It’s been called the Opiate Pain Reliever. Darvocet is categorized as a narcotic pain medication, and it was making headlines in 2010 for all the wrong reasons when it was withdrawn from the United States market in November.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) pulled the proverbial plug on the medical distribution of the drug. According to WebMD, the action came after new proof of heart side effects surfaced from studies of healthy people taking the prescription medication exactly as prescribed. Some 10 million Americans were already taking the drug and were directed to seek immediate medical attention because stopping cold turkey would trigger serious withdrawal symptoms.
The Problem with Darvocet
What made Darvocet so dangerous, and why would the FDA act so quickly and issue a statement directing all Darvocet users NOT to delay in seeking proper medical attention? The problem was in the formula.
Darvocet was engineering to relieve mild or moderate pain. The backbone of the pill was an acetaminophen and propoxyphene combination. You might recognize acetaminophen; it’s one of the most common over-the-counter drugs available at just about any store in the U.S. It’s commonly found in Tylenol and generic brands of pain relievers and cold medicines.
Propoxyphene is part of a group of drugs categorized as narcotic pain relievers. It can be habit-forming and is only available by prescription. The FDA was petitioned to ban Darvocet in 1978 and 2006 based solely on the safety issues surrounding propoxyphene. But the major problem with the drug stemmed from the development of abnormal, even fatal, heart rhythm abnormalities in healthy patients who took the approved dosage.
The Impact of Darvocet
Before Darvocet was removed from the U.S. market, it’s estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 people died from using propoxyphene. Interestingly, according to WebMD’s report, an FDA study determined that more deaths were linked to Darvocet than to either of its opioid painkiller alternatives, hydrocodone and tramadol.
Since its discontinuation, Darvocet has been erased from prescription form. But the drug hasn’t vanished from the United States. It can still be found on the black market where it’s sold to drug dealers and users alike. Anyone using Darvocet as a means to get high is not just risking (or already feeding) an opiate addiction but also the development of life-threatening heart problems.
The fact that Darvocet is only available through unapproved channels raises the stakes for those that are addicted. In the quest to score their preferred drug, they could very easy cross the legal line and find themselves arrested or incarcerated. In addition, as the drug becomes harder and potentially more costly to acquire, addicts could turn to other opiates for the “fix” their bodies physically need to avoid withdrawal.
The good news is that the heart-related side effects are not cumulative and should dissipate after use is stopped. If you or someone you know is still using Darvocet, it’s time to follow the FDA’s direction and seek qualified medical help.