Important. Old pill. Still Good? See 4 Yourself.

[Fertile]

Just as a note - it's not the amount of opiate, it's getting back into the mindset of 'I take this pill and within minutes I feel much better'.

I think we all started with 'just one'.

8mg will compete with methadone so I would expect an effect.

Now I actually get anxiety more than anything when I FEEL an opioid because I've reached the point where I hate them. Even those given medically are bad for my mental health (i.e. anxiety).

 

[SpiralusSancti]

Most drugs lose potency over time, but not all. I can't find the article, but some drugs actually increase in potency over time. Doesn't sound like that should be possible but the article explained it.

Degrading to some close more potent active metabolite or degrading to unsubstantiated/less molecular weight/more potent parent molecules are only two ways I can think of.

Also degrading to something toxic is not out of question. If nothing, eventually degrading to toxic elements given enough time, but having that old pills isn’t gona happen soon unless we (did|will) get time travel lol.

 

[Fertile]

N-oxidation and possibly rearrangement would be the expected degradation of hydromorphone. But while the tablets will likely to be active for decades, once they are >2% less potent, they are not 'fit for purpose'. I know of people finding bottles of tablets that were over 40 years old and still worked fine... but 1 example does not a rule make.