How long are PKs good for?

[onlyareader]

Recently a family member died, and while clearing out his stuff we found an entire drawer of medicines he had been prescribed but not taken, including a lot of PKs. I thought for awhile of just taking them for myself (the rest of the family wants to just throw them out) but I'd like to make sure taking an old PK won't kill me or something.

And I mean there were a couple in there. Tram most notably but there could have been others, I didn't have long to look at everything.

 

[jaders]

Recently a family member died, and while clearing out his stuff we found an entire drawer of medicines he had been prescribed but not taken, including a lot of PKs. I thought for awhile of just taking them for myself (the rest of the family wants to just throw them out) but I'd like to make sure taking an old PK won't kill me or something.

And I mean there were a couple in there. Tram most notably but there could have been others, I didn't have long to look at everything.

I have taken “old” meds - pk’s specifically - that were at least ten years old and never found them to be an issue. They seemed to work just fine and there would be no reason whatsoever that they could become dangerous. The only real possibility would be that they’d get weaker, but if they were kept in a dark and not really hot situation I think they’d be fine.

Consider yourself lucky, imho… (and don’t throw them out for sure!!)

 

[Anne Onomis]

Opioid have a VERY long life, might lose a little strength, but not turn dangerous like some antibiotics can. I've taken old tram ten years or so past the exp date and they're fine. I think I remember reading about some WWII morphine they tested still being at 90% strength.

I saw one pain patient advocate on social media say bluntly that it is a bad idea to dispose of unused pain meds, you may find yourself needing them one day and unable to get a prescription.

 

[Big Dummy]

my dr once told me most meds and specifically pk last very long past the expiration, after like 10 yrs past they begin to lose a small percent slowly. if they are dry and not crumbly they are prob fine

 

[Gullible]

Antibiotics, I've heard, lose strength over time but not narcotics. There is no medication I'm aware of that becomes dangerous when its past expiration. They simply get weaker like everyone has told you already. Certain heart medications may not do you any good if they are very old or kept in the heat. So if you needed it to save your life and it was too weak, then its a problem. Insulin goes bad after a while and very quickly if not refrigerated, but it doesn't become poison.

 

[onlyareader]

So I got a chance to go through that drawer more thoroughly. The family member had tramadol, hydroco/apap (hydrocodone with some tylenol), and something called cenzobenzaprine (I may have remembered that name wrong). I also saw some Fioricet but I don't recall that being particularly good. I only grabbed trams and hydro.

My concern now is with the tylenol portion of hydroco/apap. the Hydro half I think is safe, but what about the tylenol half?

EDIT: Also the oldest stuff was from like 2010. Pretty sure I saw nothing older than that.

 

[jaders]

So I got a chance to go through that drawer more thoroughly. The family member had tramadol, hydroco/apap (hydrocodone with some tylenol), and something called cenzobenzaprine (I may have remembered that name wrong). I also saw some Fioricet but I don't recall that being particularly good. I only grabbed trams and hydro.

My concern now is with the tylenol portion of hydroco/apap. the Hydro half I think is safe, but what about the tylenol half?

EDIT: Also the oldest stuff was from like 2010. Pretty sure I saw nothing older than that.

Again, I have never ever heard of a medicine becoming more dangerous due to getting old. As mentioned above, if it were a medicine that you needed to keep your heart going and it became too weak due to being "old" that could be the only danger from expired meds. I'm pretty sure tylenol is like aspirin, it really doesn't lose much potency unless kept very warm in the light. But it definitely won't hurt you, and it will slightly enhance the effects of the hydrocodone.

I'm old enough to remember when there were NO expiration dates on any prescription bottles. Personally, I think it's more of a racket than anything to keep folks buying new drugs instead of using the stuff they already have. I know of so many folks who automatically throw out expired meds, and I think it's just a waste...

 

[lox]

There are medicines which effect can change after the expiration date and shoulnt be used. I havent heard that to be the case with pain killers, which just weaken in effect. I have taken trams expired by years before without any problems, so if it was me I would use them.

 

[Santa's little helper]

I think storage is a key factor

 

[seashells]

@onlyareader Eat them babys, they are not going to hurt you. I have ate older and put worse in my body. Im sure someone else would take them from you.