Pill Mix-Up Means Excedrin Could Be a Lot Stronger Than You Think

The Swiss drug maker Novartis has recalled some of its over-the-counter medications after it discovered they could have been contaminated with other drugs, which the FDA said could include powerful, opiate-based painkillers like Percocet. The recall came after it was discovered the Endo Pharmaceuticals plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, which manufactures over-the-counter meds like Execedrin and Gas-X may have mixed in a few of the harder core painkillers it also manufactures, like Percocet, Endocet, Opana, and Zydone, in with the packaging. Have you ever had Percocet or something like it? These are the drugs that they give you when you have a tooth pulled, and which make you unable to do anything but lie around on the couch grinning at cooking shows. Taking one instead of an asprin would be pretty significant, but unless you were allergic (or maybe driving) it probably wouldn't kill you. In fact, lots of people would consider it an upgrade. The Lincoln, Nebraska, plant where the potential mixup took place shut down last month, and Novartis has done a voluntary recall of all Excedrin and NoDoz packages with expiration dates of December 20, 2014, or earlier, and Bufferin and Gas-X with expiration dates of December 20, 2013, or earlier. But the federal agency hasn't issued an official recall because it says "likelihood that they contain stray pills is low," the AP reported.

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.