Allergy medicine is likely to expire in the end. But dependent on the kind of medicationyou are taking, you could be able to get some relief even when the expiration date has expired.
Antihistamine tablets that are prescribed and over-the-counter tend to be more effective than liquid medications like the nasal sprays of corticosteroid.
Here’s what you should know about the times when different kinds of allergy expire medicines expire, and how long they’ll still be safe to use.
- Allergy medications expire however, it could be effective for 2 or 3 years following the date on which it expires.
- Liquid allergy medications like nasal sprays, typically expire sooner than tablets for antihistamine and decrease in effectiveness faster after expiration.
- The article was reviewed medically by Omid Mehdizadeh, MD, otolaryngologist and laryngologist at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Pacific Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center located in Santa Monica, CA.
- Go to the Insider’s Health Reference library for more information.
When will antihistamines run out?
The expiration dates for prescription antihistamines range from one to one year according to the New Jersey-based pharmacist Kristin Frank.
However, prescriptions under the law are not allowed to last more than one year’s expiration date.
However, the study published in 2012 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine Journal found that JAMA Internal Medicine Journal found that medicines that have expired, such as antihistamines, are efficient for decades.
The researchers examined the active ingredients of an assortment of drugs from the past. 12 of 14 drugs examined such as the antihistamine kept their potency minimum 28 years. Then why do antihistamines come with a only a shelf life of between one and two years?
According to Frank the manufacturers recommend deadlines for expiration based on the time the active ingredients are effective. Manufacturers present this research that takes into account factors that affect storage, such as humidity and temperature when submitting a request for approval of a drug for approval by the FDA.
“Taking an expired medication is similar to having the placebo. This isn’t likely to help.”
However, they can be effective for many years beyond the expiration date. Keep in mind that once you’ve been more than two years after expiration date, there’s a greater likelihood that it’s not efficient.
Liquid allergy medication and nasal sprays expire before the expiration date.
After that, their effectiveness diminishes. “Like tablets, the medications will not be dangerous when they expire,” Frank says. “They’ll simply become useless.”
To boost the potency of Nasal sprays Frank advises to keep them at the temperature of room. “Storing in a space that is too hot in the sun, or cooler than a refrigerator could cause the product to degrade more quickly,” she says.
