Tylenol Ez-Open Cap Recall

ST. LOUIS, MO, November 17, 2010 (Press-News.org) McNeil consumer Healthcare has recalled Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets 100 count bottles with EZ-OPEN CAP. The initial recall announced in November, 2009, only included five lots of the medication. On December 18, 2009, the drug recall was expanded to include all available lots. The bottles can be recognized by their red, Ez-Open cap.

Why Tylenol Has Been Recalled

The recall was prompted by complaints from Tylenol users that the product had a musty, mildew-like, or moldy odor and that after taking the foul smelling caplets they experienced gastrointestinal problems including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. According to McNeil's press release, all of the events reported to the company were "temporary and non-serious."

The Cause of the Problem

The recalled bottles of Tylenol were contaminated with a substance called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). There has been little study into the dangers or health effects of TBA.

What is TBA?

TBA is a produced by microbes, such as fungi and bacteria, in a process called biomethylation, when they are exposed to certain toxins. Biomethylation is a defense mechanism that allows microbes to convert toxic substances into substances that are non-toxic substances; non-toxic for the microbe, anyway.

TBA is formed during this conversion from a chemical called 2,4,6- tribromophenol (TBP). TBP has many uses including:

Fungicide
Antiseptic
Wood preservative
Fire retardant

TBP is found in paper, plastics, textiles, leather, wood, and other products.

McNeil says it believes the source of TBP in the Tylenol contamination was the wooden pallets used to transport and store the materials in which the now defective medication was packaged.

You May Not Be Able to Smell It

While the health effects of TBA have not been thoroughly studied, it is a chemical that is gaining recognition in the wine industry. It has recently been identified as a cause of "cork taint."

Cork taint is not a new problem. It is the musty smell that can make a bottle of wine undrinkable. At low levels, the smell itself is not detectable; it simply cancels out the natural aromas of the wine. It has been found that people become desensitized to the smell of cork taint, the more they are exposed to it. Some people are not very sensitive to the odor in the first place.

Please do not rely on your sense of smell to let you know if you have a contaminated bottle. Double check your bottle with the FDA's list of the recalled lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets. If you have the recalled medication, do not use it. McNeil is offering a refund or replacement for the contaminated drug.

If you have taken a product that was later discovered to be defective or dangerous in any way, please visit the website of Schlichter, Bogard & Denton, experienced defective drug attorneys serving clients nationwide.

Website: http://www.druginjuryinformation.com