Expired Birth Control safe to take?

I'd say don't risk it. Expired meds are not a good idea.

I also wouldn't throw them in the bin; take them to a pharmacy and see if they can dispose of them safely.

The 2006 and 2008 should both be fine, and you wouldn't be "risking" anything for your purpose, but regardless do not throw meds into the trash but give them to a pharmacy or someplace they can be properly disposed of. Also, in my experience the pharmacy often automatically stamps a date one year after filling the prescription to be the "expiration date," which is obviously quite random to use as an "expiration" date.


http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/up...ate1103a.shtml

No, I wouldn't risk it either.

But if you're thinking of doing so, I would say it'd be a really good idea to speak to your doctor or someone who actually knows what they're talking about, haha.

Honestly, just put in "medication expiration dates" into google and read what you find there before listening to the folk wisdom here about how "risky" taking a 1 or even 3 year expired bc pill for your cramps would be.

It's NOT "risky" for you to take those pills unless there's something clearly wrong with them.

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....ert_677-1.html

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/460159

Wait - you're not even going by the manufacturer's "expiration date" if I understand your post. You're just figuring one year from the fill date at the pharmacy is an "expiration date?" That's a very random date and the actual "expiration date" stamped on the bulk pills at the pharmacy is likely a lot farther out than one year from when you bought them. It's not like they got them in on the day that you bought them.

I read some studies about the military testing drugs that had been in warehouses for decades and the effacacy of the drugs had not decreased by much. I don't believe there is HARM in taking expired meds, they just might be less effective than when they were newer. However, I wouldn't go about trying to solve hormonal imbalances unless I was under the care of a physician. They could be a symptom of something else, or BC may not be the right treatment.

Taking different kinds of bcp sounds like a recipe for disaster. Not to mention that you've detailed numerous times your rough experiences on the Pill. This sounds like an idea from which you should run very far away!

NEED? or want? you're not a professional wrestler, jockey, or candidate for some kinda vital medical experiment for skinny minnies only, are you?

the whole thing sounds like a crazy idea to me. the likeliness of horrible death (which i'd guestimate at marginal) aside, i have no way of telling how much the hormones may or may not have lost complete efficiency and what kinda random wonkiness might ensue because of that, or what they'd do to my hormone levels (which i don't know much about, having not seen a doctor recently about them) even if they were still 110% good.

also, taking the pill for two months to lose weight? pffffff. not a hugely bright idea. there are better ways to lose weight and keep it off, i'm sure, the pill might well make you gain weight (or at least mass) in some areas, and 60 days isn't exactly a decent timeframe for anything hormonal to get settled into a stable pattern (understatement of the year). even if you do lose the 10 lb, if it'd only be for 2-3 months- with you coming off them again- so odds are you'll get that 10lb back *counts* just in time for xmas and newyears parties!...?

you've reported numerous other prior ****ty experiences with chopping and changing versions of the pill- so don't put yourself through another messy dabbling experience that'll probably have hormonal consequences outlasting 2 months (wrt your periods getting fiddled with and your body not really being sure what the hell is going on), in the hope of shrinking your arse a bit. i'm sure its really not that huge anyway, nor that it matters very much really in the general scheme of things, even if it is halfway as humungous as mine is.

i'd be more inclined to get some decent painkillers (i like the codeine based ones myself- cos even if it does still hurt, i seem to care much less about it after a couple of those) for the cramps (also, those only mess with your body chemistry for the few days you take them on, really) and buy some of those huge bondagey knickers that pull everything in and squish it flat so you look thinner- or just stick my fingers up at anyone who judged me on the size of my derrierre and spend the knicker money on cake.

you could try mentally embracing your more voluptuous physique? ten pounds is nothing. if it wants to stay, maybe your weight wasn't right before?

Heather, have you discussed with a doctor your failed efforts to lose weight? Have you started a journal of all your efforts to lose weight so you have a very clear idea of what works and what doesn't?

Have you had your thyroid checked lately? An imbalance in thyroid hormone can cause weight fluctuations which don't always respond to weight loss efforts. I know from personal experience.

I would talk to a doctor about your weight gain and your desire to lose it again. Perhaps he/she has ideas you haven't thought of. Don't be shy in telling the doctor about your veg*an diet, and if the doctor reacts like you just sprouted a second head, stand your ground. Perhaps bringing in some nutritional into backing up your diet to your office visit would help.

You have to exercise for more than a month to get results. It's a life-time commitment unfortunately.

Most women refuse to believe this but BC pills do not make you gain weight. At least there have been no scientific studies to date that show that they do. But the esotrogen they contain can make you retain water which feels like weight gain. BC pills can stimulate your appetite though, so there is the potential to start eating more and if you don't exercise, this will increase your weight. But that also just a potential side-effect, it doesn't happen to every women who takes it particularly with low-dose estrogen pills.

your birth control pills are probably fine to take despite the expiration dates, there really isn't anything harmful in these pills (like you can't overdose on them etc...) and they are most likely derived from synthetic sources made with shelf stability in mind. especially since you are not having sex and using them to prevent pregnancy and just for a hormone boost. The seasonique is probably better to use since it has more days, I wouldn't suggest using both brands because that can cause side effects (like weight GAIN!!) spotting, worse cramps and other things (i had horrible mood swings when I tried to switch brands).

Please check out planned parenthood, I linked the site in another thread to you. You can get a check up and new birth control Rx for no charge depending on your current income. I was really apprehensive before I went because I had no way of paying and was reassured over the phone and when I checked in that I can get help from programs that cover services for low/no income people.

This.

Also, have any of your docs investigated for things like PCOS/insulin resistance?

fitness is about stamina tho...

and why couldn't he test your flipping estrogen levels? they do have tests....

that looks like muscle tone stuff more than weight-related stuff to me. sit ups! squats! urgh!

Wow, very interesting, thanks for sharing! I've used expired meds, just like cold/headache stuff before, with no problems. Just thought maybe it was less effective, but this is great to know - 10 - 15 years!

If this is your goal, you need to modify your diet and exercise at least 5 days a week with resistance. The key that most people don't realize is percent body fat, you can be the same size as this model and not look anything like her because she obviously has very low percent body fat. It is kinda difficult to know the exact percent without an expensive test, but you can get a general idea from a personal trainer or the like. up the veggies, totally eliminate unhealthy fats and alcohol, work out hard

Dr. Oz's whole show yesterday was about how to get free medical care, free clinics, etc.

Some of us, myself included, just don't have bodies like that. Womens bodies in general aren't designed to be chiseled, and women who have bodies like that certainly are exercising for more than 30 minutes a day. We are meant to have a higher percentage of body fat than men... stuff to do with hormones and reproduction. Even friends I have who are naturally thin, don't have muscle definition. I think it can be a lifelong task to learn to love your body, I know I'm still working on it. I try to hold value in taking good care of myself, and being healthy being better than being buff.