>Expiration, Schmexpiration
>ME: We need more ibuprofen.
HIM: We already have ibuprofen.
ME: The ibuprofen I found in the glove compartment? Oh no, that expired in 2007. I need to throw it away.
HIM: Don’t throw it away! I’ll use it.
ME: ….It expired in 2007.
HIM: ….It’s ibuprofen.
ME: And it expired in 2007!
HIM: Don’t throw it away.
Do you have someone in your family like this? I grew up with family members who always saved and used expired medicine, and I’ll admit I’ve taken medicine before that’s six months past its expiration date. But two years?! Uh uh. No. Thank. You.
>Putting an expiration date on ibuprofen sounds like a great way to sell more ibuprofen to me! I’m sure over time, it might lose some effectiveness, but I’ve never heard of anyone who actually ‘expired’ from taking old ibuprofen. I think I would take it if the date was in this millennium. My husband would probably try to stop me, but I’d do it. I’m not saying YOU should, though.
>My husband is totally “him”. He also thinks we can eat leftovers for 2 weeks straight…no bueno!
>I can’t believe it’s been two years since 2007. Time sure does fly when you’re getting old.
>I read all your articles and found them all to be dead on. Thanks for writing; I always enjoy what you have to say.
>My MIL saves ALL medicine. Seriously if you ever screw up your back she’ll hook you up with some pain meds from the 90s, possibly 80s! 😉
>I admit, I’m the one with the issue. If the cap isn’t permenantly caramelized to the top of the cough syrup bottle you can be your fancy pants I’ll be chugging it with my next cold. Hey, I’m all about bein frugal…..And I hang my head in shame as I tell you that I work in healthcare…..Kat
>jentltd is my girl!!
>Great articles. I am not one to keep old meds, but I have heard from a medical professional that they are still usually good one year after exp.
>I hate to be the buzz kill… and I make it a point to never be the buzz kill… BUT I was a nurse long before a mommy, pastors wife, infertile, blogger… etc etc.. and taking expired meds can be deadly. I will dig up some articles and email them to you to show Hubs. The articles were awesome.. which?no real surprise there. I am off to do my own brand of frugal today.. its Clinique gift time at Macy’s. Thanks for making me smile yet again.(and howdy Shawna)CeCe
>Ok off topic but this is bad and should be expired… it takes the snuggie WAAAAAAY too far.http://tinyurl.com/dacgn7
>This isn’t exactly in the medicine realm, but it does fit in the same category. I recently visited my parent’s house where, upon looking for some ibuprofen, found a Tupperware container in the bathroom cabinet full of little pieces of soap, like the leftovers from big bars that had been used down to the point of exhaustion. Me: Dad?! Really?!Dad: What? What’s the big deal, you never know when you’ll need those.Me: Oh, in case there’s a tornado, or perhaps the Big One in Portland and you’re forced to live life in the cellar? Like you couldn’t grab the new, big bars of soap?
>Most expired (non-liquid) medications aren’t toxic; they lose effectiveness and then might not work, but it’s not likely they’ll make you sick. Two years past the expiration, that ibuprofen is probably useless. Probably tastes gross, too, but if you don’t mind it not working and then burping up the after taste for a hour… 😉
>My hubby’s family is like that. In fact, my mother-in-law once offered me some leftover antibiotics that were two years old and were clearly marked “keep refrigerated.” She found them while digging in the medicine cabinet.
>Too funny! This sounds like a conversation that might occur at my in-law’s. My husband is forever flabbergasted at some of the things my mother-in-law decides to eat after she finds it in the fridge. I wonder if it has anything to do with growing up in the depression and not wanting to waste food. . .By the way, I’m sending you some blog love with an award over at my place. .
>My mom is the medicine hoarder. I usually sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to clear the expired ones out. I don't know how effective I am since she "combines" bottles.About the babysitter routine…my youngest had seperation anxiety, he would sob pathetically. Only one friend babysat twice. Ellen's secret…she's deaf. She'd just remove the microphone for her cochlear implant & keep right on rocking & soothing him. She went w/us on the IKEA trip from H*ll…just blithely pushing a cart, patting his hand w/Exorcist baby howling for a hotdog. "I can't hear you…but I love you!"
>When my oldest was a toddler with major congestion, asthma and allergy issues, we were saved by Pediacare Nighttime, but they stopped making it for infants around the time I was pregnant with my youngest. He’s a toddler now himself and facing the same issues his older brother did, which don’t make for very sleep-filled nights. I recently found some old bottles of the Pediacare for infants we used for my older son, but they expired at least two years ago. I was tempted to give them a try, but decided against it and just threw them out. But man, there are nights when I wish I had that magic elixer again!!
>I caught my husband using Betadyne that expired in 1987.
>I had a doctor tell me once that you were good for up to 3 years after the expiration date. But, yeah, maybe buy some new (read: good) stuff for you and leave the old (read: crap) for your husband. 😉
>There are expiration dates fora reason. We have a roommate (read mooch!) that is staying with us until he finds a job and I swear this guy uses the oldest food in the house. When I moved in there was a can of beets…expired back in 02…Mind you I moved in in 06. Well as a novelty I put the beets on top of the counter next to the stove as a joke. For two years they have sat there. Then this moron moves in…grabs a can opener..and Yum yum. And honestly you could tell they were old..the label was peeling and everything. This is the same guy that eats food that has sat in the fridge for a month. We have not had chinese food takeout for..oh a month..and the idiot was digging around yesterday and..num num..what do you think he found. Honestly..he’s an idiot. Oh and when I was cleaning out the medicine cabinet and found a huge thing of asprin that was probably ten years old..the idiot said he’d keep it cause he’ll use it..yeah..whatever..moron…
>My mother keeps medicine long after the expiration date, too — over the stove, no less. Every article tells you the worst place to keep it is over the stove. However, I have read that OTC stuff is still good for a while after the expiration date and I will use it up to a year later if it has been kept in a fairly cool place (like bedroom drawer), but I wouldn’t take Ibuprofen BEFORE its expiration date if it has been in the glove box for months (due to the extreme heat).
>Thanks for the early morning laugh, Catherine. That comment was hilarious!
>Did you know that pharmaceutical companies take “expired” medications to third world countries and give them out for free? Very few medications in pill forms actually have true expiration dates.
>I had this discussion with my hubby a couple of weeks ago (although, ours might have been even older than that!). He googled it, and apparently The Internet says that it doesn’t become harmful, just less effective…
>I’m too paranoid to use expired medication. If I took expired meds then my imagination would make me believe that it was making me sicker and then I’d go around the house shrieking, “I’ve been poisoned!”Then my husband would get irritated.So it’s just better that I never take expired medication.
>”Embarrassing?!” Yes, to ME not you! 🙂 I never thought you’d read on my blog what a fan I am- makes me sound kinda pathetic. 🙂 And my husband feels like I “threw him under the bus” for reporting that he doesn’t think “blog famous” is “real famous.” HA!LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all three of the articles you linked to. And, my MIL has drawers and drawers of very old medicine and toiletries at her house. I took some benadryl once several years past it’s expiration date so as to not hurt her feelings since I am allergic to her cats. It didn’t hurt me, but it didn’t help either :). Now, that old antibiotic comment scared me!
>Hey Girlie,I hate throwing away old medication…seems such a waste, but like you – Id never talk it more than a handful of months past the expiration date.As for my chocolate job…it’s amazing…it’s a brand new venture by Dove (Mars, Inc.) I have actually done a couple “business spotlight” interviews (local and national)…would you want to do a write up on the Chocolatier life? 🙂
>Good grief, yes. My parents’ house has Tylenol from the ’80s, Advil from the ’90s, and vitamins so old the dates have rubbed off. Partly it’s that they never use the medicines, and partly it’s that nobody ever knows what to do with expired medicine.
>My husband and I go through this ALL the time. Not just with medicine, but anything that has an expiration date. Bread, for example. Unless there’s green growing on it his line is “we can just stick it in the microwave to soften it”. Really? But it’s 2 WEEKS past the expiration date! Thanks, but I think I’ll just spend the $1.50 to buy new loaf.