All 100-count bottles of Tylenol Arthritis Pain caplets are being recalled by the manufacturer, and residents are being urged to stop using them immediately, according to a joint release from the Health and Licensing and Consumer Affairs departments.
The bottles have a distinctive red EZ-Open Cap, which makes them easy to identify. All other Tylenol Arthritis Pain products are safe, the release said.
The manufacturer, McNeil Consumer Care, recalled five lots of the product last month, but in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration, took precautions and expanded the recall after consumers reported an "unusual, moldy, musty or mildew-like odor" emanating from the bottles that was associated with nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea.
"The uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole," according to a statement on Tylenol’s website. "The source of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole is believed to be the breakdown of a chemical used to treat wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials. The health effects of this compound have not been well studied, and to date all of the observed events reported to McNeil were temporary and non-serious."
The expanded list of product lots can be found at the Health Department’s website at www.healthvi.org or the FDA’s website at www.fda.gov.
Consumers can call the company at 888-222-6036 with questions, or requests for a refund or replacement.