Check your labels, folks.
Taking expired medications may not seem like a big deal, but Dr. Jamie Winn, a pharmacist and medical director at Universal Drugstore, tells The Post that some of them can do serious damage to your health.
“While it can seem harmless, you can put your health at risk if you’re unaware of what can happen while taking medication beyond its expiration date,” he warned.
He revealed which are least likely to do damage and the four drugs that are the most dangerous to take past the date on the label.
Plenty of people have popped a Advil or Tylenol past the use-by date on the label without any negative side effects, and Winn admits that over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, as well as antihistamines, are relatively safe to consume after their expiration dates.
“The risk here isn’t toxicity, which can happen during the breakdown of some more serious medications, but loss of potency, so they won’t be as effective,” he said.
That being said, that lack of potency “may encourage people to take more pills than advised. This can take a toll on your body.”
While some expired drugs pose the risk of being ineffective, taking others can lead to more serious consequences.
“Certain drugs should never be taken past their expiration date, even if slightly expired, so it’s important that we stick to these suggested dates,” he said.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics should always be taken as prescribed, said Winn, and never consumed after they reach their expiration date.
“Certain types, such as tetracyclines, can degrade so much that if they are consumed past the expiration date, they may lead to kidney damage,” he explained.
Plus, if they’ve lost their effectiveness, they may not wipe out the bacteria in your body, leading to a worse infection.
“This is the case especially with liquid antibiotics, which can become contaminated once the [expiration] date has passed.”
Ultimately, you shouldn’t really have extra antibiotics in the house in the first place.
“Antibiotics are usually prescribed to be taken immediately over a set course, so you should not have any leftover medication,” he said. Not taking the full course can cause your infection to come back, and it may also increase the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that is harder to treat.”
Heart medications
More serious meds can mean more serious consequences if they’re not working as intended.
Heart medications such as nitroglycerin lose their potency over time, “which is problematic for those with heart conditions,” Winn said.
Insulin
Winn noted that insulin can be downright dangerous if taken after its expiration date.
“Those with Type 1 diabetes rely on insulin to help regulate their blood sugar on a daily basis. Once expired, it may not work effectively and can cause hyperglycemia, which can lead to some very serious complications,” he stressed.
EpiPens
Winn cautioned against using EpiPens beyond their expiration date, noting that the choice could mean the difference between life and death.
“If the medication begins to degrade, it may not be able to provide the life-saving effect needed if someone is experiencing an anaphylactic shock,” he said.
Other risk factors
“Expiration dates are important for many reasons, but mainly it’s because over time, the ingredients inside the medication can begin to break down. Think of it in the same way food spoils when for a prolonged period,” Winn explained.
“This means the medication will not work as well, or worse, become harmful. Which in effect can cause unexpected side effects or dangerous reactions. The older the medication, the higher this risk becomes.”
As The Post previously reported, eye drops should be discarded 28 days after opening, regardless of their expiration date.
Meanwhile, expired creams or ointments, which experience chemical composition changes over time and can accumulate bacterial growth, should be avoided as they can cause an infection if applied to broken skin.
But Winn told The Post that there is a significant difference between medication that has recently expired, say a month ago, versus a year.
“As time progresses beyond the [expiration] date, the greater the breakdown of the drugs, meaning that they will not be as effective in helping cure or alleviate the symptom you’re taking them for.”
How and where you store your medicine also contributes to the timeline of its degradation.
“If you keep your drugs in humid areas like your bathroom, they may break down more quickly thanks to the moisture in the air.”
To discard expired prescriptions, experts advise patients to visit their local pharmacy so that the medication can be disposed of safely.
Article by:Source:
