Several Cold Remedies Recalled; May Be Mislabeled Tranquilizers

WASHINGTON — Several brands of an over-the-counter cold medicine are being recalled because they may be mislabeled and may actually contain a potent tranquilizer, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

The tranquilizer, haloperidol, could prove fatal--especially to children--if taken in the amounts normally associated with non-prescription cold medicines, FDA officials said.

“The mix-up was detected when a 6-year-old became lethargic after taking the cold medicine and was taken to the clinic at Ft. Bragg, N.C., and then to the University of North Carolina Medical Center,” the FDA said. “The boy is recovering.”

The recall involves about 105,000 white plastic bottles distributed throughout the United States in the last year. It is not known how many may contain the wrong drug.

The FDA said My-K Laboratories of Morton Grove, Ill., is recalling all four-ounce bottles of its cold medicine bearing lot number 15718 with an expiration date of 12/88.

The bottles were sold under the following brand names:

--Myfed Syrup, distributed to military as well as civilian stores.

--Life-Line Trifed Syrup, distributed by Life-Line Pharmaceutical of Hayward, Calif.

--URL Uni-Fed Syrup, distributed by United Research Laboratories of Philadelphia.

--Walgreen Wal-Act Syrup, distributed by Walgreen Co. of Deerefield, Ill.

--Osco Aphedrid Syrup, distributed by Osco Drug Inc. of Oak Brook, Ill.

The correct cold medicine solution is a yellow liquid, with a lemon fragance, consisting of a decongestant and an antihistamine. The tranquilizer is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid.