in her house alone until January 2010. On Sept 17th she went upstairs to the bathroom and for her afternnon nap. She went to her bedroom, she gasped a couple of times and died. My sister and my husband were with her. I did not get to my Mother’s house before she died. I was only 15min away

    Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:35 am

  • Otis says:

    I was given darvocet for the back pain that my Dr said wasn’t that bad and come to find out I now have 13 titanuim bolts in screws in my back. the same Dr put me on cymbalta knowing that i have glacoma! Since he did that I have had so many heart episodes and falling out from shortness of breathe, and and sharp chest pains that when the hospital kept me in there they couldn’t find out what had triggered or is causing the problems. Now that I have seen that Darvocet cause heart problems I realized that I didn’t start having these problems until I started taking those pills! Now i also have a vision loss in my left eye due to this same Dr that put me on cymbalta and it will never be the same and the stint that the Dr that he referred me to did crappy work and left me with graet vision loss in one eye that all i had to do was keep up with my drops and he snatched me away from the good Dr and sent me to a cattle farm! I really hope that my husband can sue both or all of them because we did a simple kind of life but the two Dr that did his stint put in and replacement both left without any word or notice. PLEASE HELP!!!

    Posted on December 13, 2010 at 9:41 pm

  • Dee says:

    I am a young woman who took Vioxx and Darvocet and now I have lost my woman hood and had stroke and have many problems with my kidneys in the way of infections and major pain. It has sent me to the hospital. I found out that vioxx not only kills it attacks the female parts that creates life and I no longer have that ability since 2004 and no one believes me. I kept my journal and I told the Dr about how I had the first time a 20lb tumor removed and just recently removed a 10 lb tumor and my woman hood. I have had heart problem and shortness of breathe and couldn’t figure out why!

    Posted on December 13, 2010 at 9:50 pm

  • Michael says:

    I had been prescribed darvocet since 1989 after having nerve damage to my right leg during a minor procedure. I have since had pain and walk with a cane. I was prescribed 4 tabs a day for 4 years until they no longer gave relief, the dose was increased to 6 tabs for another 5 years then again increased to 8 tabs for the next 5 years. I never took more than was prescribed for me. During this time I began having chest pains, palpitations, and very low heart rate. I had cardiac caths, EKG’s etc. but never an actual diagnosis. In 2008 my heart rate dropped to the low 20’s and I could feel that death was close. I was rushed to the hospital and had to have a pacemaker implanted. The cardiologist diagnosed me with SSN (sick sinus node) where the electrical impulses were not getting to my heart. I have had to be hospitalized many times over the years because of heart problems but they could find no disease…what else could it have been if it were not the darvocets?

    Posted on December 18, 2010 at 2:27 pm

  • Jennifer says:

    I had a c-section in 2003 and was prescribed Darvocet for the pain. The same day I came home from the hospital, I was rushed back by ambulance because I had SVT (supraventrical tachycardia). My heart rate amost hit 300 beats per min before they had to give me a shot to stop my heart so it would “reset” . Following this event my doctor could not give me an answer to why this happened. I was 18 years old and had never had any kind of trouble with my heart. It has been seven years, and I still have “palpitations” which scare me to death. After seeing the recent news about Darvocet, I now wonder if it is what caused my heart problem.

    Posted on December 26, 2010 at 1:14 am

  • Teressa says:

    How long do you have to be on Darvocets before you have a heart attack, cause I took darvocets and had a bad heart attack, with 10% heart useage and was sent for a heart replacement, It is very important to know how many I should have taken I think I took about 200 darvocets before my heart attack, the Dr could find no reason for the attack, thank you!!

    Posted on January 23, 2011 at 4:16 pm

  • Jennifer says:

    I was on Darvocet for a back problem when I was in my early twenties. Then I developed a disease called RSD or, CRPS. In addition to the other pain meds, my docs kept me on darvocet as it helped w/ breakthrough pain. I’ve been taking it on regular basis for over 20 years! My doctor passed away in October very suddenly & had no partner or plans to retire. I had to find another doc and it’s proving difficult as no one wants to treat chronic pain with pain meds. (Even though I’ve been on same dosage for 14 years!) W/O the Darvocet my pain is increased. It DOES work better than tylenol! I don’t know what to do about the heart thing, pray, I guess.

