If you recently purchased cough syrup, check your medicine cabinet. Several batches of cough syrup from the popular brand Robitussin have been recalled due to microbial contamination.
- The recall affects eight lots of a specific cough syrup flavor – the adult day and night versions of Robitussin Honey CF Max.
- The recalled products have an expiration date of October 2025 to June 2026. The affected lot numbers are T10810, T08730, T08731, T08732, T08733, T10808, T08740 and T08742. Check the label for these lot numbers.
- Haleon, the manufacturer of Robitussin, announced Wednesday the cough syrup was being recalled due to microbial contamination, according to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration. The company says anyone who has purchased the product should “immediately discontinue use.”
- Haleon said in a statement to The Washington Post that an internal investigation “discovered that the microbial contamination present in some units was elevated yeast levels.” Yeast is present in honey, but the levels found “were elevated beyond permissible levels.” The company did not explain what caused the contamination but said it is “taking corrective and preventive measures to ensure that the contamination does not reoccur.”
People with weakened immune systems could suffer serious or life-threatening complications such as fungemia or a “disseminated fungal infection” from using the cough syrup, according to the FDA.
The agency said the most Consumers will not develop the same life-threatening infections after using the product. However, it said it could not rule out the possibility of an infection that would require “medical intervention.”
Consumers who have “experienced any problems related to taking or using the product” should contact their doctor, the FDA said. People can report any side effects related to the recalled Robitussin cough syrup to the FDA online, by mail, or by fax.
No adverse events were reported to the company.
What else you should know
To treat a persistent cough, doctors say hydration and hot drinks help and can provide the same relief as over-the-counter medications and cough syrups.
Any “thick and sweet” syrups like honey can suppress your cough by calming the nerves in your throat, said Peter Dicpinigaitis, director of the Montefiore Cough Center and editor-in-chief of Lung magazine.
Some doctors said this winter respiratory virus season is worse than previous years as they see more patients complaining of coughs that won't go away.
A persistent cough after a respiratory virus is often a “sign of an ongoing inflammatory response to the original illness,” said Russell Buhr, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at UCLA Health in Los Angeles. If you have a cough that lasts more than a few weeks, consult a doctor.
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