Expired Imodium - how long?

I think the expirstion date signals when you can expect a loss of potency to begin. I would think that at 7 months past expiration there is a minimal loss, not enough to chuck the meds. Why don't you try one and see how much relief it provides. If it is half as potent, double up the dosage. Just a guess on my part but I think you are probably going to have better than 50% potency and maybe close to 100%.

Most meds are good at least a year or more past the date (even a decade or more in many cases), paticularly if stored correctly (tight lid and not exposed to heat). The date is not truely an expiration, but a guarantee of potentcy.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/...es/update1103a.shtml

Jan

quote:

Most meds are good at least a year or more past the date (even a decade or more in many cases), paticularly if stored correctly (tight lid and not exposed to heat). The date is not truely an expiration, but a guarantee of potentcy

Thanks Jan, I didn't know that! Never had an issue with out of date imodium yet, I use it too fast i guess :P

Thanks everyone. I figured it would be good for a while still, I just wasn't sure exactly how long, given that it already expired 7 months ago. But actually, I do recall reading somewhere that medication such as Tylenol is still good even 2 years past the shelf expiry, while cough syrup generally has a shorter shelf life, though that tends to be due to the other, non-medical ingredients which may go rancid. Anyway, imodium costs a pretty penny, even at Costco. Definitely no reason to toss it.