Is it harmful to take antibiotics after the expiration date?

Question

I used to take doxycycline for ache. Well I found some pills and took some. I then noticed that the pills were perscribed over a year and a half ago. Am I gonna die or something?

Actually, make that nearly 2 years ago.

Alright, here's the deal.

I didn't take expired medication. I was just curious how people felt about taking expired medication.

A few of you claim to be somewhat knowleable on the subject but here's the deal.

Taking expired medication, including antibiotics, IS dangerous.

Doxycycline, the drug I mentioned, is dispensed for a very large variety of problems. It is used to treat acne, STDs, urinary tract infections, gum disease, prevention of malaria and a whole lot more.

Old drugs can turn into other drugs, increase in potency, and some can actually become quite toxic. Doxycycline is one such example. Expired doxycycline can cause significant kidney damage.

And dogwhisperer16, in your answer you compare doxycycline to tetracyclines, but doxycycline IS a tetracycline.

I am actually surprised at how many people see little or no problem with taking expired medication.

Answer 1

Yes, expired antibiotics are dangerous! Here's a quote from Drugs.com about expired Doxycycline:

"Do not use; degradation products of drug are highly nephrotoxic"

Translation: Taking expired doxycycline can harm your kidneys.

While it is true that some drugs merely lose strength after their expiration date, many drugs (especially antibiotics!!) break down into harmful chemical products, similar to the way juice or wine can ferment if left too long.

Bottom line--don't take them. And, depending on how much you took, and how high the dose was, you might want to see a doc.

Answer 2

Expired Antibiotics

Answer 3

Depends on the antibiotic and how long its been expired. Some actually get STRONGER, like Tetracycline and other -cyclines (including doxy) I do not ever recommend taking antibiotics unless you know its an infection and you have enough and will take them for a full course. 1.5 years is not too long out of date. As a general rule, after 2 years they may change in efficacy, strength and/or stability. I have taken expired antibiotics myself many times with out negative consequences following the above guidelines.

But you really should check into this type of thing BEFORE you take the medication,lol!

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is it harmful to take antibiotics after the expiration date?
I used to take doxycycline for ache. Well I found some pills and took some. I then noticed that the pills were perscribed over a year and a half ago. Am I gonna die or something?

Answer 5

i used to take antibiotic for a long time even though the antibiotic has been expired for more than two years but it seems that nothing happen to me.i think it won't have any problem having the expired antibiotics but bear in mind that, having expired antibiotics is greatly discouraged.

one strong point to bear in mind is that,the course of antibiotics prescribed by doctor need to be finished because u need the whole course in order for ur immune system to built to a higher level.if u do not finish the antibiotics,the bacteria might get immuned to the antibiotics coz ur body do not have enough killer to kill the bacteria.

if u finish the whole course of antibiotics, then there shouldn't be any expired antibiotics cases happen anymore in the future.

Answer 6

Other than Fanconi-like nephropathy with expired tetracycline, is there any other known direct issue related to expired antibiotics? I seem to recall something about maybe Pseudotumor Cerebri but maybe that was only Vitamin A toxicity.

Answer 7

i don't think that it is a good idea to take antibiotics after the expiration date. You can ask your doctor

Answer 8

Do Pills Expire

Answer 9

Most medication will lose strength the further it goes away from its expiration date. So really, I don't even think they were viable anymore.

Aside from that, you really shouldn't take leftover medication anyway -- you may need a smaller or larger dose depending, so you should at least call and consult your physician beforehand to make sure.

Answer 10

It is not only harmful to take antibiotics which expired ; but also harmful take if it is not expired without proper consultation from qualified physician...Take care ...!!