FDA Plans to Pull Plug on Darvon, Darvocet

On November 19, the FDA announced that it plans to withdraw propoxyphene - perhaps most commonly known as Darvon and Darvocet - from the US market because new findings indicate that it could cause serious toxicity to the heart, even when taken in therapeutic doses.

Propoxyphene is an opioid pain reliever used to treat mild to moderate pain. It's sold under a number of names as a single-ingredient product (such as Darvon) as well as in combination with acetaminophen (such as Darvocet).

A new study shows that even therapeutic levels of propoxyphene can cause significant changes to the electrical activity of the heart. This can put users at risk for serious abnormal heart rhythms, even if they have taken propoxyphene for many years. Users are at a higher risk if they have a change in their disease state, take other medications or have a decrease in kidney function.

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