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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
AnswerThe answer to whether or not it is safe to use expired gabapentin is a little more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. There is no data to suggest that gabapentin 'goes bad' or becomes dangerous to take after it is expired, but it certainly may not be as potent as it once was, and thus, may be less effective.As a rule of thumb, it is advised that you NOT take expired medication, especially if it is not an emergency.As your gabapentin states an expiration date of 2016, the medication should be disposed of as there is a chance that it won't have the required efficacy needed. If you are in need of another prescription, please reach out to your doctor.Expiration Date And Drug PotencyIn the United States, the law mandates that at the time of expiration, a drug must be at least 90% of its original potency. That is our concern when we look at a drug's expiration date...is it as effective as it once was (when it was originally manufactured and kept under normal storage conditions)? Very rarely is safety a huge concern with expired medications as it is uncommon that medications will "go bad" to the point of causing illness. Some medications are rarely associated with this (e.g. tetracycline), but gabapentin is not. Again, it just may not be as strong as it once was.When Does Gabapentin Expire?Most drugs, labeled in original bottles, will expire two to five years from the date of manufacture. This holds true for gabapentin.A company will often perform stability tests for a finite time period. For example, if a manufacturer wants to set an expiration date at 3 years, they perform tests on the drug up to and including that time period, but not beyond. The drug may very well still be within the acceptable potency range beyond that date, but there is no data to verify. In other words, the date on a manufacturer's bottle is an assurance to a pharmacy (and customer) that the drug will maintain its potency until AT LEAST the listed expiration date when stored
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