Darvocet and Darvon are prescription drugs derived from propoxyphene, an opioid substance. Similar to Codeine, these two drugs are used for the relief of light to medium pain. It is also used as a cough inhibitor but does not definitely cure the main cause of cough.
In terms of strength, these two are less potent compared to morphine, hydrocodone, and codeine.
The two works similarly in the brain in relieving pain, but they differ in chemical composition. Darvon just mainly consists of propoxyphene while Darvocet is a mixture of propoxyphene and Tylenol’s active component, acetaminophen.
These drugs are known by numerous brand, generic, and street names. The two generic names for these drugs are Acetaminophen/Propoxyphene Systemic and Aspirin/Caffeine/Propoxyphene Systemic.
The brand names of Darvon are Darvon Compound-65, Propoxyphene Compound 65, PC-CAP, and Darvon Compound 32. Whereas, the brand names for Darvocet are Propacet 100, Darvocet A500, Darvocet-N 100, and Darvocet-N 50.
To hide the real identities of these drugs for illegal purposes, they are tagged with unique street names such as Footballs, N’s, 65’s, Yellow Footballs, Pinks, and Pink Footballs. These street names vary in different areas and derived from the color or other physical features of the drug.
Unfortunately, these drugs were removed from the markets of the United States and Great Britain. This move was done because of the several medical findings regarding the side effect of these drugs in altering the normal electrical behavior of the heart.
Moreover, the death counts from patients using these drugs drastically increased. Approximately, there were 16 deaths for every 100,000 prescriptions of these drugs. This is much higher compared to Hydrocodone and Tramadol having 10 and 8 deaths for every 100,000 prescriptions.
Darvocet and Darvon, How They Work
Similar to other opioids drugs, these two are orally ingested and then goes in the blood and targets the brain. In the brain, they specifically attach themselves to the opioid receptor to inhibit the brain from feeling pain.
The pain-relieving action is further reinforced by its ability to stimulate the secretion of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical and hormone responsible for the reward and happy feeling induced in the brain.
The strength of these drugs is inferior to that of aspirin and codeine. For instance, 65 milligrams of these drugs is still weaker compared to 30 to 45 milligrams of codeine or 650 milligrams of aspirin.
Furthermore, these substances stay much longer inside the body. These drugs have a half-life of around 6 to 12 hours, which means it takes much of that time before the original amount of drug taken is metabolized and turns to half.
Addiction and Dangers
In general, these drugs are considered dangerous for two main reasons: (1) they have high addictive potential due to the euphoric sensation they deliver and (2) they alter the normal electrical behavior of the heart.
Whether at low or high dosage, short and long-term effects can be felt by the patient from using these drugs. The short-term effects of these drugs are parallel to that of other opioid drugs.
A slower breathing pattern is one of the major side effects of these drugs. Consequently, a person with a weak lung or having trouble breathing is not advised to take these medications as it will worsen the condition.
These drugs are also capable of degrading the body coordination and muscle movement of the patient. People taking these medications must take extra precaution when driving home or working with machines.
Another noticeable short-term effect is the slow cognitive processing of the person. Likewise, dependence from these substances can degrade the body’s natural mechanism to relieve pain by secreting endorphins.
In contrast, the long-term effects of these substances are more detrimental and possibly irreparable. Because of the dangerous side effect of these substances to alter the normal electrical pulse of the heart, the common long-term side effects are related to cardiovascular diseases. Some of these heart problems include irregular and slower heartbeat and heart attack.
Medications and Treatments
Before undergoing any treatment program, the patient must first accept one’s condition and the need for external help. With this in mind, the patient will no longer fight with any medication and therapies to be done for the recovery process.
In any treatment program, detoxification and abstinence are always the first steps. A large amount of these harmful chemicals must be flushed out of the system. However, this process will induce corresponding withdrawal symptoms which need to be handled by the patient.
The typical withdrawal symptoms from detoxification and abstinence from these substances include the inability to sleep, muscle and bone pains, excessive sweating, lethargy, mood swings, highly irritable, and stomach cramps, and hallucinations.
The common medication prescribed to patients suffering from opioid addiction is Suboxone. This medication contains the active ingredients buprenorphine and naloxone which counters the effects of opioids in the brain.
Buprenorphine counters the effects of opioids by attaching itself in the opioid receptors and decrease the effects of opioid drugs in the brain.
Naloxone works slightly different from buprenorphine but still the same goal, which is, reducing the effects of opioids. This medication blocks the receptors from which the opioids bind themselves. The overall effect is a decreased impact of the opioids in the brain.
These medications are intended to treat the biological aspect of addiction. However, to hasten the recovery process, behavioral therapies must be incorporated to correct unhealthy behaviors and replace them with a healthy one.
The common therapies for this addiction are individual and group therapy session. Individual therapy provides private counseling between the patient and the therapist or psychologist. It aims to help the patient further understand one’s condition and how these can be resolved.
Meanwhile, Group Therapy Intervention allows the patient to be part of an anonymous group sharing the same condition. The goal of this therapy is to bring back the normal socialization skills of the patient through group therapy sessions of sharing each other’s experiences. Likewise, all the members do community extension service to practice one’s social responsibility which implies good behavior and cognition.
