Is it OK to take expired paracetamol?

You should not take medicines after their expiry date. If you’ve had a medicine for a while, check the expiry date before using it. You should also make sure that you’ve stored the medicine properly, as described on the packaging or leaflet.

Do pills expire?

It’s true the effectiveness of a drug may decrease over time, but much of the original potency still remains even a decade after the expiration date. Excluding nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics, most medications are as long-lasting as the ones tested by the military.

Can you die from taking expired medicine?

Taking expired prescriptions is not usually advisable. They are not likely to harm you, at least if it’s a medication you normally take, but they may not be suited to your needs and may not be completely effective.

Can I get sick if I take expired medication?

No Longer Appropriate. Saving old, expired medications is a bad practice for many reasons. Leftover antibiotics taken the next time you get sick can actually worsen your condition if you are infected with a different bacteria. You could also cause the bacteria to become stronger and drug-resistant if you don’t take a full course of the antibiotic.

Can you still take expired medication?

Certain expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth and sub-potent antibiotics can fail to treat infections, leading to more serious illnesses and antibiotic resistance. “Once the expiration date has passed there is no guarantee that the medicine will be safe and effective,” says Bernstein. “If your medicine has expired, do not use it.”

Can you take medications past their expiration date?

It may be fine to take an allergy medication that’s a month past its expiration date. But there is some risk in taking a heart rhythm medication that, if ineffective, could lead to an unstable and dangerous heart problem. And a medication that’s a month past its expiration date may be potent while one that’s 5 years past is not.