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taking expired medications

V

vital

Platinum Member
How safe/unsafe is it to take expired medication? One pharmacist told me that the chemical will change over time and can become harmful. Another one told me it'll just be less effective. What do you thinK? I'm talkin about 1-2 yrs expired.
 
1-2 years expired... hell no. Who knows what might happened and what happened to the active ingredient during that time.
 
Heh, yeah, expiration dates are only there because the marketing department couldn't think of anything to put on that part of the container.

:roll:

Warning labels need to be removed from everything and the OP is a perfect example as for why.
 
There are probably compounds that do degrade unpleasantly; but I've never heard of any. Also, any compound that degrades over time to form toxins would likely have dangerous metabolites as well, making it an unlikely medicine.

Note, though, that there is another possible danger. Antibiotics, antivirals, and antiretrovirals are all supposed to be taken at full strength, in full dose, for full period of prescription, to help prevent the development of resistant strains. Using medications of unknown strength, partial doses, or limited durations is a bad idea for you, and for the population at large.

If the medication in question is a painkiller, antihistamine, sleep aid, etc. go ahead. Worst case scenario is it doesn't work. If it is an antibiotic, antiviral or antiretroviral, don't screw around, it's a bad idea for everybody. If it is for some serious condition, you probably shouldn't be self medicating, much less with pills of unknown strength.
 
Well your 503's probably aren't going to get you feeling quite as good, vital. But the good news is it probably won't hurt you.


😉😛
 
Originally posted by: vital
How safe/unsafe is it to take expired medication? One pharmacist told me that the chemical will change over time and can become harmful. Another one told me it'll just be less effective. What do you thinK? I'm talkin about 1-2 yrs expired.
Click to expand...


Depends on the medication, but after 2 years, no.
 
What possible benefit could there be to taking 2 year old prescription medicine rather than just getting a fresh perscription? 😕 That's just lazy and irresponsible if you ask me.


And cheap.
 
It depends on the medicine. Some medicines will just lose it's effectiveness, but others can really mess you up, like doxycycline.
 
Originally posted by: SLCentral
It depends on the medicine. Some medicines will just lose it's effectiveness, but others can really mess you up, like doxycycline.
Click to expand...



QFT. Most are fine, some lose effectiveness, and very few become toxic. Just depends on the medication.
 
Originally posted by: GuideBot
Heh, yeah, expiration dates are only there because the marketing department couldn't think of anything to put on that part of the container.

:roll:

Warning labels need to be removed from everything and the OP is a perfect example as for why.
Click to expand...

Actually, I'm pretty sure there aren't any warning labels about not eating expired pills. Go for it OP! :thumbsup:
 
I've taken OTC drugs that were like 5 years expired and no ill effects here. 😛

Prescription or other exotic drugs I would not mess around with, but for your basic pain relievers/cold pills/etc. there's probably not too much to worry about - but why take the chance?

One reason you don't see expirations longer than 2-3 years at most is also the manufacturers aren't interested in paying for the longer shelf-life testing that would allow them to do so. And of course, they don't want the medicines to last forever - they want you to buy fresh stuff. 😀
 
The only drugs I know that can be toxic when taken after the expiry date are the tetracyclines.

The dates on the bottle are there more for a guide. The storage conditions have a greater effect on the drug than any specified date. I would rather take any OTC that is 2 years expired if they were stored in a cool dry place than a not expired drug that sits out in a hot, humid room in sunlight.
 
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