A pharmaceutical company is recalling two of its children's cough syrups that came with dosage cups that are incorrectly marked, sparking concerns of children accidentally being given an overdose.
The Perrigo Company announced it is voluntarily recalling two batches of its children's guaifenesin grape cough medicine and three batches of its children's guaifenesin DM cherry liquid in four-ouce bottles that were being sold by national retailers with a dosing cup carrying the wrong markings.
"Use of these products according to labeled instructions with an affected dosing cup is unlikely to result in serious side effects, and no reports related to overdose have been received to date," the company said in a release.
Symptoms of a guaifenesin overdose could include hyper excitability, altered muscle reflexes, rapid eye movements, nausea and vomiting, irregular heartbeat, seizures, hallucinations, depressed breathing and death, it said.
Parents should contact a poison control center or a doctor if any of these symptoms are seen in a child, experts said.
While the ingredients in the cough syrups is considered "minimally toxic," it all depends on the amount consumed, said Dr. Donna Seger, medical director for Tennessee Poison Control and a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"The adage is the dose [that] makes the poison," she said.
Perrigo said it is notifying distributors and customers by verbal and email communications.
"Perrigo is taking this [recall] action to maintain the highest possible product quality standards for our retail customers and consumers," the Michigan-based company said. "We are taking this action because it is the right thing to do."
The recalled products would be removed from the shelves of nationwide retailers, it said.
CVS and H.E.B. were selling the guaifenesin grape liquid, while the guaifenesin DM cherry liquid was carried by Rite Aid, CVS, Kroger, Dollar General, Topcare, Summark, Care One and GoodSense.
Consumer who purchased the products, listed by label and lot number on the company website, should discard the dosing cup rather than trying to determine the correct dosage.
Perrigo did not manufacture the incorrectly-labeled dosing cups, a company spokeswoman said.
Consumers with questions or concerns can call toll free Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST, at 1-888-345-0479, the company said, or visit mucusreliefrecall.com.
Photo: Jessi | Flickr
