-_Do You Think Medications Expire?_-_¿Crees Que Los Medicamentos Caducan?_-
Are you the one who stores a lot of drugs in a cabinet of your house?
Do you suspect that any of those drugs you store are older than Methuselah?
Do you think that if you take an outdated medication by carelessness, you will die next, between horrible suffering?
If you have answered "YES" to any of these questions, this publication is addressed to you.
¿Eres de los que almacenas una gran cantidad de medicamentos en un armarito de tu casa?
¿Sospechas que alguno de esos medicamentos que almacenas tiene más años que Matusalén?
¿Crees que si por descuido tomas un medicamento caducado morirás, acto seguido, entre horribles sufrimientos?
Si has respondido "SÍ" a alguna de estas preguntas, esta publicación va dirigida a ti.
We are going to define, first, what exactly is the expiration to which the laboratories and pharmaceutical companies refer.
They refer with expiration date, according to studies that they have done, to the maximum time of stability of a drug within its original packaging, unopened and unmanipulated.
But what does that mean? As simple as that, a priori, from that date the active principle could be degraded in various ways.
In general, the various excipients which the drug contains are generally destabilized before that the active ingredient itself.
Vamos a definir, en primer lugar, qué es exactamente la caducidad a la que hacen referencia los laboratorios y empresas farmacéuticas.
Se refieren con fecha de caducidad, según estudios que ellos han hecho, al tiempo máximo de la estabilidad de un medicamento dentro de su envase o envoltura original, sin abrir y sin manipular.
¿Pero qué significa eso? Pues tan sencillo como que, a priori, a partir de esa fecha el principio activo podría degradarse de diversos modos.
Por lo general, se desestabilizan antes los excipientes diversos que el medicamento contiene que el principio activo en sí mismo.
But what do we rely on to quantify that expiration that comes given by the destabilization of the active principle?
In that it is considered that it begins to destabilize when it loses more than 90% of its initial power.
There are several types of medicines: oral solids, syrups, suspensions, injectables, etc...
The shelf life in each of these drugs is different, since suspensions, for example, tend to destabilize before oral solids.
The maximum expiration for a drug is 5 years from its manufacture date.
¿Pero en qué nos basamos para cuantificar esa caducidad que viene dada por la desestabilización del principio activo?
En que se considera que comienza a desestabilizarse cuando pierde más del 90% de su potencia inicial.
Hay varios tipos de medicamentos: sólidos orales, jarabes, suspensiones, inyectables, etc...
La caducidad en cada uno de estos medicamentos es distinta, ya que las suspensiones, por ejemplo, tienden a desestabilizarse antes que los sólidos orales.
La caducidad máxima para un medicamento es de 5 años desde su fecha de fabricación.
Have you arrived well here? Well, because now we have another nuance...
The period of validity of a drug is one in which the drug is kept in good condition once opened.
For example, an oral suspension may have an expiration of 2 years, however once its components have been mixed with water, it may be advisable not to take it after 7 days of having prepared it.
Factors such as humidity and heat are the most detrimental to the degradation of the active principle, with freezing considered as one of the most affecting.
¿Habéis llegado bien hasta aquí? Bien, porque vamos ahora con otro matiz...
El período de validez de un medicamento, es aquel en el que el medicamento se conserva en buen estado una vez abierto.
Por ejemplo, una suspensión oral puede tener una caducidad de 2 años, sin embargo una vez mezclados sus componentes con agua, puede ser aconsejable no tomarlo después de 7 días de haberlo preparado.
Los factores como la humedad y el calor son los que más van en detrimento del principio activo, considerándose la congelación como uno de los que más afecta.
From now on comes the fun...
Do you know for how long have medicines been in their corresponding unopened containers and retaining more than 90% of the effectiveness of their active ingredient?
For more than 30 years in some cases, and having been exposed to heat and moisture.
For those who wonder what happens if I take an "expired" drug for 25 years or with its period of validity exceeded...
Throughout history there has been only one case recorded in which a person fell sick with an expiry drug.
We're talking about the year 1963 for a consumption of tetracyclines (antibiotic).
A partir de ahora viene lo divertido...
¿Sabéis durante cuánto tiempo han estado medicamentos en sus correspondientes envases sin abrir y conservando más del 90% de la efectividad de su principio activo?
Durante más de 30 años en algunos casos, y habiendo sido expuestos a calor y humedad.
Para aquellos que se pregunten qué pasa si me tomo un medicamento "caducado" desde hace 25 años o con su período de validez sobrepasado...
A lo largo de la historia sólo ha habido un caso contabilizado en el que a una persona le sentara mal un medicamento por caducidad.
Hablamos del año 1963 por un consumo de tetraciclinas (antibiótico).
The fun continues...
Someone will wonder then, why is so much emphasis placed and is it so important that we take the expired drugs to the recycling points?
For among other reasons, such as the care of the environment, because the pharmaceutical companies are going much of their business in it.
We talk about billions of dollars that we all provide them.
They, aware of the durability of the medicines, with which you take them to the drugs recycling point, repackage them, re-extend the expiration date for 5 more years and return them to circulation.
