AIBU to use out of date antibiotics?

[WhatIsThisPlease]

I've cut my finger and thumb getting my Invisalign trays out, deep in the nail bed.

They've gone septic and are really sore and throbbing.

I've got some Flucloxacillin which I think would be fine but the expiry date was December 2021.

Will they be ok to take?

I would if it looked infected. Fingers are quite important.

Tablets are fine. My dad is a GP (lives in another country) and gave me a supply of them years ago. I occasionally use them (after consulting with him) if it's urgent and can't faff about waiting for an appointment

I would.
I remember getting a roasting on here years ago for taking some antibiotics I had knocking around when I knew I had a chest infection and couldn't get to the Dr's.

@GarlicGnocchi

I collected them in case it got worse and it was an infection after all. But it just got better on it's own.

@Watapalava

I wish it was just a cut nail!! It's the skin beneath the nail that is cut and has obviously got bacteria in it, presumably from my mouth. It's been throbbing non stop since Sunday evening and now it's gone septic.

Have actually booked a proper appointment with my local GP this morning. Woke up today and the skin beneath my nail is turning black 😬

Christ, what responsible person doesn[t hoard antibiotics when thay have the chance?

As a mother, I have to and I do. It is bloody useful.
I would definitely take them.

They’ll probably be fine but in future if you can’t get a Gp L appointment and need help, ring 111. If you need antibiotics they’ll send a prescription through to a pharmacy for you.

Good luck.😯

So you asked a doctors opinion, didn't believe they knew best and went with your, non medical opinion instead? Wow..

Do you realise how stupid that sounds?

It does not sound stupid to me at all.

Have you tried taking to a pharmacist? They’d be able to give you much better advice without the hassle of 111.

I don’t know why anyone bothers advising calling 111 these days. They’re utterly useless.

You "hoard" antibiotics?! How? You should only be given them when needed and difference types are needed for different things. Do some reading about the threats posed by antibiotic resistance. It will be what's killing us soon enough

@AdriftAbroad1 anyone who understands anything about infection? Please take your children to a doctor for proper medical advice rather than hoarding and dosing them with potentially ineffective medicines you don't have the training to dispense. Jesus.

I am guessing they are not going to hurt you but also won't be able to do their job properly as less potent.

@PurassicJark

I was right and the doctor was wrong. I suspected I'd had an allergic reaction and that's exactly what it was. The doctor said I had a infection, which I didn't. So no, I don't think I sound stupid.

I would take it, jesus it is not going to spoil in a couple of months. Doctor's appts are like hen's teeth.

Just had appointment and he's prescribed flucloxacillin - the antibiotic I had in the house!!

At least this one will be in date and as suggested, I'll take the old ones to the pharmacy.

To be honest I think I would have been fine taking the old ones, but as many people have pointed out, better to be safe than sorry!

Thanks everyone

How do you know? You're not a doctor. You were lucky that it didn't get worse, that's all. But since you think the doctor was wrong, why bother asking their advice again? Just take the pills you have. Your opinion matters more after all.

Why did you have any left? You should have finished your previous course, unless your GP told you to stop taking them.

My children?

Of course my children go to the doctor 😂

@AdriftAbroad1 Where do you live though and how easy is it for you to get hold of a dr and antibiotics when you need them? I’ve known friends be prescribed antibiotics ´just in case’ when they were off working in extremely isolated locations for extended periods of time - think Australian outback levels of isolation. But in the UK, the thinking is definitely that antibiotics should only be prescribed by dr when needed and only handed out in the exact quantity prescribed, to prevent people hoarding them and taking them unnecessarily/ineffectively and contributing to antibiotic resistance. I don’t know quite what people are supposed to do when you can’t get hold of a dr in a timely manner for routine problems like an infected finger though. Wait for it to cause sepsis and become an emergency/resolve on its own? The pressure the NHS is under might mean prescribing rules have to change. Maybe they’ll make more things available after consultation with a pharmacist?
When infections like this stop responding to all our antibiotics there will have to be a change in how we treat them too.

People should perhaps look up the rates of misdiagnosis.

She was talking about a localised infection, this is why she took the action she could and did and had antibiotics.

Stop berating OP.

I do absolutely the same. I[m not taking antibiotics for no reason. But Ill keep amoxicillin incase of a UTI. Of course I will.

Do what you want, but don't go whining to your doctor when antibiotics no longer work for you because you've not finished courses and you've taken them whenever you want. You'll do yourself no favours in the long term, especially if you frequently get utis. But again, like op, you know best. Doctors don't. 😂

@PeterpiperpickedapeckofpickledPEPPAS you have an absolute point. I live in Spain and most things (HRT etc) I can buy anyway.

I am educated and sensible, but yes, not in UK.

I believe the rules will change soon in the UK for simple antibiotics and HRT anyeway (with pharmacists adivce, always)

An infected finger, UTI, tonsillitus etc, you know exactly what is needed and the sooner the better.