Left Xanax in hot car all day - still ok to take?

Question

1. Asked pharmacist and pharmacist said no, should not take them.

2. Called doctor and doctor said yes, take them, they're fine.

So please don't flame me and just tell me to ask a dr or pharmacist, I've asked both and both had different answers! They're the only rx I have, otherwise I'd ditch them.

It was a very hot day, temp was like 95 degrees outside. :(

Answer 1

No, don't take them. Your pharmacist knows more about the stability of the drug and how it can break down under stressful conditions like heat and moisture. Medical doctors know a lot, but not as much about the all the drugs, how they interact with eachother and things that can effect their stability.

Bottom line: if it's a medical question, go with your doctor's advice. If it's a drug question, go with your pharmacist's advice. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

If it was 95 outside it was well over 100 inside.  You clearly reduced the effectiveness of the medicine at such temps.  Whether you ruined them is hard to say.  You could call the manufacture of the tablets.  Ask you pharmacist who made the tablets you were given.  Call the company and ask them.  They often have data pertaining to this that you won't find without asking.  They will give you the usual legal c**p about this not being official FDA approved information.  

What are you taking it for? If it's just anxiety of something not life threatening then take one dose and see if you notice a difference.  I'm guessing that you did damage but not a lot of damage.  Take it from me, at some point those pills-and many like it-were sitting in the back of a very hot truck for longer than a few hours.

The pharmacist told you no because they don't really know and they can't tell you it's ok.  I can't either.  The doctor says go ahead because MDs tend to be less cautious than pharmacist about things like this.  I know because I'm a pharmacist.  I would take them if the need is not life threatening.  But, as a professional I would never tell you that.  Even though many medications that expire in the US are shipped to other countries where they can't afford in date medications.