måndag 1 oktober 2012

Darvon and Darvocet (Propoxyphene) – the “forgotten” drugs; They could have caused 3 600 - 4 600 fatalities every year during 2003 - 2010




Our CV bit.ly/NUSPQ4

During the years 2003 – 2010 (eight years) The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) have reported 64 039 cases of drug related deaths - of a total number of 1 368 500 of deaths in the state during the mentioned eight years.

Of these 64 039 (mean 8 005) drug-related death 2 597 (mean 325) had the painkilling substance Propoxyphene (Darvon and Darvocet) in their blood when they died. The medical examiners in Florida estimated the 657 persons (mean 82/year) died from propoxyphene alone.  The rest 1 941 (mean 243) – had propoxyphene and other drug/drugs in the blood – after death.

It's a really pity that the medical examiners do not report the amount of propoxyphene in the blood, or the amount of ethyl alcohol or the amount of bensodiazepiner - as they found after death.

Ethyl Alcohol in 30 902 cases= 48,3%

But they reported the prevalence of Ethyl Alcohol and bensodiazepines in the blood after death. And we found that there were 30 902 cases (mean 3 863) with Ethyl Alcohol( 48,3%) in the blood, that 20 878 (mean 2 610) had benzodiazepines ( 32,6%) and that there were 2 610  deceased with propoxyphene (mean 325) which was mean 4,1%. It is well know from the scientific literature that Ethyl Alcohol and Benzodiazepines strengthens the prevalence of Propoxyxphene.

-       Early in the 1970s there was warnings about the risk of Propoxyphene toxicity and about the potentiating action of alcohol on the propoxyphene effect were issued in the US on the basis of clinical reports. (Sturner WQ, Garriott JC. Death involving propoxyphene, a study of 41 cases over a two-year period (JAMA 1973;223:1125-1130) and (Fatalitied due to use or misuse of painkillers. Birgitta Jonasson, Ulf Jonasson, Stockholm, 2001, ISBN 91-38-31848-2) page 18.

In our study “The prevalence of dextropropoxyphene in autopsy blood samples. Forensic Science Int. 1998;96:135-142, we investigated a forensic medicine material from the years 1992-1996.The analysis were made on 23 691 blood-samples from 1992-1996. Propoxyphene was found in 1 782 (7,5%) cases - around 200 per year.

60% men and 40% women

The mean blood DXP concentration in the Swedish study was 1,62 µg/g - the DXP level in the blood corresponding to therapeutic doses ranges from 0.05 – 0.75 µg/g . Of the 1 782 cases, 60% were men and 40% women.

A significantly higher DXP level (2,36 µg) was found in the group aged younger than 50 years compared with the cases  older than 50 years of age (1.04 µg /g)

Paracetamol was found in 53% of the 1 782 cases (mean 75 µg/g), therapeutic level 2.5-25 µg/g.

Alcohol was found in the blood in 43% of the 1 782 cases (mean blood alcohol concentration 0.14%. 

Back to the FDLE – data.

We know that 656 cases (82/a year) died from Propoxyphene – alone - as cause and that 1 941 (243) cases had Propoxyphene + some other dug/drugs in their blood when they died. We do not know how much Propoxyphene anyone had in their blood – as we did in Sweden. We neither didn´t know how much Ethyl Alcohol and Benzodiazepines they had in their blood when they died – but we know from Sweden it was quite high doses. We also know that 48,3% of the deceased had Ethyl Alcohol in the blood and 32,6% had Bensodiazepines.

Therefore it is reasonable that we make an assumption by applying a portion of the Swedish data to the American society - in this case data from Florida.

We have an average of 82 deaths in the Florida data - every of the eight years - due to poisoning to death by Propoxypohe alone – and of the reminding 243 fatalities we estimate that 25% also could have cause death where Propoxyphene was involved.(comparing with Swedish data)

Therefore, we get the following figures: 25% of 243 is 61. The new figure we now get is, 82+61=103

Counties in Florida and US

In Florida there are 67 counties and there are 3 033 counties in the whole US, it makes that 2,2% of the counties are in Florida. The mean population for Florida from 2003 to 2010 was 17,8 million inhabitants, which is 5,9% of the mean population in US during the years 2003-2010 was 300,4 million inhabitants.

The data mentioned above gives us the following equation; 67 counties in Florida, 3 033 counties in US, 82 deaths due to Propoxyphene alone and the factor X – the number of fatalities in US.  67/3 033 = 82/X – which makes the numbers of death due to propoxyphene in the whole US is 3 712.

