expired banadryl ?

[hornblower]

I was just cleaning out & updating my first aid kits. I keep Benadryl caplets in all of them (house, camping, car) in case of allergic rxn in people or dogs.

 

BUT we never use the stuff. So I've got a bunch expired benadryl. Does it really go bad?

 

I seem to remember reading on the emergency preparedness boards that most meds last a lot longer than the expiry date.

 

So what say you - do I replace with fresh ones?

[lionfamily1999]

Ds's doctor told me I could go ahead and use it, unless it became cloudy or there were other "obvious" signs it had gone bad...

 

All the same, and just like he told me, it's up to you ;)

[Smithie]

I use expired Benadryl. It hasn't killed me or the kids yet.

[Parrothead]

I'm sure it will be okay if you don't want to replace it. But since you have it for emergency situations, maybe you should start to replace it. In an emergency you want it to work without worrying if it will.

[K&Rs Mom]

What I've heard is that it's not guaranteed to keep its advertised strength, or percent of active ingredient, past the expiration date. That doesn't make it unsafe, just that the company is not promising that the chemical composition is unchanged. If you've stored it out of the heat/cold, it's probably fine. I use stuff past its date all the time, but once it's about 18 months past I put it on the shopping list. We rarely use any medication, so replacing almost-full bottles seems crazy.

[Impish]

I've been told that meds start to lose their effectiness when past the expiry date. Won't kill you, won't be as potent as they ought to be, eventually becoming little more than a Tic Tac.

 

I do doubt, however, that the actual expiry date is whats stamped on them...They *do* want you to but more after all! :lol: