Grapefruit and Medicine Don't Mix?

Image from FDA Consumer Update

I found this article fascinating.  News from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that grapefruit and certain medications can be a harmful combination.  I love pink grapefruit juice, so this study caught my eye.

The acting director of the Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Shiew Mei Huang, remarked that both grapefruit juice and fresh grapefruit may interfere with the way specific types of prescription and over-the-counter drugs work. In the FDA consumer update, Ms. Huang stated that “the juice increases the absorption of the drug into the bloodstream...When there is a higher concentration of a drug, you tend to have more adverse events.”  The result may be that the juice allows too much of the medication to remain in the body, which in turn could lead to a higher risk of liver damage or even kidney failure.

The drugs listed that are most seriously impacted are:

• some statin drugs to lower cholesterol, such as Zocor (simvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin) & Pravachol (pravastatin)
• some blood pressure-lowering drugs, such as Nifediac & Afeditab (both nifedipine)
• some organ transplant rejection drugs, such as Sandimmune & Neoral (both cyclosporine)
• some anti-anxiety drugs, such as BuSpar (buspirone)
• some anti-arrhythmia drugs, such as Cordarone & Nexterone (both amiodarone)
• some antihistamines, such as Allegra (fexofenadine)

Discussing how grapefruit and its juice may impact one’s medicine seems like it would be a good thing to discuss with a health care provider prior to taking any new drug.

Ice cream scooper turned ninja weapon = product recall

There are two things that are irresistible to a great many home cooks: Ice cream and Pampered Chef® parties.  In late December 2011 the very popular Pampered Chef® aluminum ice cream dippers had a problem.  The normally docile scoopers were found to be able to transformed into projectiles capable of injury to the innocent user.

The scooper's secret weapon is the non-toxic “defrosting” liquid that fills the handle.  This liquid warms from the heat of the user's hand during use, which in turn makes it easier to scoop out frozen ice cream.  However, if the handles themselves are placed into warm water, the cap & seal can loosen and pressure is created inside the handle to project the seal and cap with “significant force.”  Anyone standing in the way of this projectile is in danger of receiving lacerations or bruising if contact is made.

For this reason, The Pampered Chef® is recalling 20,000 of the popular dippers that sold from July 2010 through September 2010.

Customers who purchased the dippers during this time frame via the Pampered Chef® website (www.pamperedchef.com) or from an authorized Pampered Chef® consultant should call Pampered Chef® by phone at (877) 917-2433.  A replacement /refund form can also be completed on line at this link.

Exploding battery packs result in Rayovac recall

Power tools are dangerous enough without the threat of the cordless battery pack suddenly exploding! That’s the situation with this latest product safety recall.

BatteriesPlus, LLC is pulling back 111,800 of their Rayovac NI-CD Cordless Tool Battery Packs after they received five reports that the batteries were exploding.  The packs sold at BatteriesPlus retail stores across the USA and on the company online store for approximately $60 each.  Packs purchased from June 2008 through October 2011 are involved in this recall.

Photo: CPSC

Here’s what to look for:

• RAYOVAC-branded replacement battery
• RAYOVAC NI-CD printed on battery casing
• Part number beginning with “CTL” is printed on the product (see website link below for more details)
• Voltages ranging between 2.4 and 18 volts
• Variety of shapes and sizes

Sold as replacement batteries to these brand-named power tools: Black and Decker, Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Panasonic, Ryobi and Skil.

Stop using the battery immediately.  Remove the battery from the power tool. Contact BatteriesPlus for details on how to return the product for a store credit.

BatteriesPlus phone:  (877) 856-3232

BatteriesPlus website:  www.batteriesplus.com

Massage Pets find a kink they can’t work out!

 Red & black Ladybug  /   Yellow & Black Bee

UPC 0 49696 60453 6 / UPC 0 49696 60454 3

The hang tag states that these Handheld Massage Pets are a “fun way to massage away aches and tension." It’s likely that the Ohio-based distributor, Fourstar Group USA, Inc., is suffering with a big ache and pain, as 25,500 units were pulled off the shelves when reports of leaking batteries began to surface. Leaking batteries can pose a serious burn or skin irritation hazard to users.

