The Food and Drug Administration said today that the painkiller propoxyphene is being withdrawn from the market because it has been linked to a potentially deadly heart-rhythm abnormality, even when taken at recommended doses. Some 10 million people took the drug last year, both as stand alone pills, such as Darvon, and in products such as Darvocet, which combine it with acetaminophen.If you’re currently taking a medication containing propoxyphene, don’t abruptly stop it, since that can trigger withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and trembling. But do contact your doctor, so you can safely and gradually switch to a different medication.
"We concluded that the pain relief benefit of propoxyphene no longer outweighed the heart risks," John Jenkins, M.D., director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, saidat a press conference this morning.
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