What Happens If You Take Expired Medication?

Expired Medicine is a universal worry for anyone who might have some outdated medication lying around in their pharmacy cabinets. Some individuals believe that expired medicine will not work as well, but others are curious about whether or not it is safe to use. 

In this article, we will explain what occurs when you use expired medicine, using medications such as Xanax and Sildenafil (which are widely prescribed for ED) and compare their safety and efficacy and why you need to be aware of drug expiration dates.

Understanding Expired Medication

What is Expired Medication?

An Expired Drug is any drug that has gone beyond its expiration date. This date is usually stamped on the package and is the date on which the manufacturer warrants the drug’s peak potency and safety. Beyond this date, the drug can lose its potency and even be unsafe to use.

It makes people ask themselves if expired medicine can still work. In some instances, they can be relatively effective. Nonetheless, that does not necessarily have to be so, and a person has to be cautious while deciding whether to take expired medicine or not.

The Drug Expiration Dates: What You Need to Know

• Pharmaceutical company testing determines Drug Expiration Dates by ascertaining how long a drug will be effective when stored properly and remain safe.
• After the expiration date, most drugs are still safe to use but may be less effective.
• The efficacy of a drug after its expiration is determined by the type of drug and storage conditions.
• For most drugs, the expiration date is cautious, and the drug remains effective and safe some time beyond the printed expiration date.
• Antibiotics and some others are more prone to expiration and may become weaker sooner.
• Expired antibiotics may be dangerous, not being able to cure infections effectively or leading to antibiotic resistance.
• Prescribed medicines that are not stored properly, i.e., those that have come into contact with sunlight, heat, or water, tend to deteriorate faster than normal.
• Some medicines like painkillers remain effective after the date of expiration but become less potent and cannot exert the same kind of medical impact.
• Do take the advice of a health expert if unsure of taking expired medicine, particularly in the case of medicines that are basic needs.

Is It Safe to Take Expired Medication?

The Potential Risks of Taking Expired Medication

Consuming Expired Drugs can lead to a range of dangers, although not all drugs turn harmful the moment the expiration date is reached. Some of the most important issues are:

1. Decreased Effectiveness: Medications degrade chemically over time, in the sense that they can become weaker. It is particularly a problem when taking medications for serious conditions, e.g., pain, anxiety, or impotence.
2. Safety Problems: Certain drugs that have passed their expiration date, like certain antibiotics or liquid drugs can degrade and produce unsafe side effects. Although unlikely, the degradation products are toxic.
3. Irregular Dosage: The strength of the drug is less over time. It can cause a sub-therapeutic dose when you are taking an expired drug to manage a health problem.

The Special Considerations for Specific Medications

Some Medicines lose their benefits and effectiveness after the expiration period; hence, it’s not recommended to take expired pills. For example, the Xanax tablet that is commonly used for anxiety won’t be as effective as before if it has expired. The tablet can lose its potential and be unable to give the required results, leading to severe anxiety risk.

On the other hand, medications like Sildenafil used for erectile dysfunction (ED) can still partially work even if they have passed their expiration dates. Since drugs for ED have a direct link with sexual activity and performance, consuming an expired dose might cause an unsatisfactory outcome.

The Sildenafil 

• Sildenafil is a drug that is mostly used to cure erectile dysfunction (ED) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
• It makes it easy for blood to flow into the penis, enabling men with ED to achieve and maintain an erection during intimacy.
• Sildenafil comes under many different brand names, the most famous of which is Viagra.
• It is orally administered in tablet form, typically 30 minutes to an hour before the sexual intimacy.
• The effect of the drug will take a maximum duration of four hours, though the health condition of individuals may impact it and whether there is food present in the stomach or not.
• Headaches, flushing, indigestion, and vision problems are the most common side effects of sildenafil.
• Sildenafil should never be used along with nitrates or other specific medications as this will result in an unsafe lowering of blood pressure.
• Expired sildenafil will lose its potency and will also not be as effective as in treating ED if consumed after the expiry date.
• Always consult a doctor prior to consuming sildenafil, particularly if you have pre-existing medical conditions.