    Posted on February 20, 2011 at 7:58 am

  • Rosanne says:

    I had been taking darvocet for nearly twenty years. Other meds had been tried but nothing worked like the darvocet. I could only take one a day for a few days in a row but never more or for any longer. I suffered from endometriosis and had seven surgeries. I was told that I had a terminal illness that would require life long meds. Mysteriously enough I developed heart arrhythmias but no one could ever understand why. It took years to learn that my heart was beating at 130 and 140 beats per minute. I have been on atenolol now for years. But since the darvocet is no longer available, I found that on the days that I forgot my morning dose of atenolol that I was not having break through irregularities. So I am questioning the connection. I think they are related.

    I also have found that I recently took Cipro for the second time and the tendon issue is unbelievably painful. I am doing everything I can to get my tendons to heal. Cipro will now be on a medication alert for me.

    Posted on March 25, 2011 at 1:52 am

  • Nicole says:

    Since i started darvocet-n i have been getting chest pains in the last few months my blood pressure and pulse has gone up to dangerous numbers and i thought it was normal till i saw the recall. I’m a 23 mom I should not have to worry about having a heartattack and have my treatment messed up. My normal bp now is150/120 pulse is now around 120

    Posted on May 6, 2011 at 12:55 pm

  • BOB says:

    I TOOK DARVACET FOR FIFTHTEEN YEARS IT WAS THE ONLY THAT WORKED FOR MY SPHINCTER OF ODDI DYSFUNTION AND NOW DARVACET IS GONE AND MY PROBLEM IS BACK AGAIN WITH A VENGENCE. NOTHING ELSE WORKS FOR MY PAIN, THEY PULLED DARVACET WITH OUT TELLING ANYONE AND THEY DON’T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE IT TO TAKE IT’S PLACE. WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT DIE FROM ALCOHOL AND TABACO. IF DARVACET IS TAKEN AS PERSCRIBED IT DIDNT HARM ME.

    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 5:31 pm

  • Linda says:

    I took Darvocet for 9 years and had no problem at all with any side effects. Darvocet worked well for me. I have nerve tumors in my body and have had three surgeries to remove them – they come right back. I am in chronic pain all of the time. Nothing stops the pain when taking Darovcet I was a least able to get a little relief from the pain for a while. What am I to take now? Our government control on prescription drugs is out of hand. The government should be out in the streets stopping the illegal drug market and stop spending so much time making it impossible for those of us with chronic pain from getting the medication we need,

    Posted on February 13, 2012 at 4:26 pm

  • candy says:

    Propoxyphene is the base compound for Darvocet. Darvon came out when I was a child but as usual drug companies added acetaminophen. Now days most opioids like Hydro condone and other narcotics for pain have acetaminophen or Tylenol in them. It’s the pharmacists job to tell you or you could take it upon yourself and read the bottle for warning labels. It is a proven fact that many medications on the market cause SE that affect certain patients with serious outcomes. To say that Darvocet was another medication to get addicted to and had serious side effects is a manipulative motivator by the Public Citizen to show they can bully the FDA in making decisions that affect other people’s lives. I am an RN and meet multiple people who are allergic to opioids. The removal of Propoxyphene with minimal studies only to be threatened by a interest group that is in cohorts with lawyers who take on these type of Drug Malpractice cases for the almighty buck. In fact this write up is done for cases to sue the drug companies and it the FDA. It is a proven fact that when people can’t answer what their diagnoses was from they easily become prey for others who say, “that’s exactly what happened to me”. People are frightened and want answers and others who suffer with the same things can supply answers.
    By the government’s pressure to ban this medication my son who is psychologically challenged faces prolonged pain with a minimal future due to no access to an effective drug since being severely allergic to all opioids, poor candidate for surgery and only 28 yes old. I took it upon myself to have his cardiologist order an ECG, resting ultrasound and a stress echo yearly to check for changes. It is every patients responsibility to inform your doctor’s of your concerns and how you want to protect yourself. By Public Citizens taking the decision out of the doctor and patients hand they are no better than the government making decisions about what you can do with YOUR BODY!!!.

    Posted on July 20, 2014 at 4:35 pm

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