Urgent Recall: Blood Pressure Medications Affected

Is YOUR blood pressure medication on the list?

Of the medications recalled in recent months, blood pressure pills are among those that arise most frequently. The only common theme is that there are a lot of products on the market to treat the estimated 120 million American residents who are living with hypertension.

So Devastating Disasters has to ask: What in the world is going on?!? In one January incident, a pharmacist recognized metal fragments packaged with a hypertension medication.

Before that, in November of last year, another pharmaceutical company was under fire after blood pressure medications were determined to include active ingredients from unapproved vendors.

So, to keep you informed, here are the medications in question and how this could affect you!

Ramipril

Over 600,000 bottles of a blood pressure medication sold across the US have been recalled over suspicions they could be contaminated. Ramipril is prescribed to over 2.4 million Americans yearly and lowers blood pressure by causing blood vessels to widen.

However, the FDA has issued a recall because the pills were made with ingredients from a vendor in India whose factory hadn’t been approved or even inspected by the agency. This increases concerns that the capsules could be at risk of contamination.

But the overall risk to the public is low, the agency declared, and there haven’t been any adverse occurrences reported from consuming the medicines to date. The recall involves capsules of the medication made by Lupin Pharmaceuticals and sold in strengths of 2.5mg, 5mg, and 10mg.

They come in bottles of either 90, 100, or 500 capsules and have best-before dates up to July 2026. The tablets were manufactured in Goa, India, and the recall was launched on October 23rd for the 5 and 10mg strengths. This was extended to include the 2.5mg doses on November 19th.

What should you do if you take Ramipril?

The bottles were sold to at least 30 vendors nationwide, who haven’t been named. Consumers are advised to toss or return the bottles to sellers for a complete refund. They’re also advised to contact their physicians for next steps and to get new prescriptions.

A complete list of the bottles that have been recalled is displayed on the FDA website. Apparently, Lupin Pharmaceuticals says, “No comment.” This comes about two weeks after Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories recalled 331,500 bottles of pills due to the existence of a “cancer-causing material.”

The cinacalcet tablets were used to treat hyperparathyroidism, which is diagnosed in 100,000 people yearly, where hormone issues cause high levels of calcium in the blood.

But they were recalled after testing by the FDA showed they were contaminated with high levels of a nitrosamine-related impurity, which has been related to cancer. The company didn’t reveal where the tablets were manufactured, and it was a Class II recall.

That’s not all!

Now, there’s yet another recall on a blood pressure medication that came to light recently. What makes this one a little more unique is that among the patients this pill is administered to treat, the Mayo Clinic says that it’s sometimes used for pregnant patients to prevent pre-eclampsia and control high blood pressure.

The FDA issued a late January national recall of HydrALAZINE Hydrochloride tablets distributed “nationwide with the United States” by McKesson Corporation, doing business as SKY Packaging.

McKesson is a Dallas area company and one of the best-known pharmaceutical manufacturers. Yet, the FDA states that this recall is linked to a product from a Tennessee-based operation.

The low-down on Apresoline

Hydralazine hydrochloride, brand name Apresoline, is a medication that works by softening the blood vessels.

In a February 4th update, the FDA has categorized the incident a Class II recall, describing the event as “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

Research indicates that the medication is sometimes delivered through an injection. But this particular recall applies to pills because the impacted prescriptions were sold in 100-count bottles containing 25mg and 50mg tablets.

The FDA’s notice didn’t disclose the number of affected units. But you can refer to national lot numbers, codes, and expiration dates to find out if you’ve been prescribed the compromised products:

25 mg Tablets, NDC: 63739-327-10

-Lot Number: 0000127312; Exp. Date 31-Mar-2025
-Lot Numbers: 0000127576, 0000127577; Exp. Date 31-Jul-2025
-Lot Number: 0000128204; Exp. Date 31-Dec-2025
-Lot Number: 0000128358; Exp. Date 31-Jan-2026

50 mg Tablets, NDC: 63739-328-10

-Lot Numbers: 0000127410, 63739-328-10; Exp. Date 30-Apr-2025
-Lot Number: 0000127579; Exp. Date 31-Aug-2025
-Lot Number: 0000128245; Exp. Date 31-Dec-2025
-Lot Number: 0000128486; Exp. Date 28-Feb-2026

The bottom line

The FDA says that the products we mentioned above were pulled from pharmacies after the companies were alerted to impurities and failed “degradation specifications.” The latter defines how much a substance can break down while still meeting quality standards, and both issues could suggest a manufacturing issue.

Some patients already have the medications in their possession. Though the Class II risk level indicates that severe adverse effects are unlikely, you shouldn’t take the prescriptions if you believe you have them.

Contact your pharmacist or physician to request a replacement, and be sure to disclose any adverse effects you may have been experiencing to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.

What has YOUR experiences been like with these types of medications? Let us know in the comments section. And if you found this article interesting, check out: What’s Going On With McDonald’s?… One death, DOZENS Sick!