What happens if you use medicine past it's expiration date?

Question

Like Tylenol.

Answer 1

Really nothing will happen. Ask your doctor. It is just a requirement by the FDA for drug companies to put it on their label. It is just there for legal reasons. If nothing has damaged the container and it has been properly sealed the Tylenol should be just fine and work just as effectively.

Answer 2

it probably won't work as well as it did within the expiration date

Answer 3

most of the time they are not as effective as they were when first bought and you might have to increase the dosage to get the full benefit

Answer 4

Who knows?

Answer 5

I DONT THINK YOU SHOULD FIND OUT. ASK YOUR DOCTOR, BUT HEY---EXPIRATION DATES WERE MADE FOR A REASON, WHY DO YOU THINK THEY'RE ON IT?

Answer 6

How far past the expiration date?

If have a headache, and need a Tylenol and your bottle is, say, 1 to 6 months past the expiration date, go ahead and use it. It should still work just fine. But let's say you pull out that bottle and it expired 2 years ago, it probably won't be as effective for your pain.

I would try to keep the same sort of guidelines for other over the counter medicines and be a little stricter about any prescription medications.

PLEASE do NOT take more Tylenol than the label recommends. It is processed by your liver and taking too much can severely damage your liver!

Answer 7

I would have never known this till it happened to someone i know, but it can be dangerous.

The person i know took some outdated otc pain pills (cant remember if it was ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin variety) and ended up in the hospital w/ allergic type reaction. Why?

The answer he was given was that the buffers can lose their effectiveness while the active ingredient stays full strength.  This can do a number on your system.

You're best to just throw the outdated stuff out and go buy new.