Is expired medication simply ineffective or can it cause ill effects?

Answer 1

depends.... if its prescription its harmful and ineffective, but if its tylenol, and maybe a month expired, its nothing, it might take a little longer to get rid of your headache.... but its better to get new medicine after expired

Answer 2

In some cases expired medication can be poisonous. It all depends on the medication. Yes it can have ill effects.

Answer 3

Not sure about toxicity but meds that are expired just simply lose their potency of about 20-40 % (60-80% effective).

Answer 4

Very definitely both. Some medications actually begin to break down into their elements, some of which are toxic. There are good reasons for throwing away expired medications.

Answer 5

Not very likely for either if it's been stored properly (NOT in your bathroom) The expiration dates are a device to get you to buy more medicine (unless they are long overdue)

Answer 6

Both because the active ingredients either lose their chemical make-up, or chnage into something which may give you an undesirable health effect

Answer 7

It can kill you in some cases. Never keep meds "just in case" always take them back to a pharmacy for proper disposal, dont dump them down the loo!;

Answer 8

i saw a thing on tv and most of them are fine after the due date...however some may have chemical reactions or become innefective depending on the type...especially the liquid ones or injectable ones.

Answer 9

It could decrease to 0 in potency or it could spiral out of sight high enough to kill anyone who takes it. Get rid of it.

Answer 10

Both