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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What was this capsule?

117 replies

Worried888 · 16/02/2025 20:37

Was given the wrong drug in a healthcare setting. They don’t know what they gave me.

It was a small capsule (smaller than paracetamol) one half was coloured yellow/orange and the other pink/red.

I am absolutely terrified as to what it could have been as I’m 6 weeks pregnant.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
StillweriseLH · 16/02/2025 20:39

The pharmacist in the healthcare setting is the person to tell you.
I’m not really sure how this came about though. Yea, I understand medication errors but they must know what’s in stock to be able to compare it to…. Can you give a bit more detail? There are millions of woman currently 6 weeks pregnant so it’s hardly outing.

Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 20:41

They checked the stock and can’t find any similar in their drug cupboard. So it was possibly the last of a pack of something or a medication that had been prescribed to another patient that they gave to me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 20:41

I’m terrified that whatever it was could have harmed my baby in some way.

OP posts:
AnotherDunromin · 16/02/2025 20:45

Did it look like any of these, OP?
https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?color=72
Are you currently an inpatient and do they know you're pregnant?

YellowFlowers1 · 16/02/2025 20:47

I’m so sorry this has happened a you’re understandably worried. I’m a nurse, but in all honestly nobody here will be able to tell you with any certainty. There are so many types of medications and many many different brands that all use different colours etc.

I would be asking how they know they gave you the wrong drug if they cannot identify what it is they gave you? What were they meant to give you?

Drug errors do happen, but medications should be prescribed and need to be signed off on paperwork or electronic systems when administered. Did they check your name DOB etc before administering? I would press further for more information. Are you in A&E? Was the medication meant for someone else? As I said above errors happen, but they should be able to identify what they gave you, if not that is completely unacceptable.

DiscoBeat · 16/02/2025 20:55

Because even the same drugs can look totally different according to the manufacturer I'd go back to the person who gave it to you and ask them to clarify what it was, but the likelihood of it being dangerous is very small, given that it was only one.

DrEggman · 16/02/2025 20:56

How did they know it was the wrong drug if they don’t know what it was?

Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 20:56

YellowFlowers1 · 16/02/2025 20:47

I’m so sorry this has happened a you’re understandably worried. I’m a nurse, but in all honestly nobody here will be able to tell you with any certainty. There are so many types of medications and many many different brands that all use different colours etc.

I would be asking how they know they gave you the wrong drug if they cannot identify what it is they gave you? What were they meant to give you?

Drug errors do happen, but medications should be prescribed and need to be signed off on paperwork or electronic systems when administered. Did they check your name DOB etc before administering? I would press further for more information. Are you in A&E? Was the medication meant for someone else? As I said above errors happen, but they should be able to identify what they gave you, if not that is completely unacceptable.

I know it was the wrong medication because when I left and collected my prescription from the pharmacy it was completely different in size and colour. I checked online, with the pharmacist and with the ward and the medication prescribed doesn’t come in the colour capsule they gave me and their stock on the ward was in the same colour as my prescription.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 20:57

DiscoBeat · 16/02/2025 20:55

Because even the same drugs can look totally different according to the manufacturer I'd go back to the person who gave it to you and ask them to clarify what it was, but the likelihood of it being dangerous is very small, given that it was only one.

Unfortunately pharmacists and the internet searches they and I have done have found that the medication prescribed to me is not manufactured anywhere by any brand in the type of capsule I was given

OP posts:
CobraChicken · 16/02/2025 20:59

Ignore. I shared a useless link, not realizing how many different possibilities it gave.

Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:02

Thanks to those who posted links. I’ve been on the websites and although look similar I did not pay attention to any writing on the capsule when handed it. it was smaller than the average capsule.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:02

CobraChicken · 16/02/2025 20:59

Ignore. I shared a useless link, not realizing how many different possibilities it gave.

Edited

It wasn’t useless. Thank you for adding it.

OP posts:
GrowThroughWhatYouGoThrough · 16/02/2025 21:02

What should it have been?

Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:04

YellowFlowers1 · 16/02/2025 20:47

I’m so sorry this has happened a you’re understandably worried. I’m a nurse, but in all honestly nobody here will be able to tell you with any certainty. There are so many types of medications and many many different brands that all use different colours etc.

I would be asking how they know they gave you the wrong drug if they cannot identify what it is they gave you? What were they meant to give you?

Drug errors do happen, but medications should be prescribed and need to be signed off on paperwork or electronic systems when administered. Did they check your name DOB etc before administering? I would press further for more information. Are you in A&E? Was the medication meant for someone else? As I said above errors happen, but they should be able to identify what they gave you, if not that is completely unacceptable.

at 6 weeks is any drug likely to harm the baby if just one capsule? Due to the placenta not being formed yet?

OP posts:
pusskins06 · 16/02/2025 21:10

Worried888 · 16/02/2025 20:37

Was given the wrong drug in a healthcare setting. They don’t know what they gave me.

It was a small capsule (smaller than paracetamol) one half was coloured yellow/orange and the other pink/red.

I am absolutely terrified as to what it could have been as I’m 6 weeks pregnant.

antibiotic ?

Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:12

pusskins06 · 16/02/2025 21:10

antibiotic ?

Show quote history

They don’t think so. All their antibiotics are larger capsules.

OP posts:
pusskins06 · 16/02/2025 21:12

Antibiotic

What was this capsule?
Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:13

pusskins06 · 16/02/2025 21:12

Antibiotic

Too large capsule to have been that

OP posts:
Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:13

pusskins06 · 16/02/2025 21:12

Antibiotic

I mean that amoxicillin is too large as the capsule I got given was small

OP posts:
DragonBalls · 16/02/2025 21:19

Very few medications are proven to be harmful to a foetus. But obviously you can’t do human experiments to prove things are harmful or not, hence the general rule to avoid if possible. However if you have a health condition which requires specialist care, then often you will be advised to continue medication even when pregnant.

A one off tablet is unlikely to cause any issues.

Original poster
Worried888 · 16/02/2025 21:21

DragonBalls · 16/02/2025 21:19

Very few medications are proven to be harmful to a foetus. But obviously you can’t do human experiments to prove things are harmful or not, hence the general rule to avoid if possible. However if you have a health condition which requires specialist care, then often you will be advised to continue medication even when pregnant.

A one off tablet is unlikely to cause any issues.

Thank you are you in medical field? I presume it’s even less likely at 6 weeks because of placenta not yet taking over? Or is it more likely because they develop so much in the first 12 weeks to have done harm if a harmful medicine? It was just the one capsule.

OP posts:
FromHere · 16/02/2025 21:22

Tramadol? I've had red and yellow tramadol and they're quite small - a lot smaller than a paracetamol.

mommyfinger · 16/02/2025 21:26

FromHere · 16/02/2025 21:22

Tramadol? I've had red and yellow tramadol and they're quite small - a lot smaller than a paracetamol.

I was going to suggest this too. If that is the case op it won't have harmed your baby

Ineffable23 · 16/02/2025 21:27

I don't suppose it was this sort of thing?

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F81FsCDyqfuL.jpg&tbnid=ZW8V0MpnxhF9yM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTIME-CAP-LABS-INC-Esomeprazole-Capsules%2Fdp%2FB0CLFB12XP&docid=LBaay0TO9poFiM&w=2500&h=2500&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm1%2F0&kgs=76e5e4140b459797

I've had omeprazole in basically every colour under the sun (white, yellow, blue, red and yellow, I think probably red and white) and it's a common drug with a low dosage so generally a smaller capsule.

fluffyblanky · 16/02/2025 21:28

Sorry you are going through this. Surely whoever gave you the pill should be completing an investigation into what happened and what you took? It's quite serious to give wrong medication to someone.

Obviously I am not saying it will cause you harm, but that's not the point.