Ibuprofen

[Jurek]

Best before date: 2019
What could possibly go wrong?

[freeflow]

Drugs degrade on storage.  Regulations set the maximum amount of degradation at 5% unless other factors intervene, which would be very unlikely for an OTC/P medicine.  The shelf life/Best before date is determined from the date of manufacture. The 5% limit is to ensure consistency of efficacy/performance, not toxicity.  The shelf life represents the 95% lower confidence interval (or less) that the maximum degradation could have occurred under the stated storage condition over that time period.  Going past this date would possibly mean that the product is less efficacious.  It won't be dangerous because it either wouldn't be licensed if it was, or would be restricted to use in a medical setting.

[Jurek]

Thanks for that.

[rogerzilla]

It turns into Viagra.

https://youtu.be/Kt2aVEctF-8

NSFW but Charlie Sheen's finest moment.

[hellymedic]

Solid medicines are unlikely to be a problem when out of date.
I have taken ancient ibuprofen but that was my choice.

Generic ibuprofen is very cheap. (42p for 16 x 200mg tablets at Sainsbury's.)

If I were both worried and in pain, I'd take one dose of the old pills, followed by a trip to a shop.

[Kim]

What was that paper where they found decades old medicines in the stock room of some pharmacy and analysed the condition of the drugs?

[Jurek]

Solid medicines are unlikely to be a problem when out of date.
I have taken ancient ibuprofen but that was my choice.

Generic ibuprofen is very cheap. (42p for 16 x 200mg tablets at Sainsbury's.)

If I were both worried and in pain, I'd take one dose of the old pills, followed by a trip to a shop.

This was my preferred course of action, only it was followed by a visit  to the dentist this morning to acquire a prescription for a course of weapons-grade antibiotics.
As it stands, the pain from my abcess currently prevents me from opening opening my mouth sufficiently wide to insert a tablet between my teeth.

[hellymedic]

Solid medicines are unlikely to be a problem when out of date.
I have taken ancient ibuprofen but that was my choice.

Generic ibuprofen is very cheap. (42p for 16 x 200mg tablets at Sainsbury's.)

If I were both worried and in pain, I'd take one dose of the old pills, followed by a trip to a shop.

This was my preferred course of action, only it was followed by a visit  to the dentist this morning to acquire a prescription for a course of weapons-grade antibiotics.
As it stands, the pain from my abcess currently prevents me from opening opening my mouth sufficiently wide to insert a tablet between my teeth.

Hope you're out of pain soon!

Soluble tablets or kids' syrups would get past the sore jaws.

If you're OK with aspirin, Sainsbury's Aspirin dispersible is 55p for 16 x 300mg tablets. Otherwise, there's various soluble paracetamol options.

[mrcharly-YHT]

For mouth abscesses, I thoroughly recommend soluble aspirin.

Not only does it deal with inflammation and pain a bit, even rinsing and spitting removes some of the horrible gunk when the abscess bursts.

[Jurek]

Solid medicines are unlikely to be a problem when out of date.
I have taken ancient ibuprofen but that was my choice.

Generic ibuprofen is very cheap. (42p for 16 x 200mg tablets at Sainsbury's.)

If I were both worried and in pain, I'd take one dose of the old pills, followed by a trip to a shop.

This was my preferred course of action, only it was followed by a visit  to the dentist this morning to acquire a prescription for a course of weapons-grade antibiotics.
As it stands, the pain from my abcess currently prevents me from opening opening my mouth sufficiently wide to insert a tablet between my teeth.

Hope you're out of pain soon!

Soluble tablets or kids' syrups would get past the sore jaws.

If you're OK with aspirin, Sainsbury's Aspirin dispersible is 55p for 16 x 300mg tablets. Otherwise, there's various soluble paracetamol options.

Thanks Helly.
Right now, (non-lumpy) soup is my future.