Is it safe to use an expired inhaler?
Yes, if the expiration date is not over five years old. If the expiration date is over five years old then there are some risks associated with using an expired inhaler.
How long do inhalers last?
The expiration date of an inhaler depends on the type of medicine used. Some medicines have a short expiration period while others have a longer one. For example, the expiration date for phenytoin is four years after manufacture. Other medicines like nitroglycerine or penicillin expire much later than these two examples (five years).
What happens when the expiration date is over?
If the expiration date of an inhaler is over five years old, then it will no longer work properly. You may experience side effects such as dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. If you have asthma or heart disease, your risk of having problems with breathing increases significantly. Also, if you have diabetes or high blood pressure your risk of developing kidney failure increases dramatically.
What happens if I use an expired inhaler?
Some medicines are not corrosive to the point where they will cause damage when inside the body. These medicines include salbutamol, salmeterol, fluticasone, beclomethasone and budesonide. On the other hand, other medicines like terbutaline and metaproterenol become dangerous after their expiration dates. While some drugs are known to cause damage if they are more than five years expired, others have a shorter shelf life. For example, some inhalers with ipratropium bromide or tiotropium bromide expire after only three years.
Is it safe to use an expired salbutamol inhaler?
Yes, you can use an expired salbutamol inhaler. It is perfectly safe because the effects wear off within about twelve hours. However, it is not safe to use an expired salbutamol inhaler if you have asthma because the effects may take a bit longer than twelve hours to subside and in some cases the effects may last for days. If you have severe asthma then using an expired salbutamol inhaler may be dangerous because it can cause your lungs to stop working temporarily.
Is it safe to use an expired albuterol inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired albuterol inhaler. But if your medical condition requires you to use an albuterol inhaler more often than usual under normal circumstances, then it may not be safe to use an expired albuterol inhaler. Depending on your medical condition, you may have to use the albuterol inhaler every twelve hours or more frequently. If you continue to use an expired albuterol inhaler then this can be dangerous and potentially deadly.
Is it safe to use an expired fluticasone inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired fluticasone inhaler. It is very safe to use an expired fluticasone inhaler even if it is over five years old. Some people keep using the same fluticasone inhaler for years without any side effects. However, if you have been using an expired fluticasone inhaler for months or even years and you experience any side effects such as breathing problems, a fast heartbeat, chest pain or discomfort, nausea or vomiting, numbness or tingling or lightheadedness then you should seek medical help immediately.
Is it safe to use an expired beclomethasone inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired beclomethasone inhaler. But if your medical condition requires you to use a beclomethasone inhaler more often than usual under normal circumstances, then it may not be safe to use an expired beclomethasone inhaler. If you have been using an expired beclomethasone inhaler for months or even years then you may start experiencing side effects such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, shortness of breath or wheezing. If you experience any of these side effects seek medical help immediately.
Is it safe to use an expired montelukast inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired montelukast inhaler. It is very safe to use an expired montelukast inhaler even if it is over five years old. Some people keep using the same montelukast inhaler for years without any side effects. However, if you have been using an expired montelukast inhaler for months or even years and you experience any side effects such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, nausea or vomiting, increased thirst, increased urination, weight gain, confusion, fainting or seizures then you should seek medical help immediately.
Is it safe to use an expired cromolyn inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired cromolyn inhaler. It is very safe to use an expired cromolyn inhaler even if it is over five years old. Some people keep using the same cromolyn inhaler for years without any side effects. However, if you have been using an expired cromolyn inhaler for months or even years and you experience any side effects such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, nausea or vomiting, increased thirst, increased urination, weight gain, confusion, fainting or seizures then you should seek medical help immediately.
Is it safe to use an expired ipratropium inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired ipratropium inhaler. It is very safe to use an expired ipratropium inhaler even if it is over five years old. Some people keep using the same ipratropium inhaler for years without any side effects. However, if you have been using an expired ipratropium inhaler for months or even years and you experience any side effects such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, nausea or vomiting, increased thirst, increased urination, weight gain, confusion, fainting or seizures then you should seek medical help immediately.
Is it safe to use an expired levalbuterol inhaler?
Yes, it is safe to use an expired levalbuterol inhaler. It is very safe to use an expired levalbuterol inhaler even if it is over five years old. Some people keep using the same levalbuterol inhaler for years without any side effects.
Sources & references used in this article:
Managing asthmatic airway inflammation: what is the role of expired nitric oxide measurement? by B Gaston – Current problems in pediatrics, 1998 – Elsevier
Resuscitation and inhalation device by H Artinian – US Patent 5,632,298, 1997 – Google Patents
Fractional deposition from a jet nebulizer: how it differs from a metered dose inhaler by RA Lewis, JS Fleming – British journal of diseases of the chest, 1985 – Elsevier
Inhalation device by RD Russo – US Patent 4,060,074, 1977 – Google Patents
Oral inhalation apparatus by PK Raghuprasad – US Patent 4,576,157, 1986 – Google Patents
Resuscitation and inhalation device by WE Price – US Patent 5,398,714, 1995 – Google Patents
Use of expired breath ethanol measurements in evaluation of irrigant absorption during high-power potassium titanyl phosphate laser vaporization of prostate by NJ Barber, G Zhu, JF Donohue, PM Thompson… – Urology, 2006 – Elsevier
Determination of regional cerebral blood flow by inhalation of 133-xenon by WD Obrist, HK Thompson Jr, H King… – Circulation …, 1967 – Am Heart Assoc
