How often do you check medication expiry dates?

Good Morning all

I'm not proud to admit this!

This morning I was checking my medical box for some Strepsils as hubby's suffering with the dreaded man flu chesty cold bug which hubby's calling it!

Well I opened my medical box to find 3 box's of Strepsils! I gave Derek the opened box along with another saving him having to search for another box later. On my return to our bedroom Derek highlighted the expiry date of 2015 on both box's ! This was shocking news being a ex nurse.... lucky for me the 3rd box was in date until Sept 2020 ...phew......

Later today I shall be checking all other medication expiry dates from around the house!

Can anyone else say I'm not the only person to screw up here?

Shropshire Lass

PS

The scary thing is what could have happened if he'd not checked thos medication date! Emmmmm! However bring an over the shelf purchase I'm guessing it wouldnt have done major harm but will definately check into this....

[Hidden]

Hi

I'm just as bad!!! Not just with meds, we found some vinegar, expired December 2015!! We used to laugh about Dave's Mum aby his old stuff in her cupboard was!! We are just as bad. We will be sorting cupboards out later!!! 😘🤗 Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Laura009 in reply to Hidden]

Dont worry Lynne. Vinegar doesn't go off. It can be used way beyond it's shelflife because it's acid ! 😀

[Hidden in reply to Laura009]

Thanks, why does it have a date in the bottle then ?!? Xxxx

[Laura009 in reply to Hidden]

God knows ! Probably by law everything has to. Even cosmetics x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Lucky me! It was only the over the shelf Strepils out of date! Phew! Tins we're checked earlier in the year !

For some reason I never knew throat lozenges had expiry date hence not checking ! 👎All others meds normally checked every year!!!! 😁

Love Trish

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

You sure you we’re a nurse? 😀😀😀😀😀

[Hidden in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Whooooooooo now that's definately a naughty comment! I could load photo as proof in nurse's outfit !!!! Lol 😁😁😁😁

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

Oh dear - missed my SOH again. Study text closely hehehe then you can swear at me for being a pedantic so and so 😀

[Hidden in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Oh my Miles, I think my SOH needs some work , so I failed this time ... I was joking so I'm giving myself 👎lol

🙄

[davianne in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Miles, repeat after me....must try harder🤣🤣🤣

[davianne in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Oh Miles, their the worst..... well my one is anyway😊, I expect that's why she chose me🤣🤣🤣

[ThreeSmiles in reply to davianne]

OK David - got me what’s this one in response to?

[davianne in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Sorry Miles, I've forgotten🤔🤔🤔

[ThreeSmiles in reply to davianne]

Hahahaha love it 👍

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Trish,

I've got a sell by date, and I'm well past that, so I'm off to the bin now🤣🤣

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Cream I guess? 🤔

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Harder to swallow tins of the shelf. Not good for a Sore throat either? 😜

[davianne]

Crikey Trish, only a box❓❓❓, Annie and i have a cupboard😊😊😊. I never bother checking meds.....only for when i have to re-order. I don't think the dry ones go out of date, or lose their efficacy that much over time. My IBS tablets are well out of date, but they still work. Even food is given a supersafe expiry date, just last night I had a mince pie that was 5 days over, and I'm feeling OK.......I think😊😊😊

[alfredthegreat in reply to davianne]

Manufacturers cover themselves with the use by and sell by dates.

Many things are fine past their dates such as pickles and relishes. When you think that they have opened tins of corned beef dished out as rations in the second world war and they have been perfectly edible

With medicines though I usually chuck anything that's opened if it's out of date and unopened items I use if they are a few months out of date.

With food items it's down to common sense isn't it? I would eat an out of date mince pie or biscuit but I would give a ham sandwich a miss!

[davianne in reply to alfredthegreat]

Your right Alf, they want you to buy again. My IBS meds are in a bubble tray, so, in effect, they are sealed until I pop one out. It's not one I take regularly, so they are not fresh when I take them......but they still work.

As you say, meat products are a totally different ball game though👍👍👍🐂

[Hidden in reply to alfredthegreat]

Hang your pheasants, 21 day mature steak. Cheese Gordon Ramsay blue?

