Ive gotten the second bad sinus infection this spring. Long story, but there was no opportunity to get to my primary care Dr the end of last week and I hate doc in the boxes.  

Rummaging around in the back of the freezer, I found a bottle of ampicillin with an expiration date of 2015.  

I can report that 48 hr is that has broken the fever and cleared up the burning in my head.

Again, not advocation for taking expired  antibiotic.

A few years ago the U S Army studied drug efficacy vs. age. Some drugs were found to have suffered little to no loss of function. I'm sure you can find the results online.

Absolutely zero need to freeze it. Just keep it below 80 degrees, dry, and in the dark.

The expiration date on some meds is the date where the manufacturer will no longer guarantee the results.  The tell-tale sign of the expiration of an antibiotic is the odor of cat piss or vomit.

Read the paper on the topic of drug effectiveness over time.

Some abx such as fortaz and naxcel need to be frozen once reconstituted.  They're injected though.

BTW if you want the good stuff get a giant python and take it to the vet for an RI.  You come home with vials, ringers solution, needles, and syringes and often there's a quite a bit left over.

Heck he wrote a prescription for pip-taz once and instead of five vials we were shipped five ten-box cases for the price of five vials.  We offered to return the unopened boxes back to the seller and couldn't... because rules.

Another data point: our dog recently developed a raging UTI.  We treated it with some Amoxicillin that had an expiration date in 2015 but had been stored in a deep freezer.  We gave her a complete course, but she turned the corner after two doses, so it appears to be effective even nine years after its nominal expiration date.

If someone is to the point that they're able to stockpile IV ABX, I think it's safe to assume that they know all of that.

Article summarizing the SLEP study that has been mentioned.


https://nextgencombatmedic.com/2018/01/08/expired-meds/

Thanks for that!

I read some of it when it came out.

They had a funny way of describing one drug, I think it was Norco: "It did not display reduced effectiveness over time." I wonder if it actually became stronger?

See also the sinus flushes/rinses that ENTs prescribe before/after sinus surgery.  Not a doctor, not recommending them, etc. just a data point.

Yea.  The flushes work  wonders, but I am not disciplined enough to do them all the time.  I only use it one I already feel bad.

My wife finally tossed out some Tylenol I got from Fort Wainwright. Dated 1999

i have a BIG bottled of expiration date 2002 Bayer aspirin I still use.  works as advertised but has an acrid smell.  think thats normal though.

Expiration dates on most things from food to drugs are driven entirely by liability not efficacy.  In other words, determined by lawyers.

Two observations.  One, Americans throw away more food based on a spurious date than most of the world eats.  Two, on my prescription bottes the pharmacy puts a use by date.  This date is always one year after purchase.  Often times they cover the manufacturer's expiration date.  The manufacturer's dates have always been considerably longer.  But you can always get the manufacturer's date by contacting them with the lot number.  In fact, they are required to provide that information.

I actually did get some insulin once where the pharmacy use by date was almost a year after the manufacturer's use by date.  The first attempt at deflection was for the pharmacy to claim that "drugs don't expire exactly on the date on the package".  When I mentioned I would just contact the manufacturer to check the truth of this claim amazing things happened.  The pharmacist freaked out and contacted his corporate folks.  

Turned out the corporate folks were required to report the incident to the government.

Army says Cipro is the best for long term storage, something like over 90% effective after 13-15 years.

Most medical compounds as well as vitamins and minerals break down over time. The expiration date is the last date that the manufacturer can guarantee the levels in the product match the levels listed on the label.  So theoretically the FDA can take a sample and test it for compliance with labeling. Out of date dry product most likely has a few micrograms less of one or two compounds or vitamins but still effective in treatment.

Other than Tetracyclines antibiotics dont “go bad” as in become toxic. They just loose a little potency

This book should be in a prepper's library.

I have always believed that medicines manufactured in the USA have no expiration date. The quality is really good

Almost no medications are made here any more.

This checks. We had a small supply of pet antibiotics. My wife and I recently in the past months had different infections. Both of us used 15-year-old amoxicillin. Both of it was cleared up with no side effects. I asked my doctor about a year ago, also a prepper, about the dangers of expired antibiotics. he told me that it does not degrade. He said not to use any liquid antibiotics beyond their expiration date because that is a different type of chemical.