Side Effects of Propoxyphene/Acetaminophen

Some of the most common side effects of propoxyphene/acetaminophen include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and dizziness. Since only vague side effect information is available for the medication, it is not known exactly how common these side effects are. While most side effects of the drug are minor, some are potentially serious and require medical attention, such as upper-right abdominal pain, hallucinations, or bladder control problems.

An Introduction to Propoxyphene/Acetaminophen Side Effects

As with any medicine, propoxyphene/acetaminophen (Darvocet®) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes the medication will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. In a survey of hospitalized patients, less than 1 percent of people taking normal doses of propoxyphene/acetaminophen reported experiencing side effects.
 
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with propoxyphene/acetaminophen. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of propoxyphene/acetaminophen side effects with you.)
 

Possible Side Effects of Propoxyphene/Acetaminophen

For many medications, the prescribing information carefully explains the exact percentage of side effects that were seen in clinical trials. However, the prescribing information for almost all older medications (including propoxyphene/acetaminophen) include only vague side effect information, with no percentages provided. Therefore, it can be difficult to know exactly how common (or how rare) the side effects of such medications may be.
 
Based on this limited information, the most common propoxyphene/acetaminophen side effects include:
 
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
     
Other possible side effects include (but are not limited to):
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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