Tylenol Recall Expanded to Include Motrin, St. Joseph’s Aspirin, Benadryl, Rolaids, Simply Sleep

Less than a month after the recall of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets due to a moldy smell that made some people sick, Johnson & Johnson has issued a massive recall that includes additional medications due to the same issue.

 According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approximately 70 people have noticed the distinct moldy smell or experienced sickness due to the unusual odor, reporting symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. The smell occurred due to a breakdown of a chemical in the wooden pallets used for shipping.

Affected medications include certain batches of regular and extra-strength Tylenol, children’s Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM, children’s Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph’s aspirin. A full list of recalled medications may be found at www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

The smell was first reported to McNeil, the manufacturer of the drug, in 2008, and the FDA has criticized the company for not acting quickly enough. Deborah Autor, director of the FDA’s Office of Compliance of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, stated, “McNeil should have acted faster. When something smells bad, literally or figuratively, companies must aggressively investigate and take all necessary action to solve the problem.”

McNeil responded by stating that the company is investigating the issue and will cease the shipping of products that utilized the wooden pallet materials at fault for the moldy smell. McNeil has 15 days to respond to a letter sent by the FDA that questions why the issue was not addressed or communicated to the public in a timelier manner.

The smell initially led to the recall of Tylenol Arthritis Caplets in November. The recall was expanded three weeks ago to include additional batches of the medication. In September, more than 20 different children and infant liquid Tylenol products were recalled when bacteria were discovered in an inactive ingredient in the medication.