Cough syrup urgently recalled over ingredient that could be deadly, here's what you should know

A total of 55 products have been pulled from shelves with concerns over a potentially deadly ingredient. It can allegedly cause people who ingest it to go into anaphylactic shock when it is mixed with general anaesthetic.

Here is what you should know.

One of the biggest recalls of this kind

A massive national recall has been issued for dozens of cough medicines in Australia due to a potentially deadly ingredient - pholcodine.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration says they are aware of 50 cases of anaphylactic shock during anaesthesia after ingesting the drug, and sadly, they include deaths.

Pholcodine is mostly found in household cough syrups such as Codral, Benadryl, Amcal, Bisolvon, Chemsit's Own, Terry White and many other lozenges and syrups. It is frequently combined with other products to help treat cold and flu symptoms.

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According to TGA Head Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, it is tricky to predict who would develop a reaction leading to complications or death.

Skerritt explained:

Some patients undergoing emergency surgery may not be in a position to talk to their anaesthetist at all. In addition, while surgical facilities may ask about which prescription medicines a patient is taking, they may not ask about over-the-counter products. Fortunately, safer alternatives to treat a dry cough are available and consumers should ask their doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Medications containing pholcodine haven’t yet been recalled in the UK.

European Medicines Agency recommended their withdrawal from the EU market in December 2022.

US Food and Drug Administrationhasn’t issued any warnings yet.

Why is pholcodine potentially deadly?

Pholcodine is an opioid-based medicine, which means it’s related to morphine and codeine. It works by binding to various opioid receptors in a part of the brain responsible for triggering the cough reflex.

Pholcodine creates the risk of a sudden, severe and life-threatening allergic reaction if people are also given specific muscle relaxant drugs while under a general anaesthetic.

As pholcodine can linger in the body, the TGA has warned that if you have taken a medicine containing pholcodine in the past 12 months you need to tell your doctor before you have surgery.

If you are currently taking one of these medicines you should stop immediately, even if you don’t think you’re going to have a medical procedure soon.

Take it to your local pharmacy for disposal. At that time, the pharmacist will be able to recommend a different medicine for your cough.

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Sources used:

- Mail Online: 'Life-threatening ingredient sparks recall of dozens of popular cough medicines - after one death and 50 major incidents'

- The Conversation: 'Why cough medicines containing pholcodine can be deadly even if you took them months before surgery'

- European Medicines Agency: 'EMA recommends withdrawal of pholcodine medicines from EU market'