[alfredthegreat in reply to Hidden]

I was told hang a pheasant until you see maggots in the eyes. That's enough to put me off eating it altogether!

[Hidden in reply to alfredthegreat]

Me too Alf!

👍

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Dogs eat rancid meat given half a chance.

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Wuff anything. 🤭

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Strays maybe !

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Not just strays....Teddy loves tripe......smells vile 🤢🤢🤢

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Oh my, there's nothing on this planet that would make me cook tripe or even entertain the smell ! This is a big NO in my home! I bet Teddy loves all meats ....🍖🍖🍖

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Oh No Trish, I don't cook raw tripe, it comes as just one of the flavours in his cartons of dog food......I only smell it when preparing his meals.🤢🤢🤢

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Your forgiven then ! My dad used to cook and the smell and look turned my stomach which I'll never forget and of course you can imagine I avoided being at home! 👎

[ThreeSmiles in reply to alfredthegreat]

Why ham freddy? I would give egg a miss but not ham....?? But I know nothing.....

[alfredthegreat in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Well not just ham but any sliced meat for sandwiches which is 5 days out of date

Mince pies or biscuits would be fine

[ThreeSmiles in reply to alfredthegreat]

Oh yes 5 days - I thought you meant 1 day 😀

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Hi David

I think there's a difference between days/weeks and out of date by years.

I too never bother about food dates either but I'm sensible especially with sea food and chicken 😁

Yummy mince pies ...I bet you really enjoyed em too! Did you have double cream on? Yum

😊

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

'Fraid not Trish, just caramel and chocolate ice cream.....even better😋😋😋

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Caramel ice cream with a mince pie yum, but chocolate ice cream does not set my taste buds dancing so this gets a 👎😊

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

No Trish, sorry I should have said caramel and vanilla with actual chocolate dribbled on top, so super yummee. 😋😋😋

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Now that sounds yum 😊👍

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Got to be Pooh Bear, a mix of Vanilla ice cream and Honeycomb. Maud's are the largest producer of dairy ice cream here. Champion of champions. I scream, you scream, everybody scream. 🙄

Not poor as amended.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Do you mean Pooh Bear .... 😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

👍 Correct, whish groogle wood leaf tings a lone. 🙄

& Stop auto correcting.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ha! Ha! Touche

😀

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

In 🇧🇧 We used to say I scream you scream we all scream........for ice cream - Variation on a theme eh feckle 😀👍

[Hidden in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Backstreet Boys sing "Everybody."

Yes your correcto😵 - it's Everybody likes ice cream, but

We do not normally use all to mean everybody/everyone:

• Everybody enjoyed the party, (not 'All enjoyed...')

• He thinks he knows everything, (not 'he knows all')

Whatever lol. 😜

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

No idea what you’re talking about but hey ho - nothing unusual there! Always good for a laugh 👍

[Hidden in reply to ThreeSmiles]

To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true. 🤔

[alfredthegreat in reply to Hidden]

What?

[Hidden in reply to alfredthegreat]

Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious. 🙄

[Hidden in reply to alfredthegreat]

Truth - Simple English

Truth is what is real. A thing is true if it is a fact. The English word truth is from Old English tríewþ, tréowþ, trýwþ, Middle English trewþe.

An Aristotle quote. 🤔

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

It is Trish......I've just had some😋😋😋

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Brainiac freeze 😜

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Serves you right for gulping! 😨

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Re My medical box's ! I have two which are 20"x 20" x 6" plus my bedside drawer plus medical boxs in both cars 😂😂😂

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Ooooooh, I can top that.....I have a spare house just for the meds....so there😉😉😉

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Ok you win👍so there back 😂😂

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

No you win Trish, I was fibbing😊

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Thank you for being honest ! 🤗

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

Your TARDIS Dr Who? 🙄

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

More like Dr What😉

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Forgot to say.......Hypochondriac 🤣🤣🤣

[Hidden in reply to davianne]

