Side Effects Include: Cancer

Side effects can include increased chance for losing money, broken bones, butterfly wing eyes, gummy bear bone syndrome, and cancer. The FDA is making a recall on a blood pressure medication based on one of the previously mentioned side effects. If you guessed "cancer" you would be correct.

This month, a company known as Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. is recalling four lots of blood pressure medication, Quinapril Tablets, because of an impurity found in recent product testing.  Quinapril is an angiotensin - converting an enzyme inhibitor that is used to treat high blood pressure. What exactly does that mean? Well, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, also known as ACE inhibitors, work by forcing relaxation of blood vessels as well as creating a decrease in blood volume. These two elements together result in a decrease in blood pressure and a decrease in oxygen demand from the heart which also decreases heart rate.

What's the impurity that's been found in the medication? The impurity, nitrosamine, is a relatively common compound you may have seen used as a food preservative. The other way people get exposed to nitrosamines is through tobacco/cigarette smoke, hence the concern of having a nitrosamine impurity appear where it isn't supposed to be. That particular nitrosamine is said to be a probable carcinogen and therefore must be monitored. It has been observed that prolonged exposure to nitrosamines does increase a person's chances of developing cancer, and it seems as though the concentration of nitrosamines in Quinapril is significantly higher than those found in everyday foods and water.

Has anyone been impacted by this issue? Luckily, the FDA has stated that so far, no illness to the medication has been reported. What do you do if you take Quinapril? You'll need to continue taking your medication until you are able to contact a medical professional for advice, at least, that is what the FDA recommended. Retailers have been alerted to stop selling Quinapril immediately.

Is this the first time a recall like this has happened? No. There was a similar recall last year by the same company made for their irbesartan tablets and their irbesartan plus hydrochrolothiazide tablets. Like a bad movie sequel, the blood pressure medication recalls happened at least four times in 2021. It seems as though if you are on blood pressure medication that you will certainly need to watch the recalls and ensure that what you're taking is still safe to take. In the event that your medicine is not safe, reach out to your provider to see what your next steps are. The more you know!

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