What are some OTC medicines that actually have a longer reliable shelf life than their stated “best by” dates?
Posted by cheesycorny7@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 20 comments
Some OTC medicines are a bit expensive, so I’m hesitant to continue to purchase them for prepping & go bags in fear of them being wasted when past their expiration. Specifically looking for meds that last longer than 1-2 years.
I could try to find a better way to rotate out from prep -> to our regular supply to ensure they aren’t being tossed, so open to suggestions there as well.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Anything in a "tablet" form is going to get several years after the date on the bottle. Stay away from liquid caps/gels and the like.
A US Government study was done on the shelf life of medications, in the 00s, and the only medication with a hard "Expiration Date" was Loperamide, Imodium, which would actually turn toxic about 6 months after the expiration date. I believe it has since been reformulated to keep this from happening but I have yet to see it updated. To date, it is the only medication I will just toss when it is past the date and get new. You do you.
RepresentativeDry171@reddit
Yikes I just took an Imodium that expired 2 yrs ago in 2023
What_The_Radical@reddit
and you're all good? (did it work?)
cbaby96@reddit
I just took an Imodium tablet that expired in May 2019. I’ve always assumed expired medicine to be safe.
Several-Guarantee655@reddit
I know this is an old post, but people will still come across this thread when searching about taking medications after the expiration date, so I want to correct the record. The claim about loperamide becoming toxic after expiration is not accurate. There’s never been a study—or any credible evidence—showing that loperamide turns toxic after its expiration date. It was never included in the FDA/DoD Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP), and no government data has ever indicated it poses a toxicity risk once expired. For reference, here’s an overview of the SLEP program from the FDA
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
The issue isn't the drug itself becoming toxic. Here's the problem.
Loperamide is actually an opi-iod, doing that to get past the Mod filter, that doesn't have the same reactions like others of its kind. So it doesn't work on pain. However, like others of its kind it can cause you to become constipated. If you have taken prescription painkillers before, you know this. So it is using a side effect of other drugs of its kind as the main treatment.
So the issue with Loperamide is that as it ages it breaks down like all medication does. Around 3 years from production, it used to get to the point where it couldn't hold itself together long enough to make it to the Colon. Thus resulting in a build up of fecal matter in your gut. THIS can result in a buildup of toxins in your system that could cause major problems for a person.
This is why it was not even evaluated for the Shelf Life Extension Program back in the day. They literally just threw it out because it wasn't worth the risk and making more was cheap enough.
stochasticmage@reddit
You're only correct in that loperamide is related to some prescription painkillers and prevents diarrhea via the same mechanism by which those can cause constipation.
Much of the rest appears speculative and conflicts with pharmacological data.
Loperamide doesn't need to reach the colon intact. It dissolves earlier and acts on gut nerves throughout the intestine.
And, even if it did, any reduced potency would lessen constipation, not increase it.
No fecal impaction. No fecal toxin buildup. Especially not during diarrhea.
And it wasn't excluded from the SLEP due to risk--it just wasn't submitted. Many inexpensive, short-term-use drugs weren't submitted at all.
TheyTukMyJub@reddit
What's your source for this claim about loperamide? There isn't a single source mentioning it
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
It was from the original "Shelf Life Extension Program" Study done back in the 2000s for the US Military.
With that said, it is different on the updates for that program. So I am thinking they did something to reformulate it.
HodloBaggins@reddit
Wait so I shouldn’t take expired loperamide??
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
As I said in that comment, it is technically toxic at a point after expiration date. You would likely need to take a lot for it to be a problem but I can't say for sure. This was awhile back and I am pretty sure they reformulated it but I have no proof of that.
GirlonFireTD@reddit
Caplet tablet chewable
eksokolova@reddit
Basically everything that is a hard pill. Just keep it sealed and you’re good for a good 5ish years if not more of potency.
Character_Action_439@reddit
Doxycycline antibiotic becomes toxic not long after purchase, so cannot be saved for future use.
dietcokeandlime@reddit
I just took some mucinex dm tablets that expired in 2015 and they worked like a charm.
rllyremi@reddit
i tried this and it did nothing for me
DeviceUnknown@reddit
Like most said, meds, specifically pill form just loose efficacy over extended periots. There are exceptions, Such as Asprin which can KILL YOU if too old. So that's the only one i throw out after 2 years regardless.
Star-Nosed-Mole@reddit
That is not true, aspirin breaks down into acetic acid (vinegar) and salicylic acid, this process requires water to be present so a sealed bottle will last for quite a while. Both the chemicals it breaks down into are safe to consume, although with limited medical benefit.
DeviceUnknown@reddit
You know what, you are right. I just now looked it up to "prove you wrong" and now feel like a jerk. I listened to wrong people and even seen other prepper videos saying it was deadly. My apologies to the OP for giving false information. I will do better about researching anything before stating a "fact" from a old wives tale.
Star-Nosed-Mole@reddit
No worries! There is a lot of false information out there, especially in regards to medical stuff. I have no proof of this but I believe this theory started from people observing or hearing of Reyes syndrome and thinking it was caused by expired aspirin.
Reyes syndrome is a rare condition caused by giving aspirin to a child with a fever, do not do this it can be very serious, other NSAIDs and Tylenol are safe. It is a very rare condition but in my opinion not worth the risk.