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What happens to acetomenophen (Tylenol) when it expires?
I have a medical condition (Taylor spatial frame) with which I have been advised the only painkiller I should take is Tylenol (acetomenophen). However, the only bottle of it I can find expired 3 1/2 years ago. (It had never been opened, just left on the shelf to expire.)
What happens to acetomenophen when it expires? Does it just lose effectiveness? Are these pills likely to work at all?
What happens to acetomenophen when it expires? Does it just lose effectiveness? Are these pills likely to work at all?
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OK, the responsible medical professional in me (I'm a nurse) must tell you not to take expired medicines. In general it is not a great idea.
However, the pragmatic in me will tell you this:
There are 2 basic reasons taking expired medicine can be dangerous--(1) time can cause some ingredients to sort of evaporate so the medicine can be stronger than originally manufactured so you can't know what actual dose you are getting; (2) time can cause some active ingredients to break down so the medicine will not work or at least not work as well as it would have initially.
So basically it might be concentrated and work too much or weakened & not work at all. (In a few cases I suppose when the active ingredient breaks down it could, in theory, break down into some other kind of chemical that will have a different effect entirely than the original medicine. I reckon this is VERY unlikely in a Tylenol situation but should be considered a possiblity with other, more complicated meds.)
Confession: Not to advise you at all but just to air my own personal individual thoughts-----If I were at home with a headache or other pain and all that was available was an unopened bottle of 3 1/2 year old Tylenol, I, personally, would go ahead and take 650 mg worth (2 tabs if reg strength, a bit less than 1.5 tabs if extra strength) and see if it helped. If it is a bit stronger, it will probably still be OK because you can safely take 1000 mg of regular acetaminophen at a time. Also, one dose of acetaminophen is not likely to be dangerous even if it is a bit stronger than usual. If it is weaker, it won't work or won't work well and you will still have your pain. The fact that the bottle has been sealed all this time is comforting. That would mean moisture isn't as much of an issue.
Either way I'd try to get a new bottle as soon as convenient so you don't have to worry about what might happen.
However, the pragmatic in me will tell you this:
There are 2 basic reasons taking expired medicine can be dangerous--(1) time can cause some ingredients to sort of evaporate so the medicine can be stronger than originally manufactured so you can't know what actual dose you are getting; (2) time can cause some active ingredients to break down so the medicine will not work or at least not work as well as it would have initially.
So basically it might be concentrated and work too much or weakened & not work at all. (In a few cases I suppose when the active ingredient breaks down it could, in theory, break down into some other kind of chemical that will have a different effect entirely than the original medicine. I reckon this is VERY unlikely in a Tylenol situation but should be considered a possiblity with other, more complicated meds.)
Confession: Not to advise you at all but just to air my own personal individual thoughts-----If I were at home with a headache or other pain and all that was available was an unopened bottle of 3 1/2 year old Tylenol, I, personally, would go ahead and take 650 mg worth (2 tabs if reg strength, a bit less than 1.5 tabs if extra strength) and see if it helped. If it is a bit stronger, it will probably still be OK because you can safely take 1000 mg of regular acetaminophen at a time. Also, one dose of acetaminophen is not likely to be dangerous even if it is a bit stronger than usual. If it is weaker, it won't work or won't work well and you will still have your pain. The fact that the bottle has been sealed all this time is comforting. That would mean moisture isn't as much of an issue.
Either way I'd try to get a new bottle as soon as convenient so you don't have to worry about what might happen.
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A good and very informative response. Thank you for the helpful information.
Yes it will loose it's effect after it is expired. It will also begin to break down when exposed to heat and moisture. Here are some passages that may help to answer your question.
"Taking one expired dose of acetaminophen will not send you over the brink to liver failure. If you will be taking more than an occasional one or two doses of acetaminophen, do not drink alcoholic beverages. To do so may increase the chance of liver damage, especially if you drink large amounts of alcoholic beverages regularly."
"Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine that is no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children, in a childproof container. Do not store acetaminophen tablets (including caplets and gelcaps), capsules or granules in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink or in other damp places. Heat or moisture can cause the medicine to break down. This may also affect your liver."
I hope this helps. BJC Healthcare Pharmacists recommend getting rid of all expired medicines. So at the risk of your health, please do.
"Taking one expired dose of acetaminophen will not send you over the brink to liver failure. If you will be taking more than an occasional one or two doses of acetaminophen, do not drink alcoholic beverages. To do so may increase the chance of liver damage, especially if you drink large amounts of alcoholic beverages regularly."
"Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine that is no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children, in a childproof container. Do not store acetaminophen tablets (including caplets and gelcaps), capsules or granules in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink or in other damp places. Heat or moisture can cause the medicine to break down. This may also affect your liver."
I hope this helps. BJC Healthcare Pharmacists recommend getting rid of all expired medicines. So at the risk of your health, please do.
When Acetaminophen is Expired It Does not Turn into a Toxic substance but there is a possible injurious effect on your Liver. So it’s better not to use Expired Medicine.
The Expired Medicine Looses is Potential Effect (5% to 80%) over Time.
And these pills may work but they are not strong enough to produce adequate effect.
The Expired Medicine Looses is Potential Effect (5% to 80%) over Time.
And these pills may work but they are not strong enough to produce adequate effect.
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