Should You Be Worried About the Latest Drug Recall?
Cancer-causing chemicals in the popular heartburn drug Zantac have led to its removal from store shelves. Here’s what you need to know.
If you are one of the 75 million Americans suffering from high blood pressure, you may have been affected by the recent recalls of heart medicines found to be contaminated with cancer-causing agents, or carcinogens. Over the past 18 months, hundreds of lots of generic valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan, drugs known as angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), were recalled. And in September, the FDA stated that the same type of impurity was found in medicines used to treat heartburn, including the popular over-the-counter drug Zantac. The alert has since led to yet more recalls.
To learn that a medicine you have been taking for years contains unacceptable levels of carcinogens is disturbing. So is the feeling that this has seemingly become a recurrent issue. If you are facing this circumstance, understanding some of the nuances and complexities of this issue might help you stay calm and navigate the decisions you will need to make next, such as consulting your doctor, talking to your pharmacist, checking the lists of contaminant-free drugs, and, ultimately, switching medications.
