| Bondee
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| 886831. Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:11 pm |
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As I mentioned elsewhere on the forum, I was prescribed a short course of sleeping tablets* today, but I have enough of the same tablet from a previous prescription. Only thing is, they have an expiry date of 09/2011. If I can safely take them I can save myself the cost of another prescription.
Most sites that I've seen so far say that the expiration date specifies only the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of the drug - it does not mean how long the drug is actually "good" or safe to use.**
So, to quote one of Larry's immortal lines... Is it safe?
*Zopiclone, 3.75mg
**source for that particular quote
edit: to change the subject so it sounds less septic.
; )
Last edited by Bondee on Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:40 pm; edited 1 time in total
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| soup
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| 886834. Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:38 pm |
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I wouldn't if you start faffing about with time expired drugs... Mind you I am a jock and prescriptions are free up here.
May well be safe but if it doesn't work..? Sugar pills are safe but beyond any placebo effect they do not work as sleeping tablets. |
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| Bondee
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| 886886. Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:21 am |
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Hmmm... They're only 5 months past the exp. date. It's not as if they're going to poison me, is it?
IS IT!?! |
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| swot
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| 886894. Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:38 am |
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| Ask a pharmacist. IF you can't take them, at least you'll be in the right place for them to be disposed of. It boggles my mind the people still flush old meds down the toilet. That's not where they go! |
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| Janet H
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| 886899. Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:53 am |
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I suspect that nobody in 'authority' will say they're ok because they'll be covering their arse. [cynic. moi?]
what you need is one of these.
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| soup
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| 886906. Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:13 am |
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| Bondee wrote: | Hmmm... They're only 5 months past the exp. date. It's not as if they're going to poison me, is it?
IS IT!?! |
Even if they don't poison you, will they be effective? |
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| Sadurian Mike
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| 886907. Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:14 am |
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The drug will lose potency but it shouldn't have turned toxic in a few months.
Speaking personally (and this is against all professional advice, you understand), I'd take the expired tablets for a while and save yourself a few quid. |
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| RLDavies
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| 886908. Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:23 am |
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I must admit, I have on occasion taken "expired" medicines and have never had any adverse reaction.
Personally, I wouldn't think a few months over would make a lot of difference. But then I've never taken sleeping tablets, and don't know how deterioration-prone they are. (One of Col's medicines, for example, has strict warnings about discarding any unused capsules 60 days after opening the bottle.)
Storage conditions make a big difference. Capsules individually sealed in foil-backed sheets, for instance, would last longer than an opened bottle of loose tablets. And whether they've been exposed to heat, light, moisture, etc.
Before you make a decision, read the patient information sheet and inspect the pills very carefully. If they've changed in any way (colour, texture, smell), even slightly, then don't touch them! |
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| Bondee
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| 886911. Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:45 am |
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| I think I'll risk it. They've been stored in the foil strip, in their box on a shelf that's well away from direct sunlight and all the other bad stuff that might affect them. |
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| RLDavies
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| 886913. Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:49 am |
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| Well, if you suddenly vanish from the boards, we'll know why. |
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| Bondee
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| 886914. Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:56 am |
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| I, being of sound mind (who laughed!?!) and judgement... |
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| Posital
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| 886930. Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:29 pm |
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Go take 'em - maybe they'll have trippy side-effects too...
There's even a 12 month expiration date on camomile lotion.
| Dr. Francis Flaherty, Director, US FDA expiration testing program wrote: | | Manufacturers put expiration dates on for marketing, rather than scientific, reasons. It's not profitable for them to have products on a shelf for 10 years. They want turnover." |
"with a handful of exceptions -- notably nitroglycerin, insulin and some liquid antibiotics"
| apparently wrote: | | Drug-industry officials don't dispute the results of the FDA's testing, within what is called the Shelf Life Extension Program. And they acknowledge that expiration dates have a commercial dimension. But they say relatively short shelf lives make sense from a public-safety standpoint, as well. |
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| soup
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| 886953. Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:43 pm |
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Bondee are you really that short of money that you would risk out of date drugs for the sake of £7:40?
| apparently wrote: | | But they say relatively short shelf lives make sense from a public-safety standpoint, as well. |
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| Bondee
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| 886965. Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:55 pm |
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I'm pretty sure it's safe. It would seem that the only medicines that I'd have to be worried about are tetracyclines.
I'll let you all know after the experiment.
; ) |
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| Strawberry
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| 886966. Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:01 pm |
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| i think i'd be too scared to take expired medicines but of course it's your choice so good luck. |
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