to use out of date medication?

[superbagpuss]

I had a fall last sat and cuts have gone manky so thought I would use my dettol antiseptic cream

just noticed bbd of June 2005

what if anything will it do?

am I OK to keep using it?
would you use on DC?

tbf it smells and looks OK

I would use it, if nothing else is available.. it wont do any harm, and probably is absolutely fine.

It is Best Before date, which is completely different to a Use By date.

I wouldn't

No don't it won't be effective and it could introduce infection.

sorry forgot to mention I had used it before I notice date

I will let you know if anything strange happens

tube is going in bin

All Best Before dates (on food or whatever) are treated as a challenge in our house.

My rule - Does it look different? Is it moving around the fridge/cupboard under it's own steam?

If no, it's fine. no-one has died yet (even after having a non-functioning fridge for a week. It's amazing how long things will keep)

For medication I think it just means it won't be as effective as it was before the date. Also with certain things (e.g. eyedrops) they will no longer be sterile after that date (not sure how that works) but if that's the case it should be indicated on the leaflet or with the prescription.

But if you want it to actually work properly and it was best before/use by 2005...it's probably worthwhile investing in a new tube, heh.

The active ingredients have probably degraded now so it will be pretty useless.

You are better batheing the cuts with salt water.

Hope you don't go green

update

I'm still alive
all looking the same

took the DC swimming earlier, that's going to be kill or cure

I have read that out of date medicines should be looked at the same way as out of date foods.
Which made me go and sort out my medicine cabinet more thoroughly.