HADENOUGHPIZZA

I just drank a hot lemsip like ' tachifludec ' which I had in my desk ... now I see it was best before 03/2011 ... will it do me any harm ? more importantly will it do me any good ?

Ozzidoc

No. Only if an in-date one usually helps. ie They don't always make a difference for everyone.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

Thank you !

Isakat

I usually clear my medicine cabinet for out of date meds before OH goes to UK and get fresh supplies, but were told off by our friend who works for a pharmaceutical company. He says that meds by law should have an expiry date, but this does not mean they are not good to use after that date.
So, now, I do keep some medicines even if they are expired( within a year/2).
So, I do not think you should worry about it.

duffer

What a coincidence, I found some paracetomol tablets with an expiry date of 02/2007 in a rucksack.

But usually, if it's 1-2 years out of date I still take them, they seem to work. Although I'm talking about cold and flu remedies, some creams for aches and pains, etc. just your normal off the shelf household medicines. I dunno about pills prescribed for serious conditions.

Isakat

I dunno about pills prescribed for serious conditions.[/QUOTE]

I would be careful with drugs for serious conditions though, just incase the main substance deteriorates with time. It is different if paracetamol, calpol, tixylix, vicks and similar do not work from lets say heart, astma, mental illness and similar medication.

Lorna at Vicenza

What do you guys do with out of date medicine?

I dump everything in the Chemist's special bin.

I love the mono-dose sachets of kiddy Calpol and Iboprofen that you can buy in the UK. So much better then bottles of medicine that go sticky or crusty or out of date before it's finished.

I showed them to my Chemist here - he was amazed. Thought it was a great thing but admitted there was nothing like it here....... he was amazed at the cheap price too compared to here.
So much easier as well than measuring out that revolting tacchipirina into so many drops per so many kilos of the child. Talk about a farce.

Isakat

I take them to the chemist's bin, but who knows what they do with them afterwards, could be dumped in the same landfill.
The sachets are great when going away on holiday, no bottles to carry, plus spoons.
I have never given the kids tachipirina as I always have Calpol and Tixylix at home although they have stopped making the Tixylix for cough and cold together.Nurofen is so much cheaper in the UK than Nuraflex here and the variety is better.
I was told by a doctor that prescribing medication, especially antibiotics for children is more effective if in correlation with their weight as children differ in weight, so some might have a lesser dose( the bigger ones). However, I have never calculated by weigh, just read the instructions on the bottle or used the UK corresponding dose.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

I have always calculated by weight for the antibiotics - my brother is a GP in the UK and agrees that it make them more efficient . For the rest as much as possible come over from the UK !

ononno

Signs of integration here. I see you re all beginning to turn into good old Italian
hypochondriacs.

ciao for now,
'o nonno

37100

Me too. And that is what is wrong with sachets too. Ok for older children and in emergencies, but too much for smaller, or like one of mine was/is, extremely thin. With loose Calpol or better still drops you can calculate the exact dose. My Italian friends though, all used suppositories.