Urgent care is closed, won't open until tomorrow. Had dad run me to the store and they don't carry an ear kit with the bulb sadly. So I'm wondering if I'd be safe to try out some of this expired sudafed to see if it doesn't unclog my ear. Or should I just wait one more day and go tomorrow to the care place?

  • FourteenEyes [he/him]
    ·
    9 months ago

    All it means is that its best by date has passed so its potency will be reduced. What matters, of course, is that it's actually pseudoephedrine and not that phenylephrine horseshit that never worked to begin with

  • Wertheimer [any]
    ·
    9 months ago

    I don't know about Sudafed in particular, but for the most part, drug expiration dates are made-up numbers: https://www.propublica.org/article/the-myth-of-drug-expiration-dates .

    • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
      hexagon
      ·
      9 months ago

      Dunno if I should do it tho since I'm on other meds and not sure how it will react, I can wait another day for the urgent care.

  • Cethin@lemmy.zip
    ·
    9 months ago

    I'm not a doctor and this is not advice and I have no knowledge on Sudafed.

    Most of the time drug expiration dates are near meaningless. They may become slightly less effective over time, but they don't (usually, maybe some do) become dangerous.

    Food "best by" dates, and even expiration dates, are usually made up too. For most foods you can use your nose and eyes to know when something really goes bad. We've adapted to be able to identify food that's gone bad without needing to have a date tell us. Most of these dates exist to sell you more of a product you already own.

    • zifnab25 [he/him, any]
      ·
      9 months ago

      For most foods you can use your nose and eyes to know when something really goes bad.

      Eh, this can be a dangerous game with any kind of meat (particularly seafood). I've had a few bad incidents with shellfish that passed the smell test.

      Shy of outright seeing fungus on something, you're usually fine with fruit and veggies and cheese and such. But if it didn't come out of the freeze, I'm going to be spectacle of any protein past the expiration date.

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
        ·
        9 months ago

        That's true. Meats and seafood can sometimes be tough. People should trust their own judgment.

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    9 months ago

    Urgent care is closed, won't open until tomorrow.

    But you are going tomorrow, right? You don't want to fuck around and find out with inner ear problems. And don't forget to eat your vegetables.

  • davel [he/him]
    ·
    9 months ago

    Some drugs are very stable if stored under reasonable conditions, BUT NOT ALL DRUGS. I’ve taken a number of drugs years past their expiration date, including pseudoephedrine, NSAIDs, and acetaminophen/paracetamol.