Will America Ban Darvocet?
People with migraines or chronic headaches tend to have other chronic pain and need to take painkillers. One of the most powerful painkillers on the market, Darvocet (active ingredient propoxyphene), which is already banned in some countries like the United Kingdom, is now on the road to be banned in the United States. Darvocet also is known by the brand name Darvon. The worry is that Darvocet can make someone with non-sucidial tendecies suddenly up and commit suicide or accidental death. Another worry is that Darvocet just doesn’t work, or only works as a placebo.
Come Again?
Since Darvocet’s introduction in 1957, the Federal Drug Administration has reports of 1400 accidental deaths or suicides that they feel was caused by Darvocet. The FDA set up a panel to investigate whether Darvocet should be banned (or phased out, as was done in the UK from 2005 - 2007).
The panel was set up after a watchdog group called Public Citizen petitioned the DA to re-evaluate their position on Darvocet and Darvon way back in February of 2006. That was their upteempth Darvocet petition, with the first being sent to the FDA in the 1970’s. They claim there has been over 2100 Darvocet-related deaths since 1981.
In the last days of January, 2009, the FDA panel recommended the ban.
Is This Good News or Bad News?
The jury is still out on whether this is good news or bad news. It kind of depends on your point of view. I remember that my Mom spent years trying to find a suitable arthritis painkiller after Vioxx got banned. Arthritis patients do not seem pleased.
Growing our own marijuana is looking REAL good now…
March 1st, 2009 at 10:04 am
Follow the money, is what I say . . .
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1438278/is_cymbalta_behind_the_new_fda_push.html?cat=71
Every drug has safety, even death, issues. But a drug that has been around so long (50 years!) and is still helping people, what is that about? The FDA is dead wrong to act as though drugs are interchangeable for people. They aren’t. Humans are more complicated than that.