PPA RECALL

On November 6, 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall on phenylpropanolamine (PPA) in products that are sold over the counter. In addition, the agency requested that all drug companies discontinue marketing products containing PPA. The agency went one step further and issued a public health advisory for phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, the active ingredient in PPA. This chemical is found in many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription cold and cough medications, nasal decongestants and OTC appetite suppressant and weight loss products. PPA is one of the most commonly used non-prescription medications in this country, with literally billions of doses consumed each year.

PPA has been linked to a heightened risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a serious health condition marked by bleeding into the brain or into the tissue surrounding the brain. Real concern followed the release of a scientific PPA study from Yale University that found that women between the ages of 18-49 were nearly 16 times more likely to experience a stroke within the first three days of taking appetite suppressants containing PPA than those who did not take PPA.

The Yale PPA study suggests that of all hemorrhagic stroke victims, those that ingested phenylpropanolamine (PPA) within the 3 days prior to the stroke were 50% more likely to hemorrhage than the control subjects. This was particularly true of women who ingested appetite suppressants containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA) or who consumed other drugs containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA) while taking appetite suppressants.

Since 1979, there have been nearly 30 published case reports of brain hemorrhaging after the ingestion of PPA. Many of these reports that involved the PPA found within diet pills. Victims of this hemorrhaging were often women between the ages of 17 and 45 years.� At least five reports, however, involved PPA in cough and cold medications.

The following are some of the most popular OTC products that contain PPA (as listed by the American Pharmaceutical Association) and may pose health risks.

• Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant Plus Dietary Supplements
• Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
• Alka-Seltzer Plus Children's Cold Medicine Effervescent
• Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
• Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
• Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine Effervescent
• Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
• Alka-Selzter Plus Flu & Body Aches
• Alka-Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine Effervescent
• Aler-Releaf
• Allerest Maximum Strength 12 Hour Caplets
• A.R.M. Caplets
• BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
• BC Sinus Cold Powder
• Bromaline Elixir
• Bromanate Elixir
• Cheracol Plus Liquid
• Children's Allerest Tablets
• Chlor-Rest Tablets
• Chlor-Trimeton Allergy Sinus Headache Caplets
• Cold-Gest Cold Capsules
• Coldmax
• Comtrex Deep Chest Cold & Congestion Relief Liqui-Gels
• Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief Day & Night
• Comtrex Liqui-Gels Capsules
• Comtrex Liqui-Gels Maximum Strength
• Comtrex Maximum Strength Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu Relief Liqui-Gels
• Comtrex Maximum Strength Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu Relief Non-drowsy Liqui-Gels
• Conex Syrup
• Congestant D Tablets
• Contac 12 Hour Cold Capsules & Caplets
• Contac 12 Hour Cold Maximum Strength
• Contac Severe Cold & Flu Maximum Strength
• Coricidin Maximum Strength Sinus Headache Caplets
• Coricidin D Tablets
• Covangesic Tablets
• Dapacin Cold Capsules
• Demazin Syrup
• Dexatrim Caffeine Free
• Dexatrim Extended Duration
• Dexatrim Gelcaps
• Dexatrim Vitamin C/Caffeine Free
• Dimaphen Tablets & Elixir
• Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
• Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Quick Dissolve
• Dimetapp Cold & Cough Maximum Strength Liqui-Gels
• Dimetapp DM
• Dimetapp Elixir
• Dimetapp 4-Hour Tablets & Liqui-Gels
• Dimetapp 12-Hour Extentabs Tablets
• Duadacin Capsules
• Gelpirin-CCF Tablets
• Genamin Cold Syrup
• Genamin Expectorant Liquid
• Genatap Elixir
• Gencold Capsules
• Goldline Cold & Allergy Elixir
• Goldline Maximum Strength Cold & Allergy 4-Hour Liquid Gelcaps Capsules
• Goldline Night-Time Effervescent Cold Tablets
• GuiaCough CF Liquid
• Guiafenex Liquid
• Guiatuss CF Liquid
• Ipsatol Cough Formula Liquid for Children and Adults
• Histosal Tablets
• Kophane Cough & Cold Formula Liquid
• Myminic Expectorant Liquid
• Myminicol Liquid
• Naldecon DX Adult Liquid
• Naldecon DX Children's Syrup & Pediatric Drops
• Naldecon EX Children's Syrup & Pediatric Drops
• Naldelate DX Adult Liquid
• Orthoxicol Cough Syrup
• Pediacon EX Pediatric Drops
• Pediatuss D.E. Drops
• Pediatuss Liquid
• Permathene Mega-16
• Phanadex Cough Syrup
• Phenadex Pediatric Cough/Cold Drops
• ProMetic Cold and Allergy
• ProMetic Cold and Allergy DM
• Prominicol Cough
• Propagest
• Protac Cold Caps
• Pyrroxate Caplets
• Redacon DX
• Rephenyl
• Rhinocaps Capsules
• Robafen CF Liquid
• Robitussin CF (recently shipped product does not contain PPA)
• Robitussin CF Liquid (recently shipped product does not contain PPA)
• Rugby Cold Relief Tablets
• Saleto CF Tablets
• Saleto-D Caplets
• Silactin Expectorant
• Silaminic Expectorant Liquid
• Sildicon-E Pediatric Drops
• Sil-Tex Liquid
• Sinadrin Super
• Sinapils Tablets
• Sinulin Tablets
• Situssin-CF Liquid
• Snaplets-DM Granules
• Snaplets-EX Granules
• Snaplets-Multi Granules
• Spec-T Sore Throat/decongestant Lozenges
• St. Joseph Cold Tablets for Children
• Tavist-D Antihistamine & Nasal Decongestant
• Tavist-D Antihistamine & Nasal Decongestant Extended Release
• Teldrin 12-Hour Allergy Relief Capsules
• Tetra Caps
• Theracaps
• Threamine DM Syrup
• Triactin Syrup
• Triaminic Allergy Tablets
• Triaminic DM Cough Relief
• Triaminic Expectorant Chest & Head Congestion
• Triaminic Cold & Allergy Syrup
• Triaminic Cold, Allergy, Sinus Tablets
• Triaminic Cold & Cough
• Triaminicin
• Triaminicol Multi-Symptom Cough & Cold Tablets
• Triaminicol Multi-Symptom Relief Liquid
• Tricodene Forte Liquid
• Tricodene NN Liquid
• Tricodene Pediatric Cough & Cold Liquid
• Triminol Cough Syrup
• Tri-Nefrin Extra Strength Tablets
• Triphenyl Syrup
• Triphenyl Expectorant Liquid
• Tussin CF Liquid

PPA Recall News

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