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Darvon Side Effects May Lead To Tachycardia Lawsuits

  Darvon Side Effects Cause Tachycardia. An opioid painkiller, Darvon was introduced onto the market and sold as propoxyphene in 1957. The painkiller was prescribed for the treatment of mild to moderate pain. Yet, recently the side effects of Darvon have been the subject of a Darvon lawsuit. The dangers dealt with in th Darvon […]

Darvon Side Effects

 

Darvon Side Effects Cause Tachycardia. An opioid painkiller, Darvon was introduced onto the market and sold as propoxyphene in 1957. The painkiller was prescribed for the treatment of mild to moderate pain. Yet, recently the side effects of Darvon have been the subject of a Darvon lawsuit. The dangers dealt with in th Darvon lawsuits are linked to the opioid painkillers active ingredient propoxyphene. Propoxyphene comes in different forms, such as propoxyphene found in Darvon-n, one type of Darvon-n medication. Although the more popular of the two drugs is Darvocet a combination pill of acetaminophen and propoxyphene, in 2009 alone, approximately 10 million prescriptions were written for Darvon and other related drugs, figures show.

The most common Darvon side effects warned against include becoming bothersome, as well as nausea, loss of consciousness, tightness in the chest, and changes to a persons mental state. It’s reported that in hospitalized patients, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness were seen as severe side effects of Darvon to occur most often. Shockingly, conditions as serious as cardiac arrest, congestive arrest, and myocardial infarction (MI), number among some of the post marketing adverse Darvon side effects observed following an investigation into side effects of Darvon, the subject of the Darvon lawsuit carried out by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals. The manufacturers of both Darvon and its acetaminophen and propoxyphene containing counterpart Darvocet, were instructed by the FDA to pull the propoxyphene products from the market in November 2010.

Interestingly, the drug long continued to be marketed even despite a public FDA meeting in 2009, where a majority winning vote carried out by experts ruled in favor of a Darvon and Darvocet recall. However, the FDA continued to market the drug despite experts Darvon toxicity warnings, simply altering labeling to include a warning against the risk of overdose. Meanwhile, Darvocet, Darvon’s counterpart, is also under scrutiny due to 2009 studies that point solely to the acetaminophen and not the propoxyphene contained in the painkiller, actually effectively acting against pain relief. The inefficacy of the propoxyphene to relieve pain has long been the subject of debate. Even taken at the recommended dose, propoxyphene was found to significantly alter electrical activity of the heart, as well as proving extremely addictive. Through these observed Darvon problems that subsequently led many to initiate a Darvon lawsuit, patients are being offered alternatives to their former propoxyphene containing medication. Recommended alternatives that do not carry the same risks linked to Darvon, include Tylenol, Tramadol (or Nucynta), oxycodone, or anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. Yet many are angered at the Darvon recall, and claim these alternatives are inffective to easing their pain.

The FDA US Darvon recall came years after the European and UK recall of the drug. The side effects of Darvon, of which there has been evidence for well over 30 years, caused the UK to issue a nationwide ban of the painkiller in 2005, and for the Darvon to be withdrawn from the European market in 2009. Consequently, the consumer watchdog Public Citizen has blamed the FDA for not acting sooner. A statement issued by the newsletter alleged that from FDA negligence, at least 1,000 to 2,000 people in the US have died from using propoxyphene since the time the UK ban was announced. Just why the FDA took so long to act when it came to banning the drug, has been the subject of much discussion in the recent months following the recall. This is especially true given that data for Darvon side effects bans executed in Europe and the United Kingdom was taken from US labs, (in Florida). In addition, the FDA has been petitioned more than once in the past to remove the drug from the market, so the Darvon lawsuit investigation will likely take this factor into account. Alarmingly, it is thought in Florida that 395 deaths were put down to propoxyphene alone, from 2005 to 2009, consumer watchdog Public Citizen maintains.

The FDA’s ordered withdrawal of the product was due to study results that highlighted a link between Darvon side effects and abnormal heart rhythms. On the results, Dr. Gerald Dal Pan, the FDA’s director of surveillance and epidemiology commented in a statement that for the first time [the FDA] now have data showing that the standard therapeutic dose of propoxyphene can be harmful to the heart. In some cases, this condition has been fatal. This has led many members of the public to file a Darvon lawsuit over injuries suffered and even wrongful death of family members. Severe Darvon side effects implicated in Darvon lawsuits include:

  • Arrhythmia
  • Bradycardia
  • Tachycardia
  • Cardiac/respiratory arrest

Darvon Lawsuit Filings

The Darvon lawsuit deals with the serious fatal abnormal heart rhythms that have been listed amongst Darvon side effects. Since the recall in November, we’ve seen flood of Darvon lawsuits – lawyers have been receiving in the region of 1,000 phone inquiries daily. It was our firm who legally represented plaintiff Kristine Esposito and filed one of the first Darvon lawsuits on her behalf. Kristine claims to have suffered a near fatal heart attack due to taking the drug. Also part of the , Darvon class action lawsuit is the family of Cornelius Kellehar, who died in early November 2010 having been on Darvon since July that year. His family claims his sudden heart problems were due to use of the propoxyphene painkiller, causing his wrongful death. Since the initial Darvon litigation began, Darvon news reports say experts predict the Darvon settlement for victims of Darvon and their families could be worth billions of dollars. This is due to the fact these product liability lawsuits concerning the drug deal with claims of wrongful death

The most recent lawsuit to be filed over Darvon and Darvocet came following the death of 22-year-old Kira Nicole. Prescribed Darvocet to treat pain from a knee injury, the young woman died within 8 days of having first taken the painkiller. Now having become part of the Darvocet and Darvon class action lawsuit, they allege that even though they read the medication insert and labeling, they were still none the wiser about the fact that the drug contained propoxyphene which had been associated with fatal abnormal heart rhythms in those who took it. Nor were they aware of propoxyphene being linked to thousands of death since 1981, a large percentage of which were connected to cardiac Darvocet and Darvon toxicity.

Need Legal Help Regarding Darvon Side Effects?

The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).

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