Popular Cholesterol Medication Prescribed in Louisiana Recalled

(KMDL-FM) The Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for a popular cholesterol medication that doctors in Louisiana often prescribe. The concerns about the medication have to do with the way it reacts with your body once it has been taken. While this recall is deemed a Class II recall, the ramifications of that recall will vary from patient to patient.

It is speculated by the Louisiana Department of Health that 1.77 million residents of Louisiana have high cholesterol. For reference sake, Louisiana's population is listed at only 4.65 million, so that means that roughly 39% of the state's population could or should be on medication to control cholesterol.

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As you read this article while nibbling on a hog cracklin' or snacking on a link of boudin, it's not really that hard to understand why a cholesterol medication recall would be a big deal in Louisiana. Our "typical" diet is high in saturated fats, we enjoy more than our share of processed foods, and we have been known to have a sweet tooth as well. All of those are factors in our higher-than-acceptable cholesterol readings.

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What Is Cholesterol and Why Is It Bad For You?

The cholesterol issue is that too much of it will "gum up" your bloodstream. There are two types of cholesterol that your doctor wants you to know about, one is LDL, or Low-Density lipoprotein. This is stuff that blocks your arteries and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

There is also High-Density lipoprotein, also known as the "good cholesterol". It actually helps remove the "bad cholesterol" from the arteries and helps to carry it to the liver for breakdown in that organ.

What Is The Name of the Cholesterol Medication That's Been Recalled?

The medicine that a lot of us in Louisiana take is prescribed under the generic name atorvastatin calcium. For those who get brand-name prescriptions, your doctor might prescribe the "same" medication but under the name Lipitor. The recalled medication produced by Ascend Laboratories includes some 141,000 bottles of the pills in 10mg,20mg,40mg, and 80mg doses.

It is important to note that this FDA recall only pertains to those medicines that were manufactured by Alkem Laboratories, Ltd of India, but distributed by the New Jersey-based Ascend Laboratories.

How Do I Know if My Cholesterol Medication Has Been Recalled?

The first step you need to take is to contact your doctor's office and/or your pharmacy. The pharmacist should be able to tell with complete certainty whether the medicines you've been prescribed are part of the recall or not. But in the case of any medical issue, we always suggest you speak to your doctor, too.

If there is a good side to this recall, in most cases, your doctor will not ask you to stop taking the medication. The issue with the tablets is how they dissolve in the body. The recalled tabs do not dissolve within the time specifications set up for the medication. Still, over time, you do get the medicine into your system, so it's not all bad. But don't take our word for it; consult a healthcare professional.