i have been taking darvocet for my arthritis and it works really well BUT it upsets my stomach (no matter if i take it with or without food) and makes my eyes do this weird jumpy thing. can anyone give me the lowdown on tylenol3, i was wondering if it would be better. thank you for your time.

hi lulutwo at any time tyl.3,4 over darvocet all the way but the darvoc is stronger than tyl,2 but upset my stomec so
codin is on top after hydro or dehydro ,oxycon,

I took darvocent for about 2 years after I developed an allergy to ibuprofen, which stopped the docs from prescribing me all NSAIDS. It worked well for a long time, then Kat looked into for me and said it was not a good long term med for chronic pain and that back in the 80s there were alot of OD deaths due to how dangerous this drug can be. NEVER take more than 2 at a time and never use it for a regular preventative CP regimen.

Here is the statement I read that made me switch from darvocet to hydrocodone several years back:

A large proportion of these deaths occur because most of the drug is converted into a metabolite that is highly toxic to the heart and lasts longer in the body than the original compound, resulting in cardiac depression. Adverse cardiac events associated with propoxyphene include an interruption of heart transmission of electrical impulses, slowed heartbeats and a decreased ability of the heart to contract properly.

Fatalities within the first hour of overdosage are not uncommon. In a survey of deaths due to overdosage conducted in 1975, in approximately 20% of the fatal cases, death occurred within the first hour (5% occurred within 15 minutes).

Because toxicity develops with the drug at only slightly above the recommended daily dose, propoxyphene is consistently mentioned as one of the top ten drugs found in peoples’ systems during autopsies.

The Journal of the American Medical Association, published a study over 36 years ago in which they found that Darvon or Propoxyphene was no more effective that two aspirin tablets.


People, from what I read, were popping them along with cocktails to get high and dropping dead. When they did the autopsies, they found they were killed by propoxyphene (the painkilling ingredient in darvocet)

I started to get alot of strange palpitations and talked to Kat about it and I decided to switch after she researched it for me. I was shocked the doctors left me on this for so long.

I hope this helps someone make a decision about using it. It is fine for a few days afer a surgery or tooth pain. After my gall bladder surgery I was RXed tylenol #3s and preferred the darvocet. It worked better for the pain and did not put me to sleep like the codeine did, so I went back to using the darvocet after 2 days.

Darvocet is NOT meant for long term treatment of chronic pain...not for what I had, which started out with chronic sciatic pain and turned into a fibromyalgia DX. My worst trigger points pressed on the sciatic nerve on my left lower back. The darvocet was prescribed "as needed" but I started to use it preventatively. Hydro is a much better medication for this type of pain. I cannot take aspirin or ibuprofen or aleve, so my choices are limited. There is tylenol and then tylenol with an narcotic additive....depending or the severity of the pain...
I hope this helps....
Dawn

Interesting post Dawn, and probably explains why we don't hear much about Darvocet when people talk about their various pain regimens, I have never heard this aspect of the med. before. Good information!

I never liked Darvocet, I was taking hydro's for 5 years and whenever I tried Darvocet in between refills I just got upset stomach and an overall unwell feeling. I even have a script for Darvocet with 2 refills and haven't bothered to get it filled.

Dawn,
This is so interesting....
My mom has Fibro. And has been scripted many many years darvocet. She's been on it for over 10. According to your post, seems like ppl get into trouble when they use more than prescribed or in addition to alcohol. I never found it very effective in relieving my pain. I always saw it as a glorified tylenol. I have to say my mom sticks to her 2 a day. I'm glad to of read your post. Something to keep in the back of the mind. I always saw it as a safer med. And have to admit to taking them on accation. And I've taken 2 at a time, to get even minimal relief. I think after reading this....I'll pass from now on on the darvacets! Thanks for posting this. That's why this board is so GREAT!

2Cool

Back in the beginning of my illness (when internet sales were the "wild, wild, west") I was sent darvocet. I didn't realize it was a different compound. I had no education about this stuff back then, and no doctors who understood what was wrong, yet.

Anyway, I remember feeling really sick, but I thought it was the illness, not the med. Now, when I look back, it had to be my reaction to the med. I wasn't being stupid, I just thought it was a different name for the same medication.

So glad to see this information. Of course, with the help of my PW friends, I have come a long way and would never do something like that again without checking it out with the "real" professionals here.

On Feb. 28, 2006, the Health Research Group petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately begin phasing out the sale of the dangerous painkiller propoxyphene (DARVON). The reason for the petition is that propoxyphene has been associated with over 10,000 confirmed deaths and 2,110 reported accidental deaths in the U.S. from 1981 through 1999. There are many generic versions of propoxyphene on the market, as well as a number of products that combine propoxyphene with acetaminophen (TYLENOL). These products are sold as DARVOCET and are also widely sold as generic drugs. A phased withdrawal, instead of an immediate ban, is necessary because of the addicting properties of the drug and the need to switch patients to other painkillers.

The entire article can be read here:
http://www.worstpills.org/includes/results.cfm?drug_id=...&SecResult=1&print=1