Excedrin Recall: Novartis Recalls Medicines Over Stray, Chipped Pills

Certain packages of Excedrin, NoDoz, Bufferin and Gas-X Prevention are being voluntarily recalled by Novartis Consumer Health because the bottles may contain stray pills of other medicines, or broken or chipped pills.

The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall affects Excedrin and NoDoz medicines with expiration dates of Dec. 20, 2014 or earlier and Bufferin and Gas-X Prevention medicines with expiration dates of Dec. 20, 2013 or earlier.

The Consumerist reported this is a precautionary recall, and that Novartis hasn't received any notifications of health problems from the recall.

The FDA explains why the recall has the potential to be dangerous:

Mixing of different products in the same bottle could result in consumers taking the incorrect product and receiving a higher or lower strength than intended or receiving an unintended ingredient. This could potentially result in overdose, interaction with other medications a consumer may be taking, or an allergic reaction if the consumer is allergic to the unintended ingredient.

If you purchased the recalled medicines, call the Novartis Consumer Relationship Center at 1-888-477-2403 or visit www.novartisOTC.com.

[Flickr/Wikimedia] photo by eleanor ryan.