🔍 How to Check If Your Sertraline is Affected
The recall is highly specific to a single batch distributed since November 28, 2025. You must check both the outer cardboard box and the foil strips inside.
Step 1: Check the Cardboard Box Look for the following details printed on the outer packaging of your 100mg film-coated sertraline tablets:
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Batch Number:
V2500425 -
Expiry Date:
May 2028
Step 2: Check the Blister Packs Inside If your box matches the batch number, open it and inspect the foil strips.
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A “rogue” strip will have “Citalopram 40mg” clearly printed on the foil back.
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Note: Do not assume the box is safe just because the first strip is correct; check every strip in the carton.
Some boxes of Sertraline 100mg contained a strip of the wrong medication
🚨 What to Do If You Find the Wrong Medication
If you find a strip of citalopram inside your sertraline box, do not take it.
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Stop and Return: Take the affected box back to your pharmacy immediately. The MHRA has already instructed pharmacists to accept returns and stop supplying this batch.
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Contact Your GP: Inform your doctor of the mix-up so they can review your treatment and issue a new, safe prescription to ensure you do not experience withdrawal symptoms from stopping your medication abruptly.
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Report It: Use the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme to report the incident and any adverse reactions you may have experienced.
High-Risk Patients: The MHRA notes that patients over 65, under 18, or those with underlying heart or liver conditions need to be particularly cautious if they suspect they have taken the wrong medication.
⚠️ The Danger: Understanding Serotonin Syndrome
Both sertraline and citalopram work by boosting serotonin levels in the brain. Taking them together—or accidentally alternating them—can overload your system, leading to Serotonin Syndrome.
This is a medical emergency. If you have accidentally taken the citalopram and experience any of the following symptoms, seek medical help immediately (Call 999 or go to A&E):
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Physical Signs: Tachycardia (heart rate over 100 BPM), high blood pressure, excessive sweating, or a sudden spike in body temperature (hyperthermia up to 40°C/104°F).
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Neuromuscular Signs: Tremors, muscle stiffness, exaggerated reflexes (hyperreflexia), or involuntary rhythmic muscle contractions (clonus).
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Mental State: Extreme agitation, confusion, or severe anxiety. (In severe cases, it can lead to a coma).
📉 How Did This Happen?
According to the MHRA, both drugs were manufactured at the same facility. The error appears to have occurred during the “secondary packing” phase, where the foil blister strips are placed into the final cardboard cartons.
The issue was flagged after an adult patient complained of severe headaches and subsequently discovered the citalopram strip in their sertraline box.
Are you currently taking sertraline and need help navigating the Yellow Card reporting scheme, or do you have questions about safely transitioning between different SSRI medications?