When we use the new data:  82 + 25% of the “present” data. 67 counties/3 033 counties = 103/X which gives you 4 640 fatalities/every year during 2003-2010,

Summary:

During the years 2003-2010 there could be 8 x 3 712 fatalities = 29 686 deceased – that means they were poisoned to death due to Propoxyphene.

During the years 2003-2010 there could be 8 x 4 640 fatalities = 37 120 deceased – that means they were poisoned to death due to Propoxyphene.

These are really scary numbers. And we are just able to estimate 8 years of the 53 years that propoxyphene has been around (from 1957 – 2010).

Prescriptions.

We have earlier presented the numbers of prescriptions on Propoxyphene during  the years 2003 - 2010. There were a total of 165 305 000 prescriptions on Propoxyphene in eight years, where the mean was 20 663 000. The highest number of prescriptions was 2003 with 24 015 000 prescriptions and the lowest was 2010 with 14 275 000.

We could also mention the yearly consumption of Propoxyphene 2003-2010. For US it was a total of 617 713 kg (mean was 77 214 kg/year). These figures we now present are from 2003 – 2010. You can imagine what the drug has done and how many fatalities it has caused from the year 1957 – 2010 when it was banned in US.

How could all this be possible?

Propoxyphene is considered a mild drug, and the drug companies - primarily Eli Lilly - has encouraged this approach and both public authorities and the majority of the medical profession have - over the years believed that Darvon and Darvocet are harmless drugs.

During the past few years - then still the analgesic drugs has been highlighted part - has been presented several reports of drugs danger.

I have recently discovered new data from FDLE showing on statistics from 2001 - 2010, (10 years) but but it turns out that neither the “2001 Report of drugs” nor “the 2002 Report of Drugs” there is not a single word about Propoxyphene with. Not a single word, although in 2001 were prescribed 27,315,000 recipes Propoxyophene, 2002 were prescribed 25,197,000 prescriptions.

During the year 2003 - when Propoxyphene occurs for the first time – it was recorded 356 cases of Propoxyphene which 108 are cause.

The consumption of propoxyphene was very high, in 2001some 97 208 kg was consumed and 2002 the consumption was 110 041 kg in the US - the highest figure during the last 10-12 years.

Propoxyphene since 1957 – 53 years

Propoxyphene has thus been in the U.S. since 1957 and it has been one of the best selling preparations for many years, and it has caused a great many people deaths. I consider Propoxyphene as the forgotten drug, the legal drugs that was likely to have has caused most deaths in the U S and the world in general. It is also the most dangerous drug of the prescribed drugs of the legal drugs.

An American disaster

Overall, it's a disaster for the American society and for them - perhaps hundreds of thousands of people - whom lost their lives and their families that lost one loved person.

It is also therefore the substance Propoxyphene was banned in US November 19th 2010.

Swedish data – compared to US data:

During the years 1992-1999 we found that 200 persons were poisoned to death due to (Dextro) Propoxyphene (DXP) in Sweden. During the years 2003 – 2010 we estimate the fatalities in US due to DXP had a mean of 3 600 – 5 500/year.

During these years Sweden had an average consumption of DXP of 2 400 kg (US had – during the years 1982 – 2003 - a consumption of 87 360 kg/year, (36 times more in US) and our country had then around 8,5 millions habitants. US had around 275 millions. (32 times higher in US). The average prescription was in Sweden around one million prescriptions, and in US it was - 2000-2010 – 22 256 000 prescriptions in US (22 times higher in US).

Some interesting links:

Florida Drug reports from 2001 – 2010 http://fameonline.org/fame-documents/19-drug-report

International National Control Board in Vienna - Narcotic Drugs - Technical Reports from 2001 – 2010 http://www.incb.org/incb/en/narcotic_drugs_reports.html

Personal data from INCB, 2003 from Herbert Schaepe and Pavel Pachta.

drugtopics.modernmedicine “2010 Top 200 generic drugs by total prescriptions – this link is for 2010”

http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/data/articlestandard//drugtopics/252011/727243/article.pdf


torsdag 13 september 2012

How many fatalities do you estimate that 2 153 387 kg Propoxyphene ( Darvon, Darvocet) (DXP) have caused in US during the years 1982 - 2010? (29 years)

How many fatalities do you estimate that 2 153 387 kg Propoxyphene ( Darvon, Darvocet) (DXP)  have caused in US during the years 1982 - 2010? (29 years). The average consumption per year was 74 255 kg.


