Darvocet Heart Arrythmia Lawsuit Filed in New York

A New York woman has filed a Darvocet lawsuit against Xanodyn Pharmaceuticals, alleging that the recently recalled painkiller caused her to suffer a near-fatal heart arrythmia.

The complaint was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, by a 31-year-old woman who allegedly suffered a cardiac arrhythmia earlier this year after using Darvocet for pain. The lawsuit comes just weeks after a Darvocet recall was issued when the FDA determined that all painkillers containing propxyphene pose an unreasonable risk to consumers.

Darvocet is a popular painkiller that combines the active ingredient in Darvon (propxyphene) with acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. Darvon was first introduced in 1957, with propoxyphene designed to relieve mild to moderate post-surgical pain. In recent years, Darvocet has grown to become one of the 25 most commonly prescribed medications, with more than 22 million people receiving the painkiller.

Last month, a Darvocet and Darvon recall was issued after the FDA determined that propoxyphene-based painkillers may increase the risk of potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities, including heart arrythmia. The medications were also previously linked to a risk of overdose and suicide. All generic Darvocet and generic Darvon versions of propoxyphene were also recalled.

According to a press release issued to announce the filing of the Darvocet heart arrythmia lawsuit, the plaintiff had no record of a pre-existing heart problems prior to using Darvocet. The heart arrythmia came in February, shortly after she had been prescribed the painkiller. 

The plaintiff indicates that she underwent invasive heart surgery, including cardiac ablation and electrocardioversion to save her life. As a result of the Darvocet heart injury, the plaintiff alleges to have suffered permanent and severe injuries, pain, suffering, emotional distress, and will have to undergo lifelong medications, heart monitoring and treatment, as well as concerns of premature death due to the resulting heart problems.  (A copy of the complaint was not immediately available).

The complaint is one of the first Darvocet lawsuits over heart problems to be filed in federal court, coming just a few days after a Darvocet class action lawsuit was filed in New Orleans. However, many more lawsuits are expected in the coming months, as Darvocet and Darvon lawyers are reviewing cases for people throughout the United States.

Various groups have been calling for a recall of Darvocet and Darvon for years, with the first petition for the FDA to ban the medications filed in 1978. The prominent consumer group Public Citizen has suggested that Darvon and Darvocet side effects likely resulted in between 1,000 and 2,000 additional deaths in the United States since the time the medication was banned in the U.K. in 2005.

While some users are calling for the drug’s return, a 2009 FDA advisory committee determined that Darvocet actually provides little painkilling benefit over taking aspirin alone, is highly addictive, and not worth the health risks when there are other painkillers that are more effective and less risky.