Ban on Darvon, Darvocet, and Propoxyphene Sought By Public Citizen
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Doctors wrote 23 million prescriptions for the painkiller propoxyphene and drugs which contain propoxyphene last year. Yet a group known as Public Citizen is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the drugs more commonly known as Darvon, Darvocet, and Wygesic. The petition cites that 2,110 people died of accidental deaths between 1981 and 1999 by taking drugs which contained propoxyphene. The petition also cites that a similar number of people each year use the drugs to commit suicide.
- Public Citizen claims, "There is no excuse for this drug to be around."
- The FDA has 180 days to respond to petitions.
- Public Citizen may not wait before taking legal action to get the drugs removed from the market.
- In January 2005, a phase-out and ban occurred for co-proxamol (paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene) in the United Kingdom.
- The problem with the drug, according to Public Citizen is that in the body propoxyphene turns into norpropoxyphene, which can accumulate in the body and cause heart problems including fatal arrhythmias.
- Propoxyphene is said to be among the most widely abused painkillers.
But what happens to people who depend on this drug so that they can function and have quality of life? Should they be punished and have a drug banned which is an effective drug for them, because there are some people who abuse the drug? Propoxyphene has been on the market since 1957. Public Citizen tried to get it banned in 1978.
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Comments
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.
Where can we that take Darvon and want to keep it, voice our oppion about this?
I have taken darvon for over nine years. I have bilateral hip dysplasia. I am in a lot of pain, however, I do not want the stronger drugs that they are willing to give me. I have to be able to function. It is not fair that they are taking this off the market. I am bummed.
I’ll try to find out where to complain!
I have been taking Darvocet for over 10 years to control my chronic pain-it doesn’t take away all the pain-just makes it tolerable to be able to function for the day. My doctor keeps an eye on my liver functions and I know not to exceed the limits daily due to possible acetophetmine toxicity. What do we need to do to make our voices heard over this? Aren’t all drugs-prescription or otherwise a danger to people if not taken as directed? May the Lord help anyone that belongs to Public Citizen who may need a certain drug and can’t get it because of their crusade. I have been offered stronger pain medication, but have refused because I am in control with my Darvocet.
Follow along in this forum thread about this. Someone lists the phone number of where to complain.
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-arthritis&tid=15703
I’ve taken Darvocet for over 20 years to ease out the pain of the fibromyagia which it responds to no other painkiller I took.
no side effect for me so far.
Please keep Darvocet available for someone who have problem like mine.
Anything that works is removed for seemingly innocuous reasons, I believe this continued removal of helpful medications is based on an agenda to bring new drugs to market that are going to be expensive to consumers because of the drug companies patents. Enough is enough, can’t adults be given the facts and make their own decisions about THEIR bodies?
Like many others, I too have depended on occaisional use of Darvon Comp 65 for severe headaches Nothing Else has even come close to relief for me. After the compound was banned or discontinued, I am still using propoxephene
with 1 excedrin per my Dr. Bottom Line Darvon Works for me without doping me up. I think the only reason we’d have to try life without Darvon might be that Some feel it’s too affordable and want to sell us high powered junk that costs mre.The idea to sinle out Darvon products for suicide is straight up B S !Reguards, Anne
I HOPE & PRAY YOU DO NOT BAN DARVOCET BECAUSE
IT’S ALL I CAN TOLERATE FOR MY CRONIC BACK PAIN.I’M NEVER PAIN FREE BUT IT MAKES IT BEARABLE.
I hope they don’t take darvocet off the market – it’s the only pain med that works for me. I’m allergic to almost everything else. I went to the FDA Website and posted a comment about it at http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=FDA-2006-P-0270
by clicking on the little yellow dialogue balloon on the bottom right corner of the page.