How many fatalities do you estimate that 1 242 949 kg (DXP) have caused in India during the years 1995 - 2010? (16 years). The average consumption per year was 77 684 kg.

How many fatalities do you estimate that 6 759 393 kg (DXP) have caused in the whole world during the years 1982- 2010? The average consumption per year was 233 082 kg.

Data from US and India

The consumption during the year 2010 for US and India - the last available data - was: US 44 376 kg and India 134 766 kg.

The first available data for India was 1995, the consumption was 34 524 kg, which increased with 390 per cent - to 134 766 kg for the year 2010. The figures for 1995 for US was 111 199 kg, and it was a decrease with 60 per cent to 44 376 kg for 2010.

The aim of this presentation was initially to estimate the number of fatalities due to poisoning to death of DXP in US, India and the world over time. We had data for the situation in Sweden, that´s what our research is about.

We found it very difficult to draw any specific conclusions of the above presented data about the numbers of fatalities in some special countries. Living conditions are different in most countries, and especially if you compare some west European countries with countries in Asia.

Nonetheless, we report data from INCB - The International Narcotic Control Board in Vienna - and from our own research. Conclusions must to be taken in different environments and countries. We are just able to give some specific data – that we are responsible for ourselves - the data in Sweden.

Some data from Sweden:

During the years 1982 - 2005 (24 years) the total consumption of Propoxyxophene was 48 639 kg, which was 2 397 kg every year. Sweden is a small country, just 8 -9 million inhabitants during these years. (There are no figures about the consumption between the years 2006 - 2010).

During the investigated years 1992 - 1999 was the consumption 18 720 kg, that was 2 340 kg every year. According to our research - http://bit.ly/PMoh8j - we found 200 fatalities due to poisoning to death by Propoxyphene.)

Accordingly, in our Swedish material there was a consumption of 2 340 kg every year during the 8 years 1992 - 1999 that caused 200 fatalities every year.

How did we get our data?

We got the data - about the global consumption - that we use here from Herbert Schaepe, Secretary. INCB. The year 1982- 2001, and from 2002 - 2010 http://bit.ly/z1l1rK - His email to us was sent 28 November 2002.

We also got data from Pavel Pachta, Chief, Narcotic Control and Estimates Unit, These data was the consumption figures from Sweden, Norway and Denmark and the  three "Big consumers" US, UK and France  for the years 1982- 2001. Report of the International Narcotics Control for 2000-2010. http://bit.ly/Qkcc8s - His email to us was sent 6 March 2003

(Please read also our CV: http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4

Background data:

Since 1994 we have done research about the painkilling substance (Dextro) Propoxyphene (DXP) and we have been eager to find data - in other scientific articles - about how many persons that have died due to poisoning to death by DXP. In our own research this was one of our main questions.

Our most important data in our dissertations was the prevalence of DXP in forensic medicine studies, the numbers of fatalities due to DXP during the period we worked with. Study 1: The prevalence of DXP in autopsy blood samples. For Sci Int 1998;96:135-142.

The second most important results from our research were: Study 2: The manner of death among fatalities where DXP caused or contributed to death. For Sci Int 1998;96:181-187.

PS. Our sources, our data and the two emails mentioned above are available if you are interested in these data.

Illustration: Death - Dextropropoxyphene in forensic materials”.

We also transmit with this text an illustration to an article published by MPA on the 25 June 2007 – in Swedish. The article is called “Dextropropoxyphene - follow-up report on the safety 2000-2006”. http://bit.ly/OsfV7u - The picture:  “Death - Dextropropoxyphene in forensic materials”. http://bit.ly/PdWxYP

It shows “unclear deaths (yellow), suicide (cerise) and accident (blue)”.

