Is it ok to take an expired clindamycin 300mg?
Question posted by chelseajarae on 7 June 2013
Last updated on 14 April 2022 by AndyGirl77
4 Answers
First let me say that I think the original answerer misunderstands how superbugs (resistant to certain antibiotics) and individual antibiotic resistances occur. I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to "super bugs" but I'll leave that out of it. These are specific bacteria that regardless of who they are in are resistant to "a" certain drug or class. Like MRSA that's methcylin resistant so it's only resistant to PCN based drugs but any of a long list of other drugs may treat it. Dr's rarely "culture" for every suspected bacterial infection. Unless it has the earmarks of a known resistant drug type infection ie- skin abscess. typically they check for any allergy you may have and prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic. The other way antibiotic resistant drugs come about is the over use of antibiotics among large groups of people.
Yes your instructions are to complete your course of antibiotic but I'm kind of the mindset that you should be using them to get an infection under control and to a point that your own immune system can finish taking care of it... keeping a healthy and strong immune system means taking vitamin C and other good supplements, eating healthy and homeopathics are seriously under rated. However there are serious situations where you put yourself in serious danger if you don't stay on them. I personally have a pharmacy of left over antibiotic because after 2 attempts to save my obstructed kidney from an un-found birth defect... which ultimately failed and I lost it..but they were making a point to rotate my antibiotics on about an every 3 week basis or so to prevent resistance. So right there is evidence physicians now recognize how this is happening. Oh and I still ended up having to have Bactrim DS removed from the rotation because the e-coli in MY kidney had become resistant to it. That does not mean all e-coli is resistant to Bactrim DS in every person forever. It became resistant in me and they are alot of individual factors that also play a role. Like how friendly my body was to the bacteria. That was a circumstance where they were culturing to see. But that was also a life threatening condition. Not the crap your kid brings home 3 weeks after school starts every year.
As far as the safety of expired antibiotic i have to agree with the consensus view here. Aside from working for a GP that flat told me... "the only reason they put an expiration date on medications (not including oral suspensions) is because after a certain period of time the potency starts reducing therefore the prescribing directions are no longer accurate." He said " the base chemical compound does not change. If it was able to "go bad" like dairy it would do so much faster than 12 months. Your antibiotic isn't going to turn into a steroid, or arsenic, or and opioid. These are stable chemical compounds made in a laboratory not in nature." So if you're like me and have 10 bottles because they switched you out every 3 weeks for a year and your still trying to get your life back and can't afford to go in..but know, head, chest = keflex, UTI=cipro, Levaquin, and trashed flora from any of the above = Flagyl.. if it were me I wouldn't hesitate... but personally, I try to do the extra things to keep my immune system strong enough to work properly, and essential oils are amazing. But if you don't have any medical background and don't feel confident then obviously you should seek an appointment with your Dr. Or if you open that expired bottle and they exploded into part powder part pill I'd have to say pitch those. But as far a them going from a stable compound to something toxic I'm pretty sure your oral suspension and drugs for nuclear medicine test are the only ones you need to really worry about. Whichever way you decide you're most comfortable with... do your tummy and for the ladies, your lady bits a favor and be sure and hit those probiotic hard after every round. I find it funny that in veterinary medicine antibiotics are never prescribed without immediate probiotics to follow, at least with horses. Antibiotics aren't picky and kill all your good with the bad. Probiotics America I think has the most strains available. Or you can do like me and get it at the feed store.
For the record I just took a loading dose of 600mg of clindamycin this morning and another 300mg about an hour ago and I'm OK.
I need to back up cobrakai here, Ive had extensive medical training and experience thanks to being an army medic. With the exceptions of liquid medications, tetracycline, nitroglycerin, insulin, and a few orphan type medications. There's no danger in taking expired medications. According to the DOD research I was privy to, most medications lose about 2% effectiveness per annum for the first decade and approximately 1% per annum after the first decade. There were some outliers but if I recall correctly they were lesser used meds and just degraded a bit faster.
The US government has an insane stockpile of medication and did a lot of research due to the replenishing costs associated with maintaining the reserves. They are fine with using expired medications within certain guidelines and adjusting doses slightly to account for the lost potency. So if there was a need to use 20yo antibiotics, you would figure that they would have 70% effectiveness and to have someone take 4 per day (qid) instead of the standard (tid).
Yes. The other person answering the question is full of it. You came on here to have your question answered not to be lectured about bacterial resistance as if the next pandemic is lurking in your sock drawer.
Here’s the deal, if your old antibiotic was found in your glove box, probably not going to work, unless you live is San Francisco where the temperature doesn’t vary from 65 degrees much. But if it hasn’t been exposed to extreme temperatures (heat is worse than cold) or sunlight, and you have an infection, and you KNOW you have a bacterial infection because you’re not an idiot, your tooth is infected, you feel it in your lymph nodes, whatever, you have no money or no insurance or whatever your situation is, but for whatever reason you have old antibiotic, TAKE IT. I’ve done 20 times and it’s never done anything but clear up my infection. It’s good for at least 3-5 years if stored correctly.
Worse case scenario it’s not as potent. So take another one. I can actually taste it. I know if it’s working or not. And penicillin (not clindamycin which is a synthetic) is a fungus, so if anything it probably gets better with age.
No. If it is expired, at the very least it has lost potency. Many "mycins" can become toxic when old. The chemicals can change over time. Dispose of it and get a new prescription. Besides, it is never good to try to treat with left over antibiotics (which you shouldnt have in the first place because they are meant for you to take the full course even if you feel better). If you have left overs, it is doubtful you have enough for a full course plus, without seeing a Dr, you dont know if the bacteria is even susceptible to the antibiotic. Please see your Dr. It is not good to try to cut corners when dealing with infection. This is how "superbugs" are formed. This sort of activity is what causes bacteria to become resistant.
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Further information
- Clindamycin uses and safety info
- Clindamycin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Clindamycin (detailed)
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