[Ripon]

Back in the good times my wife and I liked to cruise to Mexico. We would take the 4 and 7 day crusies during the least expensive time of the year and just enjoy the get away. I still view Cruises as a good value for a vacation for those with the means.

One of the things we did every trip was obtain medications that require prescriptions here that don't there. Most notably anti biotics, a muscle relaxer that really seems to kick in when you need it, and one we got that was an anti nausea pill that works well whenever we get a flu like illness that makes you want to toss all the cookies.

Well we have not cruised in a long time. We had some issues where by we used most of the anti biotics (one batch remains) but still have plenty of the other two - both expired by 16/17 months now. Any good yet? Worthless? Of course the pharm.co advise is to toss out, but I don't like throwing things away? If they were bad for us at this point I'd use them as a trap med for someone that found them? Anyone have any experience with old meds?

 

[rickkyw1720pf]

Army did a study and found most medicines were good 15 years after there expiration date.

 

[PrepConsultant]

You might lose a little potency but I would keep them.. I have used stuff that was older before and it worked fine..

 

[Ripon]

Thank you and thank you, I was hoping it'd still be some good. I hate wasting stuff but I'm not one to take meds unless I really need em.

 

[rickkyw1720pf]

Instead of going to Mexico you can get vet medicine that are made by pharmaceutical companies under the same government controls as human medicines. We did a lot of discussion on a thread here.

Fish Antibiotics | Preparedness Pro

Just about all the antibiotics can be ordered off the Internet this way and they are in the same doses that you get from the pharmacy but don't just buy them without getting some information on them. All ANTIBOTICS should be taken until the prescription is gone even if you feel perfect in a couple of days. So you shouldn't have any left over in the first place.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

Everything I have read on antibiotics is that they are good out to about 15 yrs, but can lose some potency. The one major exception is Tetracycline, which can become toxic if it is expired. I have no idea about anti inflamatories or opiat based pain meds.

 

[Lucky Jim]

..both expired by 16/17 months now...but I don't like throwing things away..

Get rid of 'em now mate, because potentially clapped-out meds have no place in a preppers inventory if you want to win the survival race in a tough SHTF world where only the winners will come through..

"Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning until now, and never to be equaled again...Be on guard! Be alert! ...You do not know when that time will come" (Jesus in Mark ch 13)
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Cor 9:24)

 

[Montana Rancher]

Get rid of 'em now mate, because potentially clapped-out meds have no place in a preppers inventory if you want to win the survival race in a tough SHTF world where only the winners will come through..

"Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning until now, and never to be equaled again...Be on guard! Be alert! ...You do not know when that time will come" (Jesus in Mark ch 13)
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Cor 9:24)

I totally disagree, any meds should be saved as they will be priceless SHTF.

In a total collapse I plan on visiting my local pharmacy and if it is manned I will try and buy some with cash. Who knows without the rule of law, the pharacist may comply. I'll be taking my wife as she knows what the names mean.

 

[Ripon]

My wife enjoys pretty good health benefits. When ever we noticed a need for anti biotics it was kind of a 3 day hassle to get them running from the doctor so we'd start up with the one's from Mexico, follow up with the doctors and use those as replacements. We'd never cut short a full dose. I'm prone to a simple nasal infection with some allergies that kick in and they clear it right up, and my wife seems to get a throat infection once in a while - its like every year - something. But since the doctors don't just call it right in we start ahead of them.

Instead of going to Mexico you can get vet medicine that are made by pharmaceutical companies under the same government controls as human medicines. We did a lot of discussion on a thread here.

Fish Antibiotics | Preparedness Pro

Just about all the antibiotics can be ordered off the Internet this way and they are in the same doses that you get from the pharmacy but don't just buy them without getting some information on them. All ANTIBOTICS should be taken until the prescription is gone even if you feel perfect in a couple of days. So you shouldn't have any left over in the first place.

 

[PrepConsultant]

I use a lot of vet grade stuff on a regular basis for work.. I have even taken plenty of it myself before. On a side note I went several days before in so much pain with a broken rib and a few other things from a rollover accident. It was bad pain and I have a high tolerance for it usually. Anyway, I was hurtin so bad I couldn't sleep for days and decided to take some Rompun to help me sleep. Anyone that has been around large animals knows what Rompun aka Zylazene is. It it for anasthesia and sedation. I took about 1ml and a half hour later my lips were blue my fiance said.. It put me out for a while and I knocked it back to 1/4 ml after that.. I haven't used it since though. Surprised it didn't kill me with the 1ml(it said 1ml per 100lbs of bodyweight) I was about 200lbs and thought a half dose would be ok. Guess not... Don't try that at home boys and girls..
It is much easier to acquire vet pharms and the majority of it is stuff I would have no problems taking.. I am taking some vet grade penicillin now for a minor infection..You can buy syringes and needles at most feed and vet supply stores and even online to stockpile too..I Have Lidocaine,antibiotics,and even some stuff I shouldn't have. I wont post the names cause I don't want the feds knockin on my door!