As we have said,  we have published several studies about our results, where we found 200 fatalities every year 1992-1999. The illustration shows that even the year 2000 the number of fatalities was 200.  And after this year there has been a real drop until the year 2006. In this year the fatalities was ca 50 persons.

onsdag 5 september 2012

Länkar till Ulf Jonassons bloggar


Efter 20 år inom forskningens värld och 50 år inom journalistikens, har nu mina verksamheter koncentrerats till tre projekt:
·        Att stoppa den smärtstillande produkten dextropropoxifen (DXP) över hela världen.
·        Att fortsätta arbeta för Heléne Fossmos död skall betraktas som mord, och att mördaren är henne f d man Helge Fossmo.
·        Att visa att vårt lands neutralitetspolitik ”var körd ” redan 1952 och att Tage Erlanders besök hos President Truman 14 april 1952 sannolikt kan kopplas till DC 3:ans nedskjutning.
Hur går det med mina tre projekt? Kolla och ni får se vad ni tycker:
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Darvon, Distalgesic and Co-Proxamol are the worst drugs ever:
Ett av sätten att sprida våra kunskaper har varit via YouTube men också via Twitter
Den 19 nov 2010 stoppades substansen dextropropoxifen i USA - det ämne som vi forskat på sedan 1994 och som båda våra doktorsavhandlingar handlar om. Såväl Sverige, England och senare hela EU hade stoppat medlet tidigare.
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 Var Heléne Fossmos död den 18 dec 1999 Knutbys första mord?
Det var också jag som låg bakom att Veckans Brott tog upp fallet Helene Fossmo, (Veckans Brott, ABC och Rapport)
Sökord Ulf Jonasson Helge Fossmo  ABC
 Mitt material om Heléne död har publicerats på ett antal olika bloggar och liknande. Dessa har till dags dato besökts med än 60 000 gånger, bl a;
Till minnet av Heléne Fossmo – Facebook:
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Tage Erlander möter President Truman den 14 april 1952
Två sidor i Aftonbladet 21 juli 2007 + DC 3:an och jag http://on.fb.me/jlpJkm
Jag är en av de mycket få i vårt land som varit inne i den nesdkjutna och sedemera upptagna DC 3: an. - se bild - dock utanför planet här)

”PM:n var hemliga i 50 år” http://on.fb.me/jPvppQ
( viktiga data som jag fått från President Trumans bibliotek i USA)
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tisdag 28 augusti 2012

Co-proxamol and suicide: preventing the continuing toll of overdose deaths

http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/98/3/159.2.short

This is the scientific article that was the basis for the British drug authorities (MHRA) to begin to phase out the Co-proxamol - containing dextropropoxyphene - 2007. By this article´s 73 references, six were ours - which is simply great. One tend to be quite happy with one or two references, but six beats everything, Our references are numbers 21 - 26.
 ·  · för 5 minuter sedan · 

jmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/98/3/159.2.short



torsdag 23 augusti 2012

Letter to: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization in India

Dear Sirs,

About Dextropropoxyphene:

During the years 2006-2010 the total consumption of the substance Dextropropoxypehene (DXP) in India was 566 574 kg, that is 113 314 kg/year. The consumption i USA during these years ( 2006 - 2010)  was 358 163 kg, that is 71 633 kg per year.

The worldconsumption during these years was 260 718 kg a year. The worldconsumption 2010 was 214 861 kg, and the consumption in India was the same year 134 766 kg. As a matter of fact, the consumption in India was 63 % of the world consumption the year 2010. These figures are really alarming.

The figures are from INCB, The International Narcotic Control Board in Vienna, the report is here : http://bit.ly/z1l1rK

pages 219 for India, 235 for US and 237 for the worldconsumption

------------------------------------------------------
We have worked with the substance dextropropoxyphene (DXP) since 1994, we wrote eight scientific artilces about DXP and we wrote and defended two doctorial dissertations, 2000 and 2001. Se further our CV http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4

Our scientic articles are here: http://bit.ly/PMoh8j

and my Tweets are here; 

