Cymbalta Recall: Which Bottles Are Affected And What To Do

(KMDL-FM) A popular antidepressant medication used by more than 4.5 million Americans every day has been recalled over concerns that the medication contains high levels of a cancer-causing agent. The medication in question is Duloxetine Delayed-Release Capsules. That medication is more commonly known by the brand name Cymbalta.

Breckenridge Pharmaceuticals says 370,000 bottles of the popular antidepressant have been recalled because the medication was found to contain levels of N-nitroso-duloxetine impurity that exceeded the Food and Drug Administration standards for safety.

The National Library of Medicine says that N-nitroso-duloxetine is suspected of causing cancer and can be toxic if swallowed. Just to be clear, the impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them. Taking the medication does not mean you will get cancer, but it would mean your risks are elevated if you continued to use the recalled medicine.

FDA Reveals Details of Generic Cymbalta Recall

The Food and Drug Administration has identified this recall as a Class II Recall. That means that the product could cause temporary health problems, but serious consequences are unlikely.

Here are the specifics on the recalled medication. Use this information to double-check what you might have in your medicine cabinet. Also, if you know of friends or family who take this medication, please make sure they are aware of the recall and the FDA's concerns.

Which Generic Cymbalta Medications Have Been Recalled?

Here are the details of the generic Cymbalta/Duloxetine Delayed-Release Capsules recall: The recall affects bottles containing 90 capsules (60 mg) and 1,000 capsules (both 60 mg and 30 mg). The lot codes include: 241074C, 240317, 240318, 240315C, 240373C, 240370C, 240375C, 240413C, 240316, 232311, 240978C, 241052C and 241180C.

If you have this recalled medication in your possession, you are advised to contact your health care professional to discuss what the next steps for you need to be. You will obviously want to discontinue taking this version of the medication, but you will need to make sure you have replacement medicine on hand so as not to interrupt your treatment protocol. Call your doctor, that's the smart thing to do.