• BASIC DRUG
    DISCUSSION
    Welcome to Bluelight!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Benzo Chart Opioids Chart
    Drug Terms Need Help??
    Drugs 101 Brain & Addiction
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums
  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Are expired painkillers dangerous?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Tina Dopemau5

Tina Dopemau5

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
232
I have some expired Percocets and wonder if there is any danger in taking them. They expired 5 years ago. Thanks for the help!
 
No. Expired painkillers are perfectly fine. All that happens is they start to lose a tiny % of potency when past the expiration date. It's still the same chemical, perhaps just a tiny bit weaker. Not much though! So don't go taking a whole lot expecting them to be half strength or something.
 
No they are often just fine to take. Some may lose some of their potency overtime, especially if they were constantly exposed to light. An opioid that's over 10 years old has probably lost a significant percentage of their potency (maybe 25-35%, perhaps even more?!).
 
^ pretty much covered it. Answered but i'll leave thread open for now in case someone comes in with personal experience.
 
Exactly. Provided that they weren't stored under adverse conditions, they are perfectly safe to take. As kokaino mentioned, there is a chance that some of the potency has been lost, but there is also a chance that only a very small amount of potency has been lost. I've taken ten year old Vicodins before that felt just like they should have (they were stored a cool, dry place).
 
I speak from personal experience. In 2008 I found a 7 year old bottle of hydrocodone/APAP 5/500 mg (Vicodin) that belonged to my aunt. There were 9 pills in the bottle and I had a huge tolerance at the time so I gave them to my cousin who only occasionally used Vicodin or Percocet and she took her regular dose of 20 mg hydrocodone (what she usually took for a nice buzz at the time) and said that they were a bit weaker. She felt a buzz, but not like one she would normally feel on 20 mg (so she says). She took what was left the day after (5 pills; 25 mg) and says she got a decent buzz. So they had lost a bit of their potency over the 7 years (they were dated Oct 2001). So after 10 years or when exposed to light, I'd imagine they'd lose a good portion of their potency. I found the bottle in a dresser drawer underneath some clothes (so this was at least protected from light for the most part).
 
It really depends on storage, I guess. Potency will be lost anyway overtime, but probably by negligible amounts unless directly exposed to light or if left in damp or very hot areas, like the kitchen for example.
 
No, but they will kill your pain, if thats what you consider dangerous.................
 
expired painkillers are fine the only thing that I could possibly think of happening once they are expired is that they slowly lose their potency (probably not much) I'd say take em

They are definitely safe!
 
Personal Experience: I've taken Oxycodone IR tablets that were 8 years past the 'use by' date - They were fine, and worked as normal, though as stated already, they may have been slightly weaker.

/thread
 
I think this has been covered pretty thoroughly :)

Closed, pm me with any queries.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top