November 19th, 2010

FDA pulls Darvocet pain pill from market, after it was made known that it could cause fatal abnormal heart rhythms. The FDA issued a statement which said that “The drug’s effectiveness in reducing pain is no longer enough to outweigh the drug’s serious potential heart risks,”

Over 10 million patients have been prescribed some form of the drug.  The maker of the brand name version has pulled their pills from the market, and generic drug manufacturers have been requested to do the same voluntarily.

This comes after a study on the effects of the pill on heart rhythms. The drug was banned in the UK six years ago, and in Europe about 18 months ago.

A public statement issued by the Public Citizen’s Health research group read “Due to FDA negligence, at least 1,000 to 2,000 or more people in the U.S. have died from using propoxyphene since the time the U.K. ban was announced,”

The risks are not cumulative meaning that once you stop taking the drug, the risks of abnormalities goes away.

Below is an informational video on Darvocet, and why it was used. Keep in mind that the FDA has banned the drug, and if you currently use it you need to contact your health care provider for an alternative treatment.