Can you signature any Expired drugs that are scarily disadvantageous?
Prescription and over the counter drugs come with expiration dates. Some loose there fitness to help after the shelf life. Others may change chemical composition or be paid up making them toxic or harmful after time. With hard times upon us I feel tons will use drugs way beyond the expiration date. I am not advocating any one to do so. However, knowing this will be the case what are some that one should undeniably not chance because of life threatening dangers?
Answers:
Hi Life Forms Etc - this is a worthy question, and one I was thinking about just now myself. As it happens, the expiration date on drugs represents the length of time that the manufacturer can guarantee that the drug will remain clinically efficacious. This doesn't denote that the drug will start to loose its strength immediately after that date, nor does it mean that it will become unsafe to take it, and collectively speaking most drugs will last well beyond the expiration date, provided they are stored in an appropriate environment (which should be described on the info brochure that's in the drug box). There was a law passed surrounded by 1979 that said that drug companies must put dates on their drugs, and because it takes several years for a new drug to endorse all the appropriate clinical trials before coming to market, most drugs own an expiration date of a few years because the earliest samples of the drug are still effective/not significantly changed by the end of the trial period, and this is consistent beside the fact that most drugs are stable for possibly a few decades, but the company can't wait for 10years before selling its expensive clean drug, so it notes that the drug is good for at least a few years and prints that on the box.
In 2006 i deduce, the US military did a study on its stock-pile of drugs/meds to see how long drugs last beyond their expiration date, and the majority retained high levels of efficacy even after 15 years olden the expiration date. Here's a link to an article from harvard med school that explains all this better - https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updat…
However, there is some doubt over the safety of tetracycline antibiotics which enjoy surpassed their exp. date, and other drugs, such as nitroglycerin and insulin, are also likely to rapidly loose effectiveness. And remember, if the drugs are decisive to your health, then an old drug, whilst not man itself toxic, may not be significantly potent for treating the illness, and this could have just as chancy consequences. So as a rule of thumb, if it's an important drug for you, don't chance taking sub-optimal medication, just within case! But if it's a drug, like aspirin for a headache, that wouldn't have serious consequences if it didn't work 100%, apart from have to put up with a headache, then I'd use it even if it's a few years past expiration date. And it's worth remembering to store it properly, within a cool place out of direct sun light, as this will help drugs last longer.
Sorry for the long-winded answer, but hope it make sense.
Best, Jim
Classically, tetracyclines have accelerated degradation historic two years causing possible kidney failure in susceptible patients.
Most drugs lose degree of efficacy because they oxidize to metabolites, but this goes over a long period of time. For instance, a common Parkinson's drug will lose a nitrogen group to its surroundings and become the desk isomer of amphetamine.
Without contamination most drugs are good to their shelf life as recommended by the manufacturer, not pharmacist.
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Answers:
Hi Life Forms Etc - this is a worthy question, and one I was thinking about just now myself. As it happens, the expiration date on drugs represents the length of time that the manufacturer can guarantee that the drug will remain clinically efficacious. This doesn't denote that the drug will start to loose its strength immediately after that date, nor does it mean that it will become unsafe to take it, and collectively speaking most drugs will last well beyond the expiration date, provided they are stored in an appropriate environment (which should be described on the info brochure that's in the drug box). There was a law passed surrounded by 1979 that said that drug companies must put dates on their drugs, and because it takes several years for a new drug to endorse all the appropriate clinical trials before coming to market, most drugs own an expiration date of a few years because the earliest samples of the drug are still effective/not significantly changed by the end of the trial period, and this is consistent beside the fact that most drugs are stable for possibly a few decades, but the company can't wait for 10years before selling its expensive clean drug, so it notes that the drug is good for at least a few years and prints that on the box.
In 2006 i deduce, the US military did a study on its stock-pile of drugs/meds to see how long drugs last beyond their expiration date, and the majority retained high levels of efficacy even after 15 years olden the expiration date. Here's a link to an article from harvard med school that explains all this better - https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updat…
However, there is some doubt over the safety of tetracycline antibiotics which enjoy surpassed their exp. date, and other drugs, such as nitroglycerin and insulin, are also likely to rapidly loose effectiveness. And remember, if the drugs are decisive to your health, then an old drug, whilst not man itself toxic, may not be significantly potent for treating the illness, and this could have just as chancy consequences. So as a rule of thumb, if it's an important drug for you, don't chance taking sub-optimal medication, just within case! But if it's a drug, like aspirin for a headache, that wouldn't have serious consequences if it didn't work 100%, apart from have to put up with a headache, then I'd use it even if it's a few years past expiration date. And it's worth remembering to store it properly, within a cool place out of direct sun light, as this will help drugs last longer.
Sorry for the long-winded answer, but hope it make sense.
Best, Jim
Classically, tetracyclines have accelerated degradation historic two years causing possible kidney failure in susceptible patients.
Most drugs lose degree of efficacy because they oxidize to metabolites, but this goes over a long period of time. For instance, a common Parkinson's drug will lose a nitrogen group to its surroundings and become the desk isomer of amphetamine.
Without contamination most drugs are good to their shelf life as recommended by the manufacturer, not pharmacist.
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