Expired ibuprofen gel

[Tidey]

I used some this morning on my back and now there are two large red patches that feel hot, almost like sunburn. I didn't realise til afterwards that the expiration date had passed. Is that what's caused the redness? Should I be worried?

Skin rashes are a side effect of ibuprofen gels. Rubbing anything vigorously into your skin will make it go red too (OK, obvious but worth a mention).

It really depends how far past the sell by date it was. A month wouldn't matter much, 2 years would. Topical drugs don't usually become harmful with time, just less effective, a bit discoloured or smelly, sometimes they separate out into layers.

I wouldn't worry - no need to see a GP - but maybe chuck it out and try some new.

I used some (brand new) a while ago and it gave me mild eczema. I had been using it for a few days before I realised, and it cleared up in about a week after I stopped using it. I would only think the expiry might be a cause if you have used it in the past with no problems, or if as OP said it was a very long time or it had gone smelly etc.