Expiry dates on drugs.

dreamdaisy

My mother, in addition to having a quite cavalier approach to my feelings also has one regarding the 'use by' and 'best before' dates on food. Fair enough, one can tell if summat is truly off by its smell and/or appearance, but should she have the same regarding pain dullers? I ask this because she informed me last night that the pain was now unbearable, she was going to do a me and 'give in' and take some pain killers (see what I mean about the feeling bit? ). She then proceeded to tell me they were called Zydol (trammies, by any chance?) and the expiry date was October 2010. 'That's not that long ago,' she said.

Now even I realise that one could take a pill that is due to expire, let's say in June this year, at 23.59.59 on 30th May and it would be fine, as it would at 00.00.01 (even if that time is, technically, the 1st of June!) but how long should one keep out of date meds for? And when should one NOT take them? I don't often have stuff to take back to the chemist, tho I do have a couple of boxes on the side which I keep forgetting about (Celebrex and cyclosporin, both 'died' in 2007!) and I think I have once or twice taken an out-of-date med, but not out by as much as the seven months my mum was proposing. I don't think I would have the nerve. Are there any rules or guidelines on this? I will ask my pharmacist, next time I see her (next week - and I WILL take the old stuff back!) DD

julie47

Morning dd
This is an Interesting question .
I will not take anything that is out of date. Meds or food. Then again I am a funny B.
The meds i would have thought may not be as effective.
Please let us know when you ask the chemist.

Juliepf x

keith1971

I'm with Julie - on meds they possibly won't be as effective if used past the date on the box.

Food is a little more ambiguous I think but I'm very careful with meat, eggs & the like.

x

woodbon

Hi I've always thought if its a sell by date, with food its usually fine but, if its 'use by' then it shouldn't be used after that date as changes can take place and its a high risk.
With medication, I think I'd not take anything out of date, because 1. It may well not work and 2. Chemical changes might have altered the drug and it could make you feel ill. I know that seems silly, but I've always been ultracarefull.

Also they must be quite old and drugs have changed, so going to the doctor and getting the latest opinion on the best painkiller would seem the best thing to do.

Hope something is found to help you quickly, love Sue
xxx

dreamdaisy

Panic over. She confused the date of issue with the expiry date - they do not peg out until March 2015. Phew. DD

julie47

dreamdaisy wrote:

Panic over. She confused the date of issue with the expiry date - they do not peg out until March 2015. Phew. DD

Awe bless

it is eaasy done eh?

Juliepf x

keith1971

Doh!

:P

frogmorton

:roll:

Mothers eh?!!

Mine used to be as bad

When l saw the title l thought....no DD no!!! what have you done now????????????? :shock:

all's well that ends well eh?

Love

toni xx

stickywicket

"Oh Ow!" as my little grandson would say. I had a mother of a similar ilk. She had a very casual attitude, not just to 'use by' dates but medication in general, going on the twin principles of (a) One opiate good: 8 opiates better and (b) if it's 'natural' it can't harm you. ("Has she never heard of belladonna" my husband used to ask. Later, in her residential home she took to flushing most medication down the loo. Sometimes she then claimed she'd never been given it. She was 92 when she died.

dreamdaisy

Ah, that lovely word 'natural'. My mum still does not understand why I do not/cannot take 'natural' things to 'cure' the arthritis. To her the word drug means man-made in a lab, not things like belladonna or St John's Wort etc. Honestly. :roll:

chris7

Hi DD

Glad you seem to have sorted the dilemma, with your mum's meds.
Just thought I could add here that interestingly enough the last AC meeting I went to was discussing this very thing. The rhuemy nurse speakers made a point of saying to check exp. dates as meds do become ineffective and should be taken back to pharmacies. We were advised never keep stuff 'just in case' though I was prescribed diazepam for that very reason re the muscle spasms so I can't agree totally with that. :roll: She told those of us who keep the days rations together we were naughty and not to do so for fear of some sort of cross contamination thingy! :???: I also learned that the scary MTX tablets always have to be kept in the container provided and taken on a spoon which many of you will no doubt already know, but I am learning all the time with all this stuff eh?

