Expiration date on meds...if stored under recommended conditions such as room temperature, out of direct sunlight, etc...do meds truly lose all ability to work because they are "expired" or is this expiration date something that manufacturers label just to sell more product?

Specifically...Imitrex injections in the stat dose, Prednisone pills and Verapamil pills. 

Thanks in advance for feedback.

Lots of folks dust off the old stuff when a cycle comes around and use it till the new perscriptions get set up. 

I can speak from personal experience about Imitrex.  I have shots around that expired in 2007 and will use them if/when an attack warrants it.  Old shots haven't ever let me down yet.

-Dennis-

Not being a user of imitrex, I can't attest to its potency over time. I can tell you that prednisone seems to lose its effectiveness after a couple of years, and I've never noticed any loss of potency in verapamil that's even 3 or four years old. In fact, I'm stocking up on verapamil right now - I have a script that will get me 120 pills (120mg, standard release) every month from this past December through May, but I'm not taking any right now.

Brew wrote on Feb 11^th, 2010 at 4:08pm:

Not being a user of imitrex, I can't attest to its potency over time. I can tell you that prednisone seems to lose its effectiveness after a couple of years, and I've never noticed any loss of potency in verapamil that's even 3 or four years old. In fact, I'm stocking up on verapamil right now - I have a script that will get me 120 pills (120mg, standard release) every month from this past December through May, but I'm not taking any right now.

Do they have an expiration date?

          Potter

I've had two pharmacy officials tell me that the FDA requires this date even though, with most products, it's difficult to make a judgment of when a drug is no useful.

The only med I have found where the date is important are ergotamines products.

Bob Johnson wrote on Feb 11^th, 2010 at 8:22pm:

I've had two pharmacy officials tell me that the FDA requires this date even though, with most products, it's difficult to make a judgment of when a drug is no useful. The only med I have found where the date is important are ergotamines products.

suppose I should know this but please help me out Bob...are any of the following 3 drugs classified as an ergotamine product:

1. imitrex stat dose injections,
2. prednisone pills
3. verapamil pills

thanks in advance

LasVegas wrote on Feb 11^th, 2010 at 8:33pm:

Bob Johnson wrote on Feb 11th, 2010 at 8:22pm: I've had two pharmacy officials tell me that the FDA requires this date even though, with most products, it's difficult to make a judgment of when a drug is no useful. The only med I have found where the date is important are ergotamines products. suppose I should know this but please help me out Bob...are any of the following 3 drugs classified as an ergotamine product: 1. imitrex stat dose injections, 2. prednisone pills 3. verapamil pills thanks in advance

None of those is in the ergot family.

And Potter, I just went in and checked the various pill bottles I have - each of them has a "discard after" date of one year after the fill date.

Brew wrote on Feb 11^th, 2010 at 10:13pm:

LasVegas wrote on Feb 11th, 2010 at 8:33pm: Bob Johnson wrote on Feb 11th, 2010 at 8:22pm: I've had two pharmacy officials tell me that the FDA requires this date even though, with most products, it's difficult to make a judgment of when a drug is no useful. The only med I have found where the date is important are ergotamines products. suppose I should know this but please help me out Bob...are any of the following 3 drugs classified as an ergotamine product: 1. imitrex stat dose injections, 2. prednisone pills 3. verapamil pills thanks in advance None of those is in the ergot family. And Potter, I just went in and checked the various pill bottles I have - each of them has a "discard after" date of one year after the fill date.

suppose they are 3 yrs after the "discard date" and you go into a cycle, would you take them if you don't have anything else as a preventative?  most importantly, do you think they would still be effective if they were stored properly?

Yes. And yes.

ETA: Except prednisone. It won't hurt you, I just don't think it's as effective after a couple of years.

LasVegas wrote on Feb 11^th, 2010 at 11:02pm:

suppose I should know this but please help me out Bob...are any of the following 3 drugs classified as an ergotamine product: 1. imitrex stat dose injections, 2. prednisone pills 3. verapamil pills thanks in advanceNone of those is in the ergot family. And Potter, I just went in and checked the various pill bottles I have - each of them has a "discard after" date of one year after the fill date.suppose they are 3 yrs after the "discard date" and you go into a cycle, would you take them if you don't have anything else as a preventative?  most importantly, do you think they would still be effective if they were stored properly?

It's always worth a shot.  I got relief from Imitrex that was 4 years old once.  I don't listen to expiration dates.  I just know they have to legally do that.  It certainly won't hurt to try.  The worse that can happen is nothing.

I've never heard of  out of date meds being harmful. My guess that some loss of effectiveness is the worst outcome but, if you have nothing else on hand......

[/quote]It's always worth a shot.  I got relief from Imitrex that was 4 years old once.  I don't listen to expiration dates.  I just know they have to legally do that.  It certainly won't hurt to try.  The worse that can happen is nothing.
[/quote]

CAREFUL....it depends. A person in the know has told me that most expiration dates are meaningless...it's a FEDERALLY MANDATED regulation...BUT, for example....epi-pens or nitroglycerin tabs DO lose effectiveness.... and while expired may do no harm...the NEEDED effect is NOT there.


Bob Johnson wrote on Feb 12^th, 2010 at 11:16am:

I've never heard of  out of date meds being harmful. My guess that some loss of effectiveness is the worst outcome but, if you have nothing else on hand......

AGREED...and I've used many such...but see above.

Best,

Jon

Thanks to all who replied.

I had this conversation the other day with my pharmacist about verapamil. He said the verapamil won't go bad or cause you any grief if it's expired, but that after 18 months past the date it could lose some of its efficacy.

I asked him if it was likely and he said he didn't think so, that the expired verapamil would probably be fine, but that he couldn't know for sure.

In the past I have used expired verap (one year past) and it worked just fine.

From Mid Aug of this past year until the day before Thanksgiving I used 7 out of 21 injections I had left of my stockpile all of which expired in 2004.  Just as effective as they were the day I got em!  Fortunately O2 works so well for me I didn't have to use many but I ain't throwin out the ones I have left!

DD