Out of date medication. Is it safe?

[Karbon1991]

A friend of mine has come across a fair bit of Tramadol but he's unsure if it is in date or not, he is going to check this and if they're out of date I'll update this post with the date. It's all from the meds people bring back to the pharmacy when they have to many or are no longer needed. They may be in date, but I'd like to know whether or not it's safe or if they will still work, if they are out-of date.
I'd rather ask here on bluelight instead of just taking them and finding out its a bad idea.
Any advice and input is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[UrNeighbrhoodPharm]

Pills never expire. Like they might not work as good but around 80% of the active ingredient is still there a decade after storage, but to answer your question no they won't hurt you, and I speak from personal experience as well as previous research

 

[customx132]

oh. well in that case.

don't listen to him. yes they expire and the compounds can transform and/or be toxic. do not take old and expired medication.^^that dude doesn't even know what medication you are asking to take.

 

[Karbon1991]

From what I've read here and advice I've had outside the forum. It's 50/50 but I'm more inclined to believe it's probably not wise.

 

[SS373dOH]

oh. well in that case.

don't listen to him. yes they expire and the compounds can transform and/or be toxic. do not take old and expired medication.^^that dude doesn't even know what medication you are asking to take.

This.

Flush 'em.. but then again, they're tram', so I'd flush 'em even if they weren't exp'..

-

 

[deos68]

Lol if they are stored properly then the worst is them losing potency and/or a delayed on set
If they are not stored properly then yeah throw them out

 

[Chadd1]

I knew this was going to be a debate. I'd like to hear what other members have to say.

 

[Snake_Eyes]

Lol if they are stored properly then the worst is them losing potency and/or a delayed on set
If they are not stored properly then yeah throw them out

I agree. I've taken tramadol and other opioids, benzos, pregabalin, mirtazapine that were well over a year old I never noticed a decrease in potency and I'm still alive. I read that light will degrade them quickly so I always stored mine in my safe. Now if they were in a glove box or in a garage that was not climate controlled I probably wouldn't take them, especially in a glove box.

 

[bobby1978]

oh. well in that case.

don't listen to him. yes they expire and the compounds can transform and/or be toxic. do not take old and expired medication.^^that dude doesn't even know what medication you are asking to take.

I second this. This is supposed to be an HR forum, not a "do it dude, you'll prolly be ok, maybe" forum.

 

[tenebrae]

i think its more likely that they'll be safe rather than not.
im pretty sure u will b fine

 

[Pilll_head]

Most pills don't really "go bad" like meat so you wouldn't get sick or anything. The reason why they have expiration dates is because over time the active ingredients of some pills can change a little bit into a different form, and sometimes this new form isn't absorbed as well by the body, so you would basically get a smaller dose than what you normally would otherwise. The technical term is "polymorphism"

 

[Fuhgeddaboudit]

Most pills don't really "go bad" like meat so you wouldn't get sick or anything. The reason why they have expiration dates is because over time the active ingredients of some pills can change a little bit into a different form, and sometimes this new form isn't absorbed as well by the body, so you would basically get a smaller dose than what you normally would otherwise. The technical term is "polymorphism"

This is true, but it doesn't tell the whole story. As some medications change when they get old, the they can cause some nasty complications such as renal tubular acidosis. Although I would concur that in many instances it amounts to a simple matter of reduced effectiveness, it's best to avoid if you don't know for sure what you're dealing with. Personally, I have no clue about the trams in this regard -they don't last that long in the cabinet.

 

[T. Calderone]

It's all from the meds people bring back to the pharmacy when they have to many or are no longer needed.

^Did anybody catch this part? I would be leery of taking meds that people take back to the pharmacy to be disposed of. It's not as if they were sitting at your friend's home and were kept in a dry, dark place, they are coming from someone you don't know. It's up to you if you want to take that chance.

To address the post that states, "Pills never expire" - Though most drugs can last years after expiration, some should never be used after the expiry date. Such as: Dilantin, phenobarbital, nitroglycerin, warfarin, procan SR, theophylline, digoxin, thyroid meds, paraldehyde, oral contraceptives, epinephrine, and insulin. The last two especially very quickly lose potency.

Living in Florida, I've had experiences with both alprazolam and diazepam turning crumbly on me even though the house was air conditioned all the time. Plus I kept them in the bedroom closet, not the bathroom. Still, I believe humidity played a part in the degradation process. It had only been maybe three years past the date, but they didn't work so great. :/

 

[Karbon1991]

Surprised at the amount of mixed opinions on this topic.

 

[deos68]

Surprised at the amount of mixed opinions on this topic.

people get paranoid and i can understand why
but seriously if meds are stored properly then very little changes happens maybe a slight potency loss if any at all but really, it wont be enough to notice
or have a delayed onset which is varies from med to med but over all nothing bad will happen

now if the med isnt stored correctly such as constant temp change, humidity, stored outside of a dark place then yeah issues will def come into play
but if they are sitting in a closet or drawer somewhere in a med bottle then no its highly unlikely anything bad will happen