I confess more than half of us did not keep an up to date list of current meds on our person and that perhaps we really should all do so? I have simply cut out the blurbs from recently boxes which does the same job.
Those of us at the meeting were all glad of the reminder to have a bit more respect for the pills we chuck down us out of necessity so it was a useful reminder for us.

take care all
Chris

dreamdaisy

Meth on a spoon? I am mystified. Not the tablets, surely? Is there a liquid version? I inject a thick liquid but wouldn't fancy swallowing it. Help, chris7! Be a sweetie and clarify for a muddled DD.

As for the cross-contamination thing, does that mean that those weekly pill trays (you know the sort I mean, the days of the week divided into morning, noon and night etc) are a no-no? I find those very useful when going away as I can lump the days' tablets into their various sections and don't have to lug my tin of goodies. FF - WHO HER? :shock: Sorry, fingers slipped!

chris7

Dear mystified DD

Well yes she DID mean the MTX tablets should be dropped straight from the bottle onto a spoon before popping them! I was a bit nonplussed but assumed it was the usual rule. But perhaps we are a bit odd in Yorkshire? Apparently ya ain't supposed to touch 'em, they can't be that dangerous can they! :shock:

She was suggesting that we shouldn't lump pills in the one container as many of us do, but if you are taking that ration at the same time from it's little tray, how the heck can it matter??? :???: They sure get cross contaminated as soon as you swallow them? Maybe she was more concerned with the sometimes befuddled or pain racked taking the wrong tray; or again concerned at us over handling the little blighters! We do actually wash our hands around here!!
Sorry if my earlier ramblings have freaked anyone out.
Am a tad confused myself now! :???:
Chris

dreamdaisy

Thank you for the clarification! I can well believe the bit about not touching the meth pills, they are strong stuff, I have to faff about with the medical gloves when doing the injection, but for crying out loud, just how long are the tablets in your hand for? And, ye gods, you swallow the blighters so what the hell do they do to your guts etc? Well, we know the answer to that, hence all the blasted blood tests etc. I shall continue to use my little pill tray when we go away - ooooooo the thrill of living on the edge, I cannot tell you what a buzz it is. You heard of Extreme Ironing? We do Extreme Pill Taking!

stickywicket

chris7 wrote:

Well yes she DID mean the MTX tablets should be dropped straight from the bottle onto a spoon before popping them!

I'm as mystified as anyone else, Chris7, having been popping this particular variety of nasties for over 10 years. Luckily my fingers haven't dropped off yet but, if I tried using a spoon, I think I'd end up chasing my MTX all over the floor. Which brings back horrible early memories of anti-inflammatory suppositories. (Whoever imagined arthritic fingers could cope with them?)

I think a soupcon of common sense is required.

dreamdaisy

People without arthritis think those suppositories a good idea, you know the ones: they deal with the theory whilst we live with the reality. DD

theresa4

dreamdaisy wrote:

Thank you for the clarification! I can well believe the bit about not touching the meth pills, they are strong stuff, I have to faff about with the medical gloves when doing the injection, but for crying out loud, just how long are the tablets in your hand for? And, ye gods, you swallow the blighters so what the hell do they do to your guts etc? Well, we know the answer to that, hence all the blasted blood tests etc. I shall continue to use my little pill tray when we go away - ooooooo the thrill of living on the edge, I cannot tell you what a buzz it is. You heard of Extreme Ironing? We do Extreme Pill Taking!

Im joining your group of extreme pill taking I too have far too much to carry on my hols unless I put them into my little pill tray id need a suitcase for my meds :shock: And as for extreme ironing if it needs ironing I dont buy it anymore :roll: Good job my hubby doesnt wear shirts everyday, housewife, me, NOT!