I've been having trouble sleeping, and I have some Temazepam (for insomnia) from 2004. I heard some medicines can expire over time, but is that true for all medicines?
My doctor won't prescribe anything for me until he sees me next week.
2007-02-28 13:06:05 · 20 answers · asked by Oatmeal2348 2 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
The expiry of medication is not like food (heck, some ppl even eat expired food).
The medicines can produce toxins or decrease their effectiveness over time. That is why an expiration date.
Go wait for your doctor, DO NOT take expired medications. You will never know what they will do to your body.
2007-02-28 13:10:35 · answer #1 · answered by IIDX Chem 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Does the medication have an expiration date? If not, I would not take the medication. Most meds have only a year or so before they expire. The meds may still be good after that time or they make start to break down, making their components possibly less effective.
If you want a solution until you meet with your doctor try an over the counter solution that I find works. Get Benadryl. It does not have to be brand name. Look for the medicine Diphenhydramine HCl. It is a known sleep aid and should help you until you can meet with you doctor.
2007-02-28 13:13:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Try some Melatonin, available over the counter.
Most medications don't go bad over time, but will lose their effectiveness. The expiration for a prescription pill is usually one year from the date it was filled, but remember that it probably sat in a bottle in the warehouse, then the pharmacy for a long time before you got it.
However, there are exceptions to every rule - and some medications may have a chemical change over time, causing possible side effects that aren't listed on the label.
Temazepam is a form of benzodiazepam (Valium type drug). My understanding is that these slowly lose effectiveness, but shouldn't be dangerous. However, I am not a pharmacist or a doctor - just a mom with a child who has been on forms of Valium for years.
2007-02-28 13:15:19 · answer #3 · answered by ~StepfordWife~ 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Excuse me ! I beg your pardon. Modern Medicine Vs Homeopathic Medicine. Where did you get that from. Homeopathy is in fact the New School of Medicine, Allopathy is the old out dated school of medicine. Homeopathy is the Modern way of curing with smart medicine without any side effects or complications. While the old school is still limbering up with its ancient. suppression techniques. Homeopathy has taught us how to Cure not just treat and go on treating with different drastic drugs which cause further complications and not to mention the Side effects which the old goats of medicine consider nothing. Well I cant blame them they are not there to cure but just to sell us those fancy named Medicines which are in fact the cause of most of our ailments to start with and you call that Modern Medicine :o) please correct your statement. Wishing you all the best. Take Care and God Bless you.
2016-03-16 02:25:52 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say that it is your call...Did you check for an expiration date? Sometimes it is on the box itself or the container that the pills come in. I have insomnia problems myself, but I have not seen a doctor. I am hoping to work on it on my own without medication. Camamile tea works well, and I also have this other tea called "night, night" which works for me. Exercise before bed is also good along with meditation.
If these don't work for you, I totally understand. Everyone is different. I just want to wish you luck because I totally understand the torture. My insomnia is definitely job stress and anxiety related. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck...
2007-02-28 13:17:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely do not take the medicine. It does change over time. Did yours? No one can tell for sure without mtesting it, if it did it probably didn't change very much, BUT whatever the amount yu have left won't solve the problem so you are going to eventually have to see the doctor. Are you going to tell him that you took old medicine, probably not, so he will give you something new, who knows what? What are the effects when mixed with the old. It only takes one big screw-up to really screw things up.
2007-02-28 13:13:28 · answer #6 · answered by ttpawpaw 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you should wait until you see your doctor...sorry but I know from experience that some (not all) sleep aid meds are started off with a smaller dosage til your body gets use to the new chemistry...this is done and monitored with blood-work in some cases so that they know what kind of dosage you should take and NOT take....hang in there...only a few days away til you see the Dr.....
Good Luck!
2007-02-28 13:12:00 · answer #7 · answered by Rmprrmbouncer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you should just go get some Simply sleep Tylenol until then. I mean that medicine is over 2 yrs old.
Good Luck
2007-02-28 13:10:57 · answer #8 · answered by shortone22 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've taken 6 year old temazepams w. no ill effects, if you've had several really hot summers it might not be quite as strong as it should be that's all.
Ask the Doc for Oxazepam instead, it's much better if you just want it for sleep.
2007-02-28 13:12:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
its not good to take this medicine sleeping tablets are very addictive have you tried taking a hot bath and some hot milk before u go to bed also insomnia can be sometimes caused by working your body but not your mind and your mind stays awake this use to happen to me when i was ill my body was tired but i couldnt sleep for over 100 hours as my mind wasnt tired
2007-02-28 13:11:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