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Heads up: FDA pulls Darvocet and Darvon from shelves


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Posted

I stumbled upon this quite by chance, and felt that it was worth passing along:

FDA pulls Darvon painkiller due to safety risks

First approved in the 1950s, opioid can cause dangerous heart rhythms, officials say

By MATTHEW PERRONE

The Associated Press

updated 11/19/2010 12:52:52 PM ET 2010-11-19T17:52:52

- WASHINGTON — The maker of the painkiller Darvon is pulling the drug off the market under pressure from public health officials who say it causes potentially deadly heart rhythms.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals has agreed to halt marketing of Darvon and the related brand Darvocet, which have been subject to safety concerns for decades.

About 10 million people in the U.S. received prescriptions for Darvon and related drugs in 2009, according to the FDA.

Friday's action puts the U.S. in line with Britain and the European Union, which previously decided to ban Darvon due to suicides and accidental overdoses.

FDA officials said they decided to take action based on a recent study showing Darvon interferes with the electrical activity of the heart, causing irregular heart rhythms that can be fatal.1

1Perrone, Mattherw. "FDA Pulls Darvon Painkiller Due to Safety Risks." MSN.com. MSNBC, 19 NOV 2010. Web. 19 Nov 2010. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40274692/ns/health-pain_center/>.

Posted

That's nice.. I used to pop three or four Darvocet at a time for my back. It's such a weak drug, even at 300mg. Comforting.

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