Xanax: Expiration and Potency

With Xanax, its active components will degrade over time, and the medication will weaken and lose potency. This breakdown can make it less effective at treating anxiety or panic disorders, which can lead to inadequate relief from symptoms.

To receive the full therapeutic benefit of Xanax, it’s best not to use expired medication. Always visit your doctor prior to using expired Xanax, as they can direct you on how to appropriately treat it and prevent you from exposing yourself to the risks of using drugs after expiration.

ED Medication

The Ed medicines such as Sildenafil are commonly prescribed to cure ED because it enhances the blood flow into the penis. The medicine helps men to achieve and maintain an erection during intercourse and even improves sexual performance. The drug can be ineffective if it has expired and can lead to some side effects.

Expired ED medication can lead to reduced effectiveness, which may translate to disappointing results. To achieve optimal performance, one should follow usage guidelines and seek a doctor’s advice if there is an issue regarding the potency or storage life of the drug.

How Long Does It Take for Medication to Lose Its Effectiveness?

There is no specific time frame during which the Expired Drug weakens. Some drugs retain their months- and years-long shelf life after they have expired, subject to variables like:

• Storage Conditions: Storage under favorable conditions, for example, storing drugs in a cool and dry location, can extend their shelf life. Sunlight, heat, and humidity tend to hasten the spoilage of medicine.
• Type of Drug: Solid drugs such as tablets or capsules will be more stable than liquids or injectable, which will degrade faster.

The Common Medications and Their Stability

• Painkillers: Tablets such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can still be effective after an expiration date but may be less potent.
• Antibiotics: The majority of antibiotics, like amoxicillin, expires and loses potency, and it would not be safe to administer.
• Sildenafil (ED Drug): As stated, Sildenafil loses effectiveness past the expiration date and should not be used if it is past the expiration date.

Can Expired Medication Cause Harm?

Outdated medicine in most Situations won’t hurt you immediately, but it’s always a possibility. Some medications like Sildenafil won’t damage you but may be slightly less potent. Many expired, and outdated drugs lead to unwanted side effects also when the tablets are not properly stored as per the guidelines.

When to Avoid Expired Medication?

If you are not sure that it is safe to take Expired Medicine then it’s better to talk to your pharmacist or your doctor, for life-saving drugs like those for the heart or antibiotics, disposal of expired medicine and reissue of the prescription is safer.

How to Properly Dispose of Expired Medication?

Expired Drugs must be disposed of safely. All drugs may be disposed of by:

• A Drug Take-Back Program: Most communities have a drug take-back program, where you can take expired or unused drugs to have them disposed of.
• Discard in-Home Garbage: There are a few medicines that can be discarded in your home garbage following appropriate disposal steps, including dissolving the drug with coffee grounds or cat litter to deter abuse.

The Damson Pharmacy

Damson Pharmacy is a reputable online pharmacy that deals in an expansive variety of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It is famous for its qualitative services and serves customers in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia with safe and efficient delivery of medicine.

It is known as the Best ED medicine provider, with good customer support and safe and easy transactions. It offers multiple payment options for customers to transact such as with Bitcoin, Paypal, and Wire-Transfer. 

The Damson Pharmacy focuses on the best quality products with the latest date and convenient shipping period to ensure the customer receives their tablets on time and safely.

Conclusion

Briefly, one should be cognizant of the possible outcomes of using Expired Drugs. Although some drugs will maintain their efficacy to some extent after the expiration date, others, such as Xanax and Sildenafil, will become ineffective, resulting in unsuccessful treatment of diseases such as anxiety or erectile dysfunction.

Before taking any medicines, cross-check the expiration date of the tablets and appropriately store them as per guidelines. Even consult with a doctor if you are not sure before taking expired drugs. Better to avoid taking expired tablets and ensure your medicines are newly bought because your health matters first.

Reference

• https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drug-expiration-dates-do-they-mean-anything
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7040264/
• https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/08/expired-medications-dangerous-or-just-less-effective