To the Doctors - What happens if we take expired med?

Question

What happens if we take expired med?
I took a couple of pills for a head ache and didn't noticed that they had expired since 09/2005.

Answer 1

If the medication was stored in the container in which it was received in an indoor cabinet but not in the bathroom medical study suggests that nearly all medications retain nearly all of their potency for at least 5 years after their expiration date. I hope that your headache goes away.

Answer 2

oh honey that is really bad you should always check your expiration date before drinking any kind of medications. If you did already check how long ago was it expired if it was recently expired don't worry since there are people out there like you the Medicine don't really expire until couple of days after the date. Now if it's been expired more than a week i suggest you contact your personal doctor it also depends what kind of med it is...

Answer 3

It doesn't mean their bad, depending on the medication, they may be just fine. The FDA requires the expiration date. There are however, some medications, especially ones that are time released, that should be thrown away after the expiration date. That is because the mechanism they use for time release can break down, and you would get the full dose at once which could be dangerous.

Answer 4

the med is many times nonetheless solid for no less than a 12 months after the expiration date. my son took risperdal and he took some expired from longer in the past than one 12 months. looked purely as efficient

Answer 5

I'm a nurse does that count? *smile*
As far as the headach meds you'll be fine , Most over the counter drugs just lose their potency after the exp date. However some scrips can make you sick or have undesirable effects if taken after the exp date. Its best to get in the habbit of checking the date always before taking them . Hope this helps you!