Valsartan recall

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My medication insurance coverer and pharmacy informed me today that various versions of Valsartan (a medicine for blood pressure among other things) are being recalled due to an imperfection in one of its ingredients. They warned that they may not have any new supplies for some time to come, and that I should talk to my doctor about trying an alternative drug. My current supply is safe to use, according to the FDA, but I won’t be able to renew the prescription.

This is a bit of an extreme example of the phenomenon where whenever I find something I like, they stop producing it. I finally found a blood pressure medicine that doesn’t have side effects (the last one swelled up my ankles) and it goes belly up.

So here is my PSA for any of you who take Valsartan and haven’t had your notice yet. Best of luck to all of us.

2

I just refilled today (sat) how do I know if mine is safe?

3

https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm613532.htm

4

Check with your pharmacist. About 75% of the US supply is contaminated (with NDMA, a potential carcinogen). Your pharmacy will know if you received valsartan from the affected plant in China and your doctor will be able to change to an alternative medication. I endorse this rant because I’ve been spending all week dealing with this and with patients panicked that they are going to get cancer. FWIW, this recall is a worldwide issue and there have been no reported cases of any adverse reactions from this.

5

Thanks.

6

Oh, well, if it’s made in China we won’t be able to afford it pretty soon anyway, as Fearless Leader is about to impose crushing tariffs on everything Chinese.

7

See who the manufacturer is and check with either your pharmacist or insurance company. I think it’s only certain manufacturers. I take it and never got any notification, but my husband and I are between insurance coverage right now, long story. Anyway, I didn’t copy it but several days ago I saw the manufacturer’s list somewhere and mine wasn’t on it. Sorry I’m not more help.

8

I have looked allover my paperwork and stuff from the pharmacist. I don’t see a manufacturer. I will call in tomarrow.

9

For mine it was on the bottle label, underneath the drug name.

10

This is the main part to remember.

I’m switching my valsartan patients over to losartan as I’m able. I’m also waiting to get switched myself to losartan. But honestly I’m not at all worried about taking the valsartan I have. Risk is very low, benefit from the rx for me is very high.

11

I’ve been on losartan for several years. Which has inspired this parody fragment:

All – my — friends — are taking losartan.

12

Losartan is the one that made my ankles swell, I hope I don’t have to go back to it. My pharmacist told me that there is another one in that family, Irbesartan. I’ll be calling my PCP tomorrow to see what he suggests.

13

I found my manufacturer on the label of my pill bottle. Yes, I’m on the list of recalls.

link
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