Found Strange White Pills in My Advil Bottle

DEFINITELY, call the company!! They need to be made aware of it, so steps can be taken to prevent it from happening again. Maybe they will need to do a recall. Don't take a chance with other people's lives!

The very first thing you need to do is call a local pharmacy and have them identified. I know that the walmart pharmacy can look them up for you, they might need to see them. The pharmacist sometimes recognizes them by looking. Once you find out what they are, you might have an idea whether they could have come inside the bottle (which is highly unlikely) or if someone put them in there. If the pills are something made by the same company, you can call them on it. If it is totally different, then you have the problem of finding out who has been taking the pills and stored them in that bottle.

Hey A.!
I found a website with a pill on it that sounds similar to the one you described. It's Anacin, a caffeine pill. Here is the link if you want to compare it.
http://www.pharmer.org/node/1020

I would call the 800 number as well!

Those pills could be a number of things, even ectasy. Not sure how they would have got there but you can take them to a local pharmacist and he/she can tell you what they are, or look them up on the computer. I have had to do that before. It is some type of drug index they have access to and it even shows the pill on the screen for some drugs. Just to be on the safe side.

A.,

You need to take the bottle and all remaining pills to the police department. They sound to me like ecstasy pills. The police department would be able to confirm that. You really need to take them in for testing immediately. Do not hesitate. The worst thing to hear is that someone in your home is using ecstasy and hiding them in your Advil bottle (which of course is the worst case scenario), but you need to know for yourself that this is not the case and then file a report with the police department so that if the company messed up you can then have it on record and proceed with a lawsuit. Good luck!

A.

call poison control 800-222-1222 and describe the pills to them. they should be able to tell you what they are.

Are the pills the same size and shape as a round Advil tablet, and is your bottle of Advil the round tablet kind or the oblong kind? If they are the size of regular round Advil, it could be that they somehow didn't get the coating, which the manufacturer should hopefully be able to tell you. But if they ARE something illegal, you should have a pharmacist or the police identify them, of course you won't know until you take them there. You might mention it to your kids or your daughter or whoever else uses Advil, ask if they have noticed the pills and tell them you are going to the police or pharmacist to have them identified in case they are something poisonous or illegal. I honestly didn't even think that someone in your family could have hid them there until other responders suggested it. I just assumed they were there when you broke the seal and opened the bottle. But you might think, did you notice them right after you opened the bottle and broke the seal, or was the bottle already opened? Please let us know the outcome, it is scary to think other drugs could get in our OTC medicines from mistakes at the manufacturer, if that is the case. Good luck! Oh, I also just googled ecstasy since some others have suggested it might be that, and I selected images and found a bunch of photos of them. You might try that, to see if any of them match your mystery pills. Also try the same thing with ibruprofen...they could also be generic Advil that they also manufacture that accidentally got in the Advil bottle. I also googled something like round white pill Advil and came up with some interesting responses. You might try that too.

Definitely call the manufacturer! (could be that the pills just didn't get coated appropriately, but the manufacturer should be able to explain that) You may or may not want to ask a pharmacist as well, just in case any of the pills have been taken.

If you find that the pills are something other than advil, you may also want to consult an attorney!

Absolutley call the 800#. But, document everything. Take pictures of the pills. Get a 2nd person to look at them.

It could be lots of things. I wouldn't automatically assume that they were Ecstasy - it doesn't come with a standardized logo imprinted on it.
Since the pharmaceutical company makes many variteies of meds, it could be that a few of something else got sent down the wrong chute at the plant - it happens.

Your pharmacist or physician will have a PDR - it's an illustrated encyclopedia of medications and can look it up for you. I'd start there. Your public library might even have one.

Hi A.,

A very scary situation. As one respondent points out, there is a slight chance it could be your daughter's pills, but why would she hide them in the family Advil bottle. Ask her anyway, then fly with that bottle right back to the store, call the 800 bottle number,police and anything else that is helpful.

Please let us know......please.
Sincerely__________

Also, you could take them to a local pharmacy and have them look at them. They might be able to tell you what they are or aren't!

Take one of the white pills to the nearest pharmacy... they can tell you what it is. Then you can go from there.

I would bring the pills in to a pharmacist to determine what they are ....and keep a good eye on your 15 year old. They could have been put there by her or one of her friends. Don't be naive about your teen.

If you are sure the bottle came from the store this way, call the number on the bottle and also the poison center at UAMS 1-800-3poison (unless the number has changed). hope that helps--this is my field-thanks! A.

Could your daughter have put them in there? Be watchful and remove the bottle from access. I would take them to a pharmacist and find out what they are, however. Were you the first one to open these pills? If so, you didn't notice, so they may not have been there when you opened them. I have no idea what is going on in your home or in your daughter's life, but you may want to snoop around-just in case she hid those pills in the Advil, esp if you find out they are something addictive. Good luck and keep us posted on what those pills are.

OH my! How scary!

I would ask your daughter if she saw the white pills too. I mean she is 15, and would notice the difference and certainly not take one. Hopefully she would have said something or shown them to you if she had seen them, so my guess is she didn't take one.

Next I would take them to the pharmacy or look online and see if I could figure out what it is. Then I would go to the police for testing and to file an official report. But first I would take my own pics. Then, after all that, I would call the manufacturer 800 number. Good Luck!

I sincerely hope no one in your household has taken the weird white pills, and that they are figured out soon enough with quick resolution.

M.

I would be worried too! But you can get to the bottom of it very easy. Just take the pills to the nearest pharmacy. All pharmacueticals are required to have identifiying marks on them, so the pharmacist should be able to look up what type of pill it is. It's probably harmless but it's best to make sure!

That's Oxy cotton...You can go on line and check it for sure.

I worked at Walgreens Parmacy for 3 years as a pharmacy technician. That is NOT ok that those pills are in their. You can bring the bottle to a pharmacy and show the pills to the pharmacists and he might be able to tell you what they are. I would DEFFINITLY call the 800 number on the botlle and say something. That could really hurt someone if they took them and are not supposed to. Good luck and if you need anymore info on this please feel free to call the FDA and let them know if you don't get the response that you should.

call the 800 number and take it to the cops or another lab for analysis. keep in mind that your daughter may have put them there to hide them.

A., DO NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER FIRST. If this is their mistake or not they are going to want you to send in or they will even come and get the medication from you for "testing". this is code for "CYA". they are going to want to avoid any potential lawsuit whether this is your intent or not. I would call poison control and ask them where you can get it tested. I would also go into the police station in your area and ask them for their help as well. that way if it is something from the manufacturer you have a report on hand. If it is unfortunately something from a member of your home they can give you advice or assistance. also, if you have a good relationship with your pharmacist you could take it in to them . I would first take pics of it and the advil it is with so that no matter what happens you will have evidence of their existence. You might want to sit down with your daughter and in a NON accusatory way, ask her if she knows anything about them or where they came from before you involve the police/authorities, she just might know and based on your relationship tell you. If it is ectasy or speed or anything else realize it may or may not be a real problem. but thank God it was put in your path to take care of . By not being a problem I mean no addiction YET,. Don't mean to scare you but these are crazy times. please let us know and feel free to contact me off line. D.

Take the bottle to your pharmacist so they can tell you what the white pills are.

As the other posters have said, I would contact the police, and call the manufacturer, but first I would note the lot number, expiration date and all pertinent data. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Is is possible that your daughter put the pills in the bottle? I would take them to a pharmacist and he can look up the type of pill that it is and tell you. I have done this before with an unidentifiable med. Pharmacista are very helpful!
B. S. RN CCM

