Does Amoxicillin Go Bad With Age? (Page 8)
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I bought 100 amoxicillin caps about 3 years ago and stored them in a dark place and I was curious if they would still be good to take.

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21

Have you ever done drugs? Organic drugs? Ie, pot, mushrooms, opiates,.....And amoxicillin. Especially old drugs that a drug user may find under his/her bed, in hidey spots???? Well I am not proud to say it but I have!! And I am not alone.
All of these organic compounds degrade with age, and poor storage.. I would take a very educated guess and say that AMOX.. will degrade faster than most considering its organic and highly delicate content matter. Imagine eating 3 yr old shiitake mushrooms, they will not taste anything like freshies but they are still shiitakes!

Dr Nate says, these pills are still SAFE, and ok to ingest, but I would increase the dosage by at least 1/3 per ingestion! And yes, run a full course to kill off any resistant bugs in your body!!!

I know, nobody wants to take advise from a recovering addict, but what I say is fact! And I aint talkin smack!!!

But as always, tread at your own risk, Im just offering MY way of seeing this question answered properly, honestly, and rationally.

Live strong, choose wisely, and yes, they are all right about 1 thing, except for that life threatening, out of the blue emergency, you should absolutely just go the friggn doc and get the appropriate meds! Azithromycin or Z-pack is the best course for most peeps, and for most types of infections.
P.s. I am also a vry vry experienced chemist and I know these things..
Unless your risking greater bodily harm, always use an md you trust and admire and dont self medicate!!
Thats addict behavior!!

LATER ALL!

And p.s. AMOXICILLIN ALWAYS smells like sulfur. Especially when its fresh! DUH!

Was this helpful? 13
20

plus there are people that live too far from the dr and has a car that is broke down! i agree with the fact there is nothing wrong with keeping them around for time like now for me, i have pink eye and a 4 1/2 yr old and a 3 month old and my husband is gone working and for sure i need to do what i can do make sure my kids do not get it!! so if i have to take some to help me get better for my kids sake then by gosh im gonna do what i need to do. but thats just my 2 cents!

Was this helpful? 55
19

Some people find it easier and cheaper to have antibiotics around for when they need them. i have a cronic infection of my adnoids which can quickly lead to inner ear infections. i cant really aford to pay my ent $300 dollars for a visit for a script i can fill for free at my supermarket. Thank you all for the information.

Was this helpful? 52
18

Thank you sweetheart... your age doesnt matter if you did the research and it was sweet for you to try to help. So many kids your age worry abou nothing but video games... You're a real Sweetheart for trying

Was this helpful? 79
17

There are other reasons you may have some in your home.. I have a full bottle... I had already did the 10 day thing.... and the infection was not gone yet. My Dr. gave then to me just in case I started to get worse. I was to wait a couple day before I started to take them.. but turned out.. I got better... didnt need them...

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16

people who have had surgery to correct cardiovascular keep them around in case they need to see a dentist

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15

There are very few reasons to have any type of penicillin "leftover" or in storage. You SHOULD finish ALL penicillin that is prescribed to you for the exact reason that Steph (#13 above states) .. not taking it ALL hurts YOU and the rest of us because you create a situation that will allow the strongest bacteria to live on. TAKE IT ALL - do NOT save the rest for the future just because you took 4 of a 10 day prescription and are feeling better. Yes you may "get by" but chances are it'll cost you MORE in the long run.

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14

I have 500mg caps that I bought in Spain and have a date of 21/11/2008. Does this mean that i can no longer take these. And is this the date of manufacture or is this the date of expiry???

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13

Antibiotics have to be all taken as prescribed bc the bacteria will evolve and be resistant to the antibiotic if it is exposed to just enough to cure symptoms, if all is taken the bacteria is killed. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!!!!

Was this helpful? 11
12

I think that the 11 year old who posted above is way beyond their years. Well spoken, and accurate. Don't take old antibiotics, they work the best (and safest) when as new as possible. You wouldn't eat 3 year old yogurt, so why take 3 year old medicine?

Was this helpful? 72
11

It CAN go bad and taking it three years past the expiration date CAN be dangerous, do NOT take it. It's possible it even has a rank odor at this point if you give it a smell test, taking it now could very well do more harm than good.

Was this helpful? 18
10

Don't use the amoxicillin. It is past its expiration date for sure. Antibiotics are not expensive so get some new ones. You can actually go online and order new amoxicillin and you generally don't need a prior prescription or insurance to order.

Was this helpful? 23
9

there are capsule and tablet form amoxicilin. the capsules expire sooner than the tabs. caps 1-2 years, tabs up to 5 years, but with decreased effectiveness. if the pills have a strong sulfur smell I wouldn't take a chance, only in an emergency e.g. natural disaster, or severe hiking injury.

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8

Im with Candi

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7

Yeah well some people can't afford to keep buying the same drug over and over and just throw out all the old ones when you might save even$20 by saving it!

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6

Unfortunately, many people do like to pick up things like antibiotics and just keep them around for when they need them.

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5

you probably shouln't take my advice since I'm only 11 but, I read up on it and the article read that you can take amoxicillin 5 years after it expires but don't just take it have your doctor prescribe it to you first. never take it on your own. it could cause another infection 2 times as big! But again I'm only 11 so you don't have to take my advice if you don't want to but thats my best answer.

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4

First of all, why do you just have the drug sitting around? Did you take it and not finish the course or something? And the drug would still be good to take but it would be less effective... You shouldn't have it just lying around for 3 years.

Was this helpful? 23
3

Actually, no, it does not go bad, it just loses efficacy, so it is not as strong or as potent as when you first bought, starting from about 18 months past the manufacture date.

You should never self-diagnose or self-treat with antibiotics anyway, there are so many other conditions that will not respond to them, so they have no effect, and you of course run the risk of developing an antibiotic resistant strain of something with overuse, so please see your doctor.

Was this helpful? 89
2

don't use it. amoxicillin goes bad a year from when you bought it.

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