 

[mikes69baja]

The book "The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook" The author MD Joseph Alton stated medications were acceptable for use 8-15 years after the expiration date. The only exception is medications in liquid form. They loose their potency very soon after the date on the package.

 

[Gallo Pazzesco]

The book "The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook" The author MD Joseph Alton stated medications were acceptable for use 8-15 years after the expiration date. The only exception is medications in liquid form. They loose their potency very soon after the date on the package.

I agree, unless they are refrigerated and then there is some debate about the potency past the expiration date .... insulin, for instance, is the biggie, but no one will tell for sure and the big pharms want you to throw that kind of stuff out the moment it expires.

I too believe in storing, and refrigerating, vet antibiotics.

Everything last longer when stored in sun-free, dark, o2 free, cool places.

 

[Lucky Jim]

Lucky Jim said- Get rid of 'em now mate, because potentially clapped-out meds have no place in a preppers inventory if you want to win the survival race in a tough SHTF world where only the winners will come through

I totally disagree, any meds should be saved as they will be priceless SHTF..

Yeah, if they work, but there's no guarantee they will! Even the military ditch old ammo (at great expense) because it might be unreliable.
Lindbergh nearly died because he was falling asleep at the controls so he broke out a capsule of smelling salts to keep him awake, but they had no smell whatsoever and were useless, maybe they were old.
Meds make up a vital part of our armour for survival, so clapped-out useless meds mean we won't be fully covered against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune..

 

[IngaLisa]

The tetracycline family of drugs, including doxy can make you sick after they go bad. They do not last as long as the other antibiotics do. Hopkins did do a study for the military and indeed, most antibiotics lasted WELL beyond their expiration. The only one I would not risk is a tetracycline more than a year after expiration. I don't need my kidneys messed up.

A lot of old meds can be saved. I would google them and get a rough idea. I would also invest in a hard copy PDR book, Physician's Desk Reference, so you have some idea how to use drugs.

 

[PalmettoTree]

If they were any good to start with they are likely still good.

I just do not need pills that bad.

 

[shooter]

There is no black a white answer to this question but a few things can be taken into account.

1) all med have a 15-20% padding on there expiration date as big pharm does not want you to take something that does not work at full straight.

2) even past that 15-20% padding the meds will still work but probably not a full straight, now how much potencey they lose is up for debate but if you buy a drug and it says its good for a year, at 18 months its probably still pretty potent however at 3 years it might only be at 80% and at 6 years 50%. Which if you have no other options well its better then nothing...

3) The potency is based on being stored in your medical cabinet in those orange bottles, so if you can find a way to keep them air and light tight you will expand there "life span"

4) there are some drugs that as they age can become poisons. And you should research to make sure the ones you have are not those drugs.

5) there are many studies that have been done saying drugs are good for years after they have "expired" And I had a family friend who was a retired doctor who would go to many 3rd world country's and give out medication to the locals to deal with various illnesses and he used to get a lot of free expired med donated to him from the pharmacy companies so they must have still been pretty effective or they would not have given them to him.

6) the one risk with buying med from mexico or those on line stores is that they probably knock offs. So they might not have the quality control you would get form one of the American companies. This might effect the shelf life of your drugs.

My personal theory has always been if I am prescribed something take the new stuff and use what I am told to. However if SHTF I would have no problem taking some older med to keep me alive.

 

[dwight55]

I think the real question here is not the "here and now" of using older meds, . . . but after the SHTF event, . . . there are no pharmacies left, . . . yeah, I'd try the old meds.

Remember, . . . the flu, . . . pneumonia, . . . and common infections were highly efficient killers before antibiotics came on the scene. Remove the antibiotics, . . . their lethality will come back with a vengeance.

It's just too bad we cannot "stockpile" them like we can food, fuel, etc.

May God bless,
Dwight

 

[retired guard]

If I was a pharmaceutical company I would want you to throw out all your meds with no research. Then you should purchase new ones at scandalous prices for my profit. I'll even back old med turn in drives as a "Community Service". I'll also lobby intensively to prevent meds being bought from Canada and Mexico as infereior even when they were actually made here to begin with. It's for your own good.