Rainbow Ramipril: Can't believe that... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Rainbow Ramipril

Johnandvirginia profile image
14 Replies

Can't believe that different manufacturers of Ramipril use different coloured tablets for the same dosage. My 5 mg Ramipril has come in shades of bright red and bright green!

When I pointed this anomaly out to my pharmacist he tried to assure me that the product would be the same irrespective of the colour. But this is not the point, is it? Surely it would be safer to standardise colours for each dosage irrespective of manufacturer.

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Johnandvirginia profile image
Johnandvirginia
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14 Replies
Beancounter profile image
BeancounterVolunteer

Hi

I agree with you, however may I just point out that there are those of us (Male only I understand) who are colour blind (not as bad as my brother with "look at the big grey buses mum") But still colour is a problem for me and I never use it to differentiate.

So the warfarin nurse twittering on about colour coding, and I said, Yes but are they stamped with the dose......

And even my local authority, who have given me three bins, allegedly Blue/Green/Grey

The 3 worst colours for most colour blind people, and who when I said please can I have signs actually replied to me with a chart showing which rubbish went into which colour bin. Needless to say I said that's great now can you please tell me how I know what colour the bins are please.

So I do get your point and do agree, but for some of us.... Print the dosage on the tablet please. :)

Be well

Ian

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer in reply to Beancounter

Agreed Ian and while I am not colour blind I do think the shapes ought to stay the same. Sometimes some of mine are lozenge shaped, sometimes round and sometimes even lozenge with notches out of them which is a nuisance when others are always lozenge with notches but a bit smaller.

I find I actually have to READ what is on them when I fill my 7 day pill box. What will they think of next.

Spare a thought for the flecainide people who can't even get their medication.

Bob

seasider18 profile image
seasider18 in reply to BobD

I've had Losartan in four different shapes and sizes recently and Esomeprazole in tablet and capsule form on the same prescription.

suzytoshoes profile image
suzytoshoes

Mine are Bright Orange, but mine are Varapimil 5mg, but i agree with you they are always changing , i was told its when the Chemist get a cheaper version but they are suppose to be the same, Suzy

10gingercats profile image
10gingercats

My husband has this problem with some meds. (not for AF) and has refused to take the newly coloured ones from the chemist insisting on the originals.So far so good.Verapamil has also begun to prescribe two different colours, as Susietoshoes mentioned so I went down 'the husband path' and also refused the newly coloured ones....it also worked......try it.We do not want confusion added to AF do we?

seasider18 profile image
seasider18

Some of the colours are from E numbers and some used here are banned in America. I put my joint pain when taking 1mg warfarin down to the E123/Amaranth in it. Since going back on Warfarin last month I am not using 1mg.

Other colours are not suitable for vegetarians

laleva.cc/food/enumbers/E12...

Many years ago I was buying something at a herbalists and out of devilment asked her how her vegetarian customers reconciled taking gelatine capsules with their beliefs. A look of horror on her face as she said that she had never thought of that. Some time later she had a sign up to the effect that all capsules were made of non animal products.

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh in reply to seasider18

Check the 1mg at the chemists now because certainly for my make E123/Amaranth in has been taken out.

seasider18 profile image
seasider18 in reply to PeterWh

That's good, I'm glad that someone listens to me!! Which make are you getting. I'm usually on 8mg so no problem and I have a stock of 0.5 mg. ones.

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh in reply to seasider18

Current one is Bristol and I think that the previous one was Crescent Pharma.

When someone raised this issue a year ago I looked then and it was OK. Can't remember that make.

Terjo profile image
Terjo

Some tablets aren't even stamped it's very worrying when another medicine is exactly the same size and shape . My bisoprolol pills this time are the same as one of the " water" pills that I take. There is a very strong case for standardisation as I'm sure some people must be more confused than I am and take the wrong pills with detrimental results. Keep well, Terry.

Johnandvirginia profile image
Johnandvirginia

This seems even worse to me - Warfarin 3mg comes in a blue and white box which is identical to my Ramipril 10mg!!

Whoops my chemist has just dispensed 50mg Eplerenone tablets. The prescription was for 25mg! Someone had even stuck the 25mg printed slip onto the 50mg box. As I said to the pharamcist - it's a good job somebody is checking!!

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh

Well you are bound to get some tablets being the same size and colour. However with the boxes more options are possible but obviously manufacturers will want to standardise box sizes because of automatic packaging and also colour and layout schemes because of corporate branding.

Katkaz profile image
Katkaz

old thread but thought I’d mention

Katkaz profile image
Katkaz

I started taking Ramipril two years ago and had awful side effects of the allergy kind. Face would feel like it was burning red hot. I started to look at the ingredients and realised my generic version had so much crap in it inclua a colorant red something that was banned in the EU!! I think they no longer contain it now , but it certainly did when I was prescribed. The only purpose of the harmful additive was for the colour!

The manufacturer was crescent.

Well I did some research and now take the brand name of Ramipril, Tritace. :)

All my symptoms disappeared:)

Read the labels ;) it’s important. Also I do agree with the original point of your post that the pills should look the same x

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