Manufactured in China, these little massagers were sold exclusively through BJ’s Wholesale Club membership locations in fifteen states from Florida to Maine. Five of those stores reported customers complaining about the batteries leaking, but no injuries were indicated. They were sold briefly from September through December 2011.

Consumers who purchased these massagers should stop using them and return them immediately to the BJ’s Wholesale Club nearest them for a full refund. WARNING: To avoid exposure to any potential harm, do not touch the battery or open the battery compartment. 

Both products are 3 ½“ high and 5” wide and come with two Kendal-brand AA batteries.  The retail tag is printed with “Dating code 1210A.”

Fourstar Group can be contacted via phone at (866) 290-6191, but unfortunately there is no human customer service person available to take your call. In addition, the email address given in CPSC recall is no help in reaching a company contact for further information. Returning the unit to the store of purchase appears to be the only option given at this point.

Glass Fragments found in ProPack Tropik Splash Lemonade

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a consumer warning for possible contamination of Tropik Splash Lemonade with small fragments of glass.  No injuries have been reported, but the bottled fruit drink is being recalled in an abundance of caution to protect the health of consumers.

Although the product, produced by Toronto-based ProPack Foods, Inc., is normally distributed in Ontario and Quebec, it may have nationwide distribution and sales in Canada.

To identify if the product on your pantry shelf is involved, check for these details on the bottle label.

• 473 mL bottles
• UPC Code:  0 26595 78680 8
• Lot number beginning with "BB 2013 SEP 14"

Consumers are urged not to ingest the affected beverages and can contact CFIA by phone at (800) 442-2342 to receive disposal or refund instructions.

Hong Kong consumers warned of problem with eye drops

The Hong Kong Department of Health (DH) has announced the voluntary recall of one specific batch of eye-drops marketed to reduce redness and irritation. The drops, known as Eye Mo 36 Eye Drops 0.05%, are manufactured in Indonesia by PT Sterling Products Indonesia and distributed in Hong Kong by the drug wholesaler, GlaxoSmithKline Ltd.  

Hard boric acid crystal deposits have been found on the dispenser’s nozzle. 

The company indicated that it has imported 31,500 of the drops into Hong Kong mostly to local pharmacies, drug stores and medicine companies. Some of the batch was re-exported to Macau.

The recalled batch #X012FA-1 is marked on the product itself. The batch involved in the recall was the only batch shipped via air freight, and it is suspected that there may have been inconsistent temperature control or cabin pressure during transportation that caused the crystallization of the buffering agent in the drops.

No injuries have been reported yet, but the DH is recalling this batch in an abundance of caution.

Hong Kong consumers should not use the product, and can contact the company’s customer service directly at 3189 8765.

CPSC and Brazil Strengthen Safety Commitment

News out of Washington, D.C. today is that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Brazil to improve consumer product safety.  The original USA/Brazilian MOU was established in 2008, and this new accord adds more energy to the recent surge of international efforts to implement effective product safety requirements worldwide. 

In a June 10^th meeting with the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro) and CPSC Chairman Inex Tenenbaum, an agreement was made to work more closely together to promote consumer safety and harmonize product safety requirements where possible.

A starting point is the option of unifying crib safety requirements. Inmetro has indicated that they will work closely with the CPSC to evaluate crib samples following both United States and Brazilian regulations. Inmetro's President Jornada also expressed their intended shift in thinking from being reactive to a more proactive approach toward product safety.  Jornada stated, "We will operate with a renewed focus on injury prevention."

CPSC’s Chairman Tenebaum's and Inmetro's President João Jornada made statements focused on their intent and strong commitment to work together to improve product safety and strengthen consumer confidence.

The text of Chairman Tenebaum's statement, as well as the MOU is available online.