Urgent Recall After Antidepressants Mixed Up With Erectile Dysfunction Medication

A pharmaceutical company in the US has issued a national recall after antidepressants were mixed up with erectile dysfunction medication.

AvKARE, based in Pulaski, Tennessee, announced the recall on Monday (7 December) after 1,000 bottles of 100mg trazodone tablets and 100 bottles of sildenafil tablets were packaged together during bottling at a third party facility.

AvKARE

The company warned that unintentional consumption of sildenafil - the active ingredient in Viagra - could pose 'serious health risks to consumers with underlying medical issues'.

It explained: "For example, sildenafil may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs (such as nitroglycerin) lowering blood pressure to dangerous levels.

"Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease often take nitrates."

Meanwhile, those who inadvertently take trazodone can expect symptoms such as sedation, dizziness, constipation and blurred vision.

AvKARE said it had received no reports of any negative consequences resulting from the mix-up as of yet.

It said: "The affected lots of sildenafil 100 mg tablet and trazodone hydrochloride 100 mg tablet were distributed to our distributors and wholesalers, and then further distributed nationwide.

"AvKARE has notified its distributors and customers and is arranging for return of all recalled product of the listed lots.

"Distributors that have any of the subject product which is being recalled should contact Customer Service at AvKARE at 1-855-361-3993 or email [email protected] to arrange for the return of the product.

"Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact AvKARE at 1-855-361-3993 Monday- Friday (8am - 4pm CST). Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using these drug products."

PA

A couple of weeks ago, a supposed $1 billion ketamine bust in Thailand transpired to be nothing more than a load of cleaning product.

The country's Office of the Narcotics Control Board announced the seizure on 12 November, saying the 11.5-tonne haul pointed to a multi-national drug network.

Estimates placed the worth of the supposed drugs at 28.7bn baht ($950m / £710m).

However, tests have so far failed to identify any drugs, with Thailand's justice minister Somsak Thepsuthin saying there had been a 'misunderstanding'.

Office of the Narcotics Control Board

He explained how a 'technical error' in field testing led to the initial false claim - which was declared to be Thailand's largest ketamine seizure.

Lab tests found the substance was actually trisodium phosphate, a compound often used as a cleaning agent.

The product, which looks like a white powder, can also be used as a food additive.

"This was a misunderstanding that our agency must accept," Somsak told reporters.

Topics: US News, Drugs

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey