A recall has been issued on Digitek (digoxin) heart medication tablets. Digoxin is prescribed to treat heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. The recalled tablets may contain twice the approved level of medication and the double-strength pills pose a risk of digitalis toxicity, which can result in nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, cardiac instability, bradycardia and even death.

Digitek is a registered trademark of Actavis Totowa (formerly Amide Pharmaceutical, Inc.) The drug is also sold by Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., as “Bertek” and by UDL Laboratories, Inc. as “UDL”.

If you or someone you know is taking any of these medications, they should contact their physician as overdosing on digoxin can be extremely dangerous.

On a more macabre note, this drug was used to commit murder by serial killer Charles Cullen in New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the 80's and 90's. Cullen was a male nurse who killed patients to "end their suffering" and admitted that he had murdered as many as 45 patients over a period of 16 years.