You need to take the bottle of Advil back to place of purchase and speak with the manager of the pharmacy or store to alert them to product tampering-I do not know any reason for the white pills to be in the bottle (unless a family member accidentally mixed them in) and as a nurse, I do not recognize any of the description you have given of the white pills to any known medications and am not aware of any use of this type of batch separating-they have lot numbers on the bottles to identify that sort of thing. Since the tylenol tampering situation a few years ago, I would not take any of the medication and request a refund at point of purchase and have them open the new bottle to be sure it is not tampered with as well for your family and public safety. The place you purchased this bottle of Advil (if a pharmacy, should be able to look at the white pills and identify them if they are indeed a medication)if not a pharmacy should be more than happy to comply with a request for replacement of purchased product due to possible consequences if your family member took one of the white pills and became ill-- you have the option of calling the 800 number on the bottle as well as the poison control center, but I feel that returning product to place of purchase is quickest and best way to alert them to possible problem as well as to satisfy your peace of mind--of course I would first ask ALL family members if they knew anything about the white pills being in the advil bottle-this way, you have covered bases with all family members without appearing to accuse your daughter-just because she is teenager does not mean she si the one responsible for an added item to a medication bottle in the family home-older and younger people could have just as easily done it-and it may be nothing at all to worry about, but you need answer right away for your family's safety.

Okay, this is probably not the answer you expect, but it is the first thing that came to mind so I'm just going to say it. The pills you found sound like ecstacy. That is what that drug looks like. They are pills like any other and they have little pictures on them...all kinds. Why are they in your bottle of advil? That I cannot tell you, but I would suspect the 15 year old, only b/c that is the age I started experimenting with drugs. You said she takes advil, so maybe she was trying to hide them. Of course you will think why would she hide them in the advil that other ppl use and that I don't know. I am not accusing your daughter of anything, I'm just telling you exactly what I would think had the same thing happened to me. I would get the pills checked out for sure.

A., does your daughter ever take the bottle with her? I would start by asking her. You had mentioned that she takes the advil for cramps, I am just wondering if maybe she didnt take the bottle with her maybe to school or something and add someting else to the bottle that she was maybe taking. The pill you mentioned sounds very familiar to me but I cant put my finger on it. If I think of it I will let you know.
K.

I would do the following:

1. Take them to your pharmacist and he/she can tell you what they are.
2. Call the 800 number on the bottle and report it immediately.

DO BOTH CALL THE 800 NUMBER AND TAKE IT BACK TO WHERE YOU BOUGHT IT AND i WOULD TAKE PICTURES OF IT AS WELL AND I HOPE YOU DIDN'T TAKE ANY OF THE PILLS IF THEY WERE SEALED SOMETHING WRONG COULD JUST ME A MISTAKE BUT COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE

Like some of the other mothers, my first instinct is to call the 800 number and then the police, those white pills shouldn't be there and if it's a manufacturing error, I think the public needs to be notified. If not and it's a terrorist thing, it needs to be stopped now.

Let us know what you find out.

A.

YES i would definately call the 800 number. how scary it is wondering what kind of pill it is. i hope you find out what is going on.
FYI- iam a mother of 2. a 5 1/2 yr old boy and a 14 week old girl. i do work out of the home UNFORTUNATELY!!

A.,

Call the number!! It could be just the coloring...but I would call ASAP!

Hi, A., I'd call the Advil hotline.

L.

I would call the 800# on the bottle and if that doesn't get you anywhere then to your local police dept.I do agree that you should keep some kind of record,in case there are other bottles of Advil with these same pills found in them,just so it can all be traced.I want to wish you good luck what ever you do,and hopefully as others have suggested it has nothing to do with your daughter.

Any pharmacist can identify those pills for you and answer any questions you have, so bring them to your nearest pharmacy and explain to them the situation. They will help you.

Okay, this may sound dumb, but did you just opened it? Yes, I mean break the seal and pull out the cotton? If so, take the bottle to the pharm. and ask questions. It may have been a slip up from the factory.

But, if the bottle was already opened by your daughter, she might have put them in there to hide them. Confront her about what you found and ask questions. Tell her how you feel. You're the parent and have the right to know about everything.

I would still have the pills checked. If they are drugs, call the police. Your daughter must learn what happens when you take drugs.

Go have them checked out at your local pharmacist, they'll probly know what they are or how to report an incident if necessary.

It sounds like they are just advils that didn't get the coating, but I would definatly check with a pharmacist. Or you can look on the internet, http://www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html and see if you can find it there. Definatly call the company after you find out what they are.