(Note: Also see Watson Propafenone Recall from 2009)
As first reported on November 11th, there has been a Propafenone recall by the ETHEX Corporation because the pills may have been oversized, which could result in overdose of the drug Propafenone HCI. Because the original report also included recalls of other drugs (Morphine, Dextroamphetamine and Isosorbide) we are going to cover each of the recalls separately. The first in this series of informational articles covers the Propafenone recall.
Three different strengths were recalled, all of them Propafenone HCI tablets made by the ETHEX Corporation. They were 150mg, 225mg and 300mg pills from any of the following lots with expiration dates ranging from 6/2009 to 3/2011. Below are the recalled lot numbers:
150 mg – 73761, 78184, 79373, 81240, 81241, 81242, 83470, 84357, 90525, 90526
225 mg – 71720, 74831, 76014-15, 81243-45, 89731, 90527-29, 90657
300mg – 72834, 76016-18, 81246, 89092, 89732, 90530, 90532, and 91641-42
About Propafenone
Propafenone is a an anti-arrhythmic medication, which treats illnesses associated with rapid heart beats, such as atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. It works by slowing the influx of sodium ions into the cardiac muscle cells causing a decrease in excitability of the cells.
Side effects of propafenone include:
Hypersensitivity, lupus-like syndrome, agranulocytopenia, dizziness, lightheadedness, gastrointestinal upset, a metallic taste, bronchospasm, drowsiness, slow heart rate, and seizures.
About 20% of patients discontinue taking Propafenone due to side effects.
The propafenone I was taking was from one of the lots recalled, and CVS Pharmacy here in Irving, TX replaced my prescription. I had S/S of overdosage, fatigue, ankle swelling, skeletal muscle weakness, etc., that initially cleared, but then recurred. I brought a sample of the my remaining tablets back to CVS and the pharmacist told me that CVS had just recently switched manufacturers. She did not know why, but agreed to replace my prescription with tablets from the new supplier. This exchange took place last week.
It is apparent to me that Ethex did not recall or stop shipment on all of the problematic propofenone. This drug has a side effect of sudden, unexpected death from overdosage. How much more is out there, and where is it? I called this in earlier today, but didn’t know the name (Ethex) of the manufacturer then so here it is now.
Please act a.s.a.p. Thank you!
I sent my remaining pills back in envelope supplied by the drug company. I have not received anything back. I do not even want a refund. I just want my pills replaced. I purchased them from Target in Charleston, S. C. Thanks
! I completely agree and have said the same thing for mohnts. In the end, I cancelled my subscription because of it. I even sent a mail to their customer service stating the same thing there isn’t anything fun to do other than PvP and that can get boring and frustrating.