Round business.
La diversión continúa...
Alguno/a se preguntará, ¿entonces por qué se hace tanto hincapié y es tan importante que llevemos los medicamentos caducados a los puntos de reciclado?
Pues entre otras razones, como la del cuidado del medio ambiente, porque a las farmacéuticas les va gran parte de su negocio en ello.
Hablamos de miles de millones de dólares que todos nosotros le facilitamos.
Ellos, conscientes de la durabilidad de los medicamentos, con los que tú le llevas al punto de reciclado, vuelven a envasarlos, les vuelven a alargar la fecha de caducidad por 5 años más y vuelven a ponerlos en circulación.
Negocio redondo.
You also know where much of those expired medicines are put back?
For through the non-governmental organizations to which the pharmaceutical companies donate or sell those products very cheaply, they finally reach underdeveloped countries where any type of medicine is a luxury.
¿Sabéis también adónde van gran parte de esos medicamentos caducados y puestos de nuevo en vigor?
Pues a través de las organizaciones no gubernamentales a las que las farmacéuticas donan o venden muy barato esos productos, llegan finalmente a países subdesarrollados donde cualquier tipo de medicina es un lujo.
Everyone is free to draw their own conclusions; I just bring you my own deductions through what I have collected and investigated.
From here I make it clear that no attempt to promote the consumption of drugs in poor condition, and I'm not responsible of the use that everyone makes of their medicine cabinet.
Before taking or not taking a medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Recycling is an ecologically responsible activity and necessary for a better preservation of our beloved environment.
Cada uno es libre de sacar sus propias conclusiones; yo sólo os traigo mis propias deducciones a través de lo que he recabado e investigado.
Desde aquí dejo claro que no intento promover el consumo de medicamentos en mal estado, ni me hago responsable del uso que cada uno pueda hacer de su botica.
Antes de tomar o no una medicación, consulta a tu médico o farmacéutico.
El reciclaje es una actividad ecológicamente responsable y necesaria para una mejor conservación de nuestro querido medio ambiente.
Sources/Fuentes
http://bvs.sld.cu/revistas/far/vol38_3_04/far10304.htm
https://yencasodeduda.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/caducan-realmente-todos-los-medicamentos/
IF YOU TAKE A MEDICATION THAT EXPIRED, TWO THINGS MAY HAPPEN:
1- At best, the medicine will not have any effect. But be aware that depending on the purpose of using the medication, whether for the control of an infection, blood pressure control or heart medicines, taking an out-of-date medicine can make the difference between life and death.
2 - In the worst case, in addition to not taking effect, it may have adverse side effects, insofar as the active ingredient may be so deteriorated that it may cause intoxication.
1- It's proven than several years after the expiration date, the drug remains its active ingredient in a high enough percentage to be fully usable.
As I said in the article, the most common is to find the excipients in a poor condition, but this not happen always in every expired date drug case.
It's logical to think that, for example, in the case of a hearthache, if you take an expired medicine with only a 50% of active ingredient, and you need 100% of active ingredient to counteract a heart attack, the you will have to take 2 pills.
If you had read my article would you know that the pharmacies take the expired medicines and pack them again estending its expiration date by five years more.
2- Only one case of intoxication by expired date has been found on file, and goes back to 1.963.
3- This article talks precisely about the fear that the pharmaceutical companies are trying to give to the population, just for getting rich.
4-I will not tell you what you have to believe or not, and although being careful is never a bad option, it is important to know that not everything the big companies say is true.
Very good shared in my profile
Thanks!
good article resteem
Thank you!
en los negocios lo unico que importa son los beneficios lo demas es desechable
Así es; millones de dólares mueve esta gente haciéndonos pensar que reciclan sus productos y que son peligrosos después de caducar.
interesting
RightWithin
Thank you!
Nunca se me hubiera pasado por la cabeza escribir sobre la caducidad de los medicamentos. Eres sorprendente.... pero pa' bien eh
Un saludo @dresden
Gracias @assus por tu valoración.
Un tema un tanto controvertido, pero creo que es bueno tener siempre en cuenta más de un punto de vista; sobre todo si ese punto de vista es el que las grandes compañías farmacéuticas extienden a la sociedad por ser conveniente para su billonario negocio.
Geez I didn't know this, thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading!
Get essential oils. the end.
Beware of expired essential oils.
Yes, some excipients of some medicines could be harmful, but not every of the expired medicines; that's what I'm trying to make the people understand with this article.
Excellent post
Thanks you man. Glad you like it.
Expired medicines just goes weak which makes them not good to use anymore in some cases @dresden
Some medicine can lose their effects to a greater or lesser extent, such as oral suspensions , that are more likely to lose their active ingredient faster than oral solids, data also mentioned in my research.
It is important to differentiate between it is not good to take them again because they are bad, and not take them because they will not have the desired effect to counteract a symptom.
Anyways, also said in my article, there have been found some medicines with the 90% of effectiveness, after having expired 30 years ago.
Yes, it will be just safe to use a new medicine especially the suspensions, liquid drugs, and those that require refrigeration.