As we reported earlier this month, there has been an Isosorbide recall by the ETHEX Corporation because the prescription pills may have been over-sized, which could result in an overdose of the drug Isosorbide Mononitrate. Because the original report also included recalls of other drugs (Morphine, Dextroamphetamine and Propafenone) we are going to cover each of the recalls separately. The fourth and final recall alert in a series covering the recalls. The following information is about the Isosorbide recall.
All of the recalled Isosorbide Mononitrate tablets said they were 60mg on the bottle and were made by the ETHEX Corporation with experation dates ranging from 12/2008 and 11/2009. Below are the recalled lot numbers:
63466, 66034, 67351, and 67354
About Isosorbide Mononitrate
Isosorbide is a drug used principally in the treatment of angina. It works by dilating the blood vessels in order to reduce blood pressure.
Side effects of Isosorbide include:
Headache, tiredness, insomnia, gastrointestinal disturbances, Hypotension (low blood pressure), decreased appetite, nausea, difficult or slow breathing, muscle cramps, changes in vision, irregular heartbeat, skin blushing, tachycardia, diarrhea, vertigo, heartburn and seizure.
amazing to have so many drug recalls from one company, and not just one drug but 2. How many more?
How does my insurance company and myself get reimbursed
for the cost of this medication??
I have been taking 30 mg perday twice each take for about 4 years. The last time renewed my pharmacy had substituted a white pill of another brand without explanation other than they were out of the red one. I have noticed more angina problems at night. When I attempted to renew the red one the pharmacist told me that they were no longer available without explanation. When I insisted on an explanation, I was told that the “red one” was found to contain double the dosage, which might explain my more frequent angina at night. So I took a double dose of the new white one. It worked. I will talk with my PCP on the 26th about the problem.
Hi
I have been taking this medicine for a year and I stopped taking it the end of december but I am still having muscle spasams and needles all over, vision problems, complete numbness under skin (like novicane)tissue damage, can’t walk well, balance, muscle twiching and super heavy body making it hard to breath and chest pain.
Can anyone advise
My father, who turns 88 today has been experiencing the same symptoms as Lynn. I have been having a problem for the last 3 weeks in getting his Isosorbide refilled. He has been taking 30 MG twice a day. The parmacist today told me they have some 60mg that we can cut in half. After reading about the recall, I am afraid to give him even 1/2 of one. The pharmacist never told me about the recall. They just say they are having a problem getting the medication. I plan to see the pharmacist and let him know that I know about the recall and give him the lot numbers just to see what he will day or do.
Hi Judy
Maybe we should look deeper into this. I am sorry about you father. I recieved a letter from the manufacturer in regards to the recal and that is when I stopped taking Isosorbide. I still feel horrible and I am trying to stay away from the hospitals but I feel this going that way. Who sepcializes in these types of crazy things?
My father was taking Isosorbide Mononitrate Extended Release Tablets, 60 mg. He experienced difficulty breathing, dizziness, tightness in his chest, and also became very disoriented, twitching like he was having a seizure, extremely tired, and loss of appetite.. He went into the hospital before we received the recall letter. When I received the letter the doctor said there was no way that could be causing his symptoms, said they actually increased his dosage of the same medicine while he was in the hospital.. They sent him home, and the symptoms continued I brought him back to the hospital again. They sent him home again, and he died two days later. I am at a loss of what to do. I no longer have the pills to prove this, his medicine was disposed of. What are my options at this point?
ask your physician about Ranexa. it’s a new drug for angina without muscle cramp side effects and works much better!
I TAKE REXENA SO FAR SO GOOD. I TAKE 500 MG
I don’t plan to sue, but was shocked was on another drug that was not good. Had to have a pacemaker becasue of Zebeda. Was having angina so in Oct. the cardiologist increased my Isosorbide to 90 mg. Then I had severe arthritis pain,bad vertigo, low BP, diffiicult breathing, blurred vision, and loss of muscle and almost fell down the basement stairs. I didn’t know the culprit till couldn’t get my med anymore and was switched to Nitro pads. It seems sad that this isn’t known until the patient sufferes.
i had insomnia for the longest time, and i had been taking these pills for quite a while. i am amazed that they let this happen. i have many of the side effects talked about, and never knew why. i just assumed they were side effects of the drug. . this is a terrible thing that has happened to all of us
I just started taking isosorbide minitrate a year ago in january of 08.
