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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Out of date Imitrex 
        
(Message started by: johnmc on May 11^th, 2003, 7:35pm)

Title: Out of date Imitrex
Post by johnmc on May 11^th, 2003, 7:35pm

Anyone know if "out of date" Imitrex can still be used? I have a number of doses that expired last year but I don't want to toss them. Any thoughts?

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by andy on May 11^th, 2003, 7:59pm

John, my trex expired 2 years ago and it still works, though it has been in my fridge since then. Welcome aboard and i hope you stay painfree. ...............andy

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by johnmc on May 12^th, 2003, 8:36pm

oops - I haven't been keeping mine in the fridge. I wonder if I should stick it in there now?

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by eyes_afire on May 12^th, 2003, 9:22pm

Hi John. Awhile ago I gave my opinion to the same question. I didn't sleep well last night so I can't rewrite what I said, so I'm just gonna paste it. Remember, I'm not telling you it's okay to take expired imitrex ;), I'm just saying what the expiration means and what I would do ;). Here it is:

To obtain FDA approval, drugs are tested for product stability. To get approval, the drugs have to demonstrate product stability at least up to thier expiration date. A comprehensive 3 year stability study may cost the drug company $1 million (but don't cry for the drug companies, because they make a killing in profits). Speaking from experience, most drug companies don't pursue stability studies beyond 3 years, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the product is not good for longer than that. The product may very well be good for much longer than that, but it doesn't do the drug companies much good investing that kind of money just to get a longer expiration date.

Basically the expiration date means either:

1. The drug product will lose potency once the expiration date is exceeded.

or

2. The drug company knows that the product is at least effective up to expiration date and didn't see a need to invest further simply to get a longer expiration.

Personally, I would use expired imitrex if I needed to. Most obvious down-side is that it might not be as potent. Based upon what others have reported here on this message board, I'll bet that imitrex is very stable. That's just my opinion, you may want to check the archives. Of course, you should not take imitrex unless it is under the supervision of a physician.

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by NewHeadPLZ on May 13^th, 2003, 12:17pm

I've used out of date imitrex - DJ's way and it still worked everytime.

Art

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by paragate on May 22^nd, 2003, 5:14pm

Because it took me until this morning to get in with my headache specialist, the past three days (since I started this cycle) I've been using out of date imitrex. Well over a year beyond "expiration." Never refrigerated (though that is obviously a really good idea for any long-term storage of something like this).

It worked fine. Episode aborted in under 3 minutes each time.

I have such a mutha of a time with insurance that when my cycle ended last time I refilled once more anyway, just to have it in stock for the next time around. And I'm very glad I did.

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by clavers on May 23^rd, 2003, 12:41pm

I've use imitrex injections a year out of date. They work fine.

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by Wendy1 on May 23^rd, 2003, 6:41pm

The way I look at it.... An outdated Imitrex is better than no Imitrex.

Title: Re: Out of date Imitrex
Post by ^Mark on May 24^th, 2003, 12:07pm

on 05/23/03 at 18:41:24, Wendy1 wrote:

The way I look at it.... An outdated Imitrex is better than no Imitrex.

Amen to that.

Been there, lived it, (literally) almost killed the chemist assistant who wouldn't give me more then 1 box of Imigran while I had a neurologists written consent for 4-5 shots per day, as needed. (Don't you just love my neurologist?)

Imigran is the name Imitrex has in Europe (or at least, in Holland)