I'm well stocked with bandages, slings, neck braces, plasters and creams etc etc, so if you run out just let me know and I'll send you some over .... 🙄

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Annie's got a surgical bag with all sorts of lethal instruments and potions in it. She is the go to person in the village, if anyone needs medical treatment.👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️

[ThreeSmiles in reply to davianne]

Why isn’t your tag daviannie David? 😑

[davianne in reply to ThreeSmiles]

I don't know Miles. She's only Annie to her friends....to me she's Anne😉😉😉. Trust you to spot that😊😊😊

[ThreeSmiles in reply to davianne]

Oopps sorry me being a PITA again 😕

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

SAS Lass - Shropshirelass Ambulance Service. 😇

[davianne in reply to Hidden]

Did you say ambulance? has it got blues and twos❓❓❓

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Maybe a team of two's and blue's in the making!!!!!! 😂😂😂

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Love reply

SAS Lass 🤣🤣🤣

[Laura009]

Medication can still be effective up to 10 years beyond the expiry date although some potency may have diminished

[Laura009]

Ps but l wouldnt risk it !

[davianne in reply to Laura009]

Laura, I used to drink 12 year old Malt, and look what it did to me 😊😊😊,

But I'm OK with taking out of date meds.

[Hidden in reply to Laura009]

Condoms would be another for many, I would think. Best to check.

[Kristian]

The difference between "use by" and "best before". I understand if you are beyond the "use by" date then chuck it away. I suspect that's down to the time bacteria has had to grow on it.

If its past the "best before" date then it just means it'll no longer be at its prime, may be less tasty or effective but should, within reason of course, still be ok to eat or use.

Its surprising what things this applies to. Foodstuffs is an obvious one, but not forgetting of course sun protection cream. That's one that also should be checked as it becomes less effective with age. Something else you should use before its best before date to be certain you are getting the stated level of protection. Very important for those post transplant or on other immune suppressing meds for other conditions.

It also applies to hard hats in the construction industry too 👷‍♂️👷‍♀️. 🤣🤣.

[Hidden in reply to Kristian]

I'm impressed Kristian..... re your hard hat comment! Not many people are aware of that point, I was being in construction!

😊

[Kristian in reply to Hidden]

I think it applies to motorcycle helmets too. But I may be wrong on that one.

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Kristian]

No you are right! M/C should be replaced every three to five years. That is the polycarbonate ones not sure about fibreglass ones.... Note I am not an expert this is just what I remember!!

[Kristian in reply to ThreeSmiles]

😊👍

[Hidden]

If I'm correct cyclist helmet should be replaced within 3 to 5 years! However if you drop you helmet on a very hard surface its should be replaced anyway. Sunshine can also make hard hats brittle over a long period of time. 😁

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

Aha snap Trish! Sorry I didn’t get as far as your post. But we are ditto since materials are probably the same!

[Hidden in reply to ThreeSmiles]

You maybe correct on helmet specifications possibly being the same but me being me I would have to check as I'm a stickler for reading specifications 🤣🤣

Love Techie 😁

[VeeWat]

I took a class once from an Abbot Lab virologist. He said any cream, gel, pellet or liquid must be thrown out but a hard tablet could still be used beyond date UNLESS it was a heart med which would lose potency.

[Medecin]

In the world of pharmaceuticals, an American study (NASA) found only ONE antibiotic which became dangerous after 10yrs, the others, at worst, merely lost some of their efficacy.

Strepsils are little more than glorified sweets and old ones are no more than old sweets. Who hasn’t eaten an old boiled sweet from the bottom of your pocket without ill-effects?

[Hidden]

Cheers Medecin for your update on the Strepsil ! Unfortunately I threw them away ! However I have munched old sweets in the past! Lol!

Miles ! You asked about my Lemsips, these are all within date as I normally check all medications at least yearly just not the throat lozenges 🤣🤣

Trish 😁

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

Ummm but you said, quote “It was only the over the shelf Strepils out of date”.

[Hidden in reply to ThreeSmiles]

Ok Mr Clever Cloggs! 👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣

[ThreeSmiles in reply to Hidden]

😂