We have worked since 1994 to stop the painkiller Darvon – containing propoxyphene – in US. Now it is done.http://bit.ly/9r5VOU
Who were responsible for the Darvon disaster during 45 years? Of course it was Eli Lilly. Go to http://bit.ly/exdSOn
“Darvon and Darvocet trials will be bigger than Vioxx”, predicts Dr Ulf Jonasson – http://bit.ly/i7hnIB
Are we actually the Whistleblowers about banning Darvon?  Judge for yourselves. http://bit.ly/exdSOn
Eli Lilly has the moral responsibility for 100 000 deaths caused by Darvon since 1957. Time to pay http://bit.ly/i7hnIB
We are just two Davids against the Goliaths, “Big Pharma” is the enemy and we are winning the battle. http://bit.ly/9r5VOU
Methadone kills lots of people, dextropropoxyphene kills even more, go to http://bit.ly/N8Zoyc  and http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4
Thousands have sued Eli Lilly et al. about the danger of Darvon and Darvocet - http://bit.ly/nmNNc2  - http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4
Hundreds of trials – about the painkillers Darvon and Darvocet - will soon start in Lexington, Kentucky, http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4
My tweets are worth studying, no one has studied Darvon and Darvocet as comprehensive as we have,http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4 
My tweets are about the dangers with the painkilling substance (Dextro) Propoxyphene- Darvon, Darvocet et al.http://bit.ly/Mk7NTB
Here you will find our scientific papers on (Dextro) Propoxyphene. (Darvon – Darvocet)  http://bit.ly/PMoh8j
Restrictions on the prescribing of Propoxyphene – effects on sales and cases of fatal poisoning in Sweden http://bit.ly/PM2Csh 
I have been in journalism 50 years - in research 20 - now the big thing is how Eli Lilly will be sued http://bit.ly/NUSPQ4
My question is; How is India dealing with this GREAT problem? 
Our reserach are about the years 1992-1999, during these years the yearly consumption in Sweden was ca 2 400 kg and these figure caused 200 fatalities every year.
The averge consumption in India  113 314 kg/year. How many fatalities could this be?
As we show in our CV´s, we wrote two doctorial dissertation about that
We do look forward to hear from you
Kind regards
Ulf Jonasson, Doctor in Public Health and Birgitta Jonasson, PhD
----------------------------------------------------
Ulf Jonasson
Doctor in Public Health (DrPH) and Journalist
Lövdalsvägen 5, SE-640 20 Björkvik, Sweden
Phone:+46(0)155 714 55 Cellphone:+46(0)730 23 26 00

http://ulfjonasson.nforced..com/
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tisdag 7 augusti 2012

A report in English about Propoxyphene (Darvon - Darvocet)

 -  - 

Restrictions on the prescribing of dextropropoxyphene (DXP) – effects on sales and cases 
of fatal poisoning. 

Ulf Jonasson & Birgitta Jonasson, 

Report written on behalf of Rättsmedicinalverket (National Board of Forensic Medicine) and Läkemedelsverket  (Medical Products Agency) in co-operation with Riksförsäkringsverket (National Social Insurance Board) and Giftinformationscentralen (Swedish Poisons Information Centre)



A report in English about Propoxyphene (Darvon - Darvocet) :
 -  - 

torsdag 26 juli 2012

Here you will find our scientific papers on (Dextro) Propoxyphene. http://1.usa.gov/OAVwGK

Jonasson B, Saldeen T.
Forensic Sci Int. 2002 Mar 28;126(1):1-6.
PMID:
 
11955823
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
2.
Jonasson U, Jonasson B, Saldeen T, Thuen F.
Forensic Sci Int. 2000 Aug 14;112(2-3):163-9.
PMID:
 
10940601
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
3.
Jonasson U, Jonasson B, Saldeen T.
Prev Med. 2000 Aug;31(2 Pt 1):103-6.
PMID:
 
10938209
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
4.
Jonasson B, Jonasson U, Saldeen T.
J Forensic Sci. 2000 Jan;45(1):7-10.
PMID:
 
10641912
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
5.
Jonasson U, Jonasson B, Saldeen T.
Forensic Sci Int. 1999 Jul 26;103(2):125-32.
PMID:
 
10481265
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
6.
Jonasson B, Jonasson U, Holmgren P, Saldeen T.
Int J Legal Med. 1999;112(5):299-302.
PMID:
 
10460420
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
7.
Jonasson B, Jonasson U, Saldeen T.
J Forensic Sci. 1999 Mar;44(2):334-8.
PMID:
 
10097357
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
8.
Jonasson B, Jonasson U, Saldeen T.
Forensic Sci Int. 1998 Sep 28;96(2-3):181-7.
PMID:
 
9854833
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
9.
Jonasson U, Jonasson B, Holmgren P, Saldeen T.
Forensic Sci Int. 1998 Sep 28;96(2-3):135-42.
PMID:
 
9854831
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
10.
Jonasson U, Jonasson B, Wickström L, Andersson E, Saldeen T.
Subst Use Misuse. 1998 May;33(6):1375-85.
PMID:
 
9603276
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
11.
Jonasson B, Jonasson U, Ekselius L, von Knorring L.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1997 Jan;19(1):36-41.
PMID:
 
9034810
 
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]