My doctor changed my meds from isosorbide dinitrate which i have been taking for over twenty years after a heart attack.I have had a lot of shortness of breath while waliking for the last three months, i beleive it is also from the isosorbide monitrate.excuse the spelling.
Good Luck too all.
Sal
Why would a doctor give this to a patinet who has had a heart attack? thanks
I also was not told why my pharmacy could no longer get the 60mg mononitrate tablets—my friend was told it was no longer being made. However, I contacted another pharmacy and they gave me the tablets made by another company. Now I will ask more details at the pharmacy.
My husband is 56 yrs old and has been on Isosorbide Mon ER 30 mg TB 1 tablet a day for over 2 years. I called our pharmacy to get his 90 day rx refilled and was told by the pharmacy technician it was “pulled off the shelves” and that I needed to contact our cardiologist for him to prescribe a replacemen medication. We never received a letter telling us about this recall – not one! When are the drug companies going to stop playing with our lives?!! I am appalled and saddened to read of Cheryl’s loss of her father. I have asked several people I know who are on medications for their heart to watch out about this drug. Something has to be done – why hasn’t the media been notified?
I was called by the pharmacy ten months after being prescribed isosorbide Mononitrate (morphine). I was told about the recall and any left over medication should be thrown away. I was rushed to the hospital on more than one occaision during the month I was prescribed the drug. I am shocked to read all the same symptons i experienced. Extremely low pressure, trouble bresthing,muscle cramps, nausea,fatigue,aches and pains ect. Everytime I left my house in an ambulance i wasn’t sure i would return. I will be pursueing this matter until i know for sure this medication wasn’t the reason.
isosorbide mononitrate is not morphine.; it is not a pain killer, it dilates the coronary arteries letting more blood flow to carry more oxygen to the heart.
I was prescribed this medication last week, May 7,2009). I thought I was going to die while taking them. But is that legal for this drug to be prescribed when recalled?
I received a recall letter from CVS a month or two after my mother passed away. She died in May of 2008. Two weeks before she died she woke me up in the middle of the night complaining she couldn’t breath. She passed out as I hung up the phone speaking to the 911 operator. Her first x-ray revealed no congestion in her lungs. But IMHO, due to the shock of wearing a respirator subsequent x-rays then showed congestion. After nearly two weeks in the hospital which included having a defibrillator/pace maker put in, she was doing well. The nurses were surprised she recovered so well. She came home and three days later we repeated the same thing. She woke me up complaining she couldn’t breath. By the time I hung up the phone she passed out. This time she never revived. The only thing different from when she was in the hospital was going back to the same bottle of isosorbide.
I was doing a research om isosorbide for my husband due to- he has all these symptoms that I am reading here. So amazed. And for Cheryl who lost her father and threw away the meds. I used to work in a pharmaceutical company and did the returns, even sent out recall letters. I want to say that the company you had your medication filled at should be able to go back and see exactly how your medicine was filled and even the lot numbers. We filled in large quantities. If one of those orders got messed up, We could pin point which package it was in- where it was and what was in it. So ,maybe you should pursue that a little further. And thanks to all for all this info. this is very helpful.
I’ve been taking this medicine for two years.. I been taking the 60mg cutting in half twice a day as told by my dr. I would have episodes at least twice a week right before a pill was taken. It consists of tightening In my left arm major pain…sweating chest pained take a nitro and it would go away, in the past month I have been rushed to hospital 5 times with episodes that has led to respiratory failure and seizures. They sent in a dr that changed my 60 mg slow release tablet to 30 tablets so I wouldn’t cut it in half, and put me on seizure meds, been 7 days and I haven’t had an episode. Still no ans. But I believe that cutting that pill in half could have been problem..why it got worse not sure. Wish I had ans. I read recall and it sounds like my new symptoms but it’s nov 2010…
My pills was filled 10-18-10… Had respiratory failure on the 20th…that’s when all this began… Stopped taken them nov 18th 2010… Started the 30 mg..episodes has stopped for now!
its Feb 1, 2011.. hasn’t had an episode since my prescription has been changed dated nov.18th 2010…i died twice, two days after this pill…give me ans. i feel better than i have in three years..please do not let this happen to someone else!!!
last comment dated feb 2 2011…. meant to say …died two days while taking the 60 mg pills dated oct 18….please read above statements!