Do you consume expired medication?
By peachpurple
@peachpurple (13962)
Malaysia
July 17, 2017 3:07am CST
Unfortunately, I did and had to since I was out of the new medication. This is how it goes. A month ago, I was down with a bad chill. I could feel a sudden body and muscle aches that chills down the bones in my body. I was feel cold but the weather was scorching hot while everyone was perspiring. I knew that I needed medication to cease the chill, so I was searching for Paracetamol.
In my medicine cabinet, I had one piece of expired Paracetamol pill dated 2016. Yes I know, I could had asked someone to buy for me the new Paracetamol but only my boy was at home, I don't drive and my hubby was outstation. So, what can I do?
I tried to boil ginger water, drank it, still feeling cold on the palm and feet. Suddenly, I felt headache and dizziness. I couldn't stand anymore, had to rest on the bed. My boy was worried sick too. Told my boy to get me the expired Paracetamol, ate it , drank a glass of water. An hour later, I felt better, the chill and aching bones had reduced. Quickly, I got on my feet, walked to the grocery shop which was 15 minutes away, bought a new strip of Paracetamol.
Even thought the Paracetamol had expired, it still worked well for chills.
Have you ever consume expired pills or medication?
Picture belonged and take by @peachpurple
9 people like this
12 responses
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
19 Jul 17
@peachpurple No, there are things that I use without thinking twice. I would not use expired eye drops.
@almostoveryou (4778)
• Philippines
20 Jul 17
Yes, I do. Anna is right. My dad who was a doctor also let us consume expired medications (about a month past the due date) and they still worked. They may have less potency but they may not act like poison as many people would believe.
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13962)
• Malaysia
19 Jul 17
Same here, I thought I was the crazy fella
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
17 Jul 17
When it comes to things like Aspirin or Paracetamol, I do not care about the expiry date on the box. The only risk is that they can be less active, but it has been proven that they are still active many years after the expiry date, and that they do no represent any danger.
2 people like this
@peachpurple (13962)
• Malaysia
19 Jul 17
thanks for your comment, now I can be sure that it is OK to take paracetamol expired pills
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13962)
• Malaysia
19 Jul 17
well, it seems that you are alive, so, expired pills should be ok...
1 person likes this
@klynlyn (154)
•
18 Jul 17
Certainly I would not. I can't take risk of taking expired medicine, if there is no medicine beside the expired ones I rather not take it or give it to anyone to take. I'm no a doctor and I don't know how much the risk involved in taking expired medicine
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
17 Jul 17
I don't take expired medicines for sure. But I understood your helplessness. If such situations comes to me then I don't know what I may do. Glad you felt better even the medicine expired. These are lessons for us, to keep the emergency medicines at handy always.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jul 17
Some things are good for several years after they expire, but I don't know whether that's the same in all countries or not. It's best to stay within the expiration, but my sister says she uses things that are even five years old sometimes. They shouldn't make anyone sick, they just may not do much to relieve the symptoms.
It sounds like you had flu symptoms, we don't have anything here to relieve that, we're told to go to bed and let it play out.
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13962)
• Malaysia
19 Jul 17
yes, it is the flu symptoms. 5 years expired pills? That is awesome. The most I would swallow is 2 years pills
@shivamani10 (11035)
• Hyderabad, India
17 Jul 17
I always see the date of manufacturing, date of packing, and then the date of expiry which generally differs from medicine to medicine and Company to company. Sometimes, consuming date-expired medicines will prove fatal. We have to be very careful with the medicines whenever we purchase.
1 person likes this
@sw8sincere (5204)
• Philippines
17 Jul 17
was it dated December 2016? if so, i have heard that a medicine once expired can still be consumed 6 months after. Maybe that's the reason why the efficacy is still there.
1 person likes this