Mr pharmacist can you help me out today?

[coprolite]

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

What to do? 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

2 minutes ago, coprolite said:

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

What to do? 

Oil of cloves is a decent pain killer.

Alternatively, if you have cloves in your spice rack, you could MacGyver a substitute.

[Florentine_Pogen]

10 minutes ago, coprolite said:

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

What to do? 

[Halbeath Raith Rover]

They'll be fine (probably) 

[TxRover]

6 hours ago, coprolite said:

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

From drugs dot com:

“The most likely outcome of taking expired ibuprofen is that it will not work because it has lost its potency (strength) with time or levels of impurities would increase due to a breakdown in their chemical structure. This is particularly true if they have not been stored properly such as being exposed to extreme heat or light. All medications contain active and inactive ingredients, and with time, or adverse storage conditions, these can become unstable, and convert to other substances that may pose a risk to your health. Ibuprofen contains an impurity called ibuprofen-related compound C (IRC-C). Testing of ibuprofen samples stored over 550 days at the International Space Station (ISS) that were within 3 months of their expiry date revealed 99.9% active ingredient and less than 0.001% IRC-C, well below the USP limit of 0.25% for this impurity. These results were consistent with another study that showed ibuprofen that had spent 2.5 years on the ISS passed API analysis for levels of IRC-C.

There is also a risk to some medicines from contamination due to the container they are stored in, especially if the container is made of plastic. Plastic is broken down by UV radiation through a process called photodegradation, and by oxidation and friction. Small bits of plastic lining the inside of your container can contaminate old ibuprofen tablets.”

Of course, a sealed packet at the back of a cupboard isn’t going to have UV exposure, but that IRC-C is a bit worrisome at 5 years.

[carpetmonster]

Skooshing Chloraseptic into cheap whisky and swooshing it about the tooth works in a pinch. Clove oil is better but it’s fucking rancid. 

[tongue_tied_danny]

7 hours ago, coprolite said:

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

What to do? 

I had toothache a couple of years ago and I had to wait about 6 months for a dental appointment.

I found that gargling salty water helped a lot. I thought that it was an old wives tale, but I tried it in desperation and it worked a treat. I think the salt kills the bacteria that causes the infection.

[highlandmac]

7 hours ago, coprolite said:

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

What to do? 

Buy another packet for 35p or so from the nearest supermarket?

[Richey Edwards]

Take the expired packet back to where you got it and demand a new packet.

[velo army]

I've got some plumber's pliers and some free time today. Whereabouts are you? I can come to any part of the city but I'll need expenses if you're out in the Shire.

[coprolite]

16 minutes ago, tongue_tied_danny said:

I had toothache a couple of years ago and I had to wait about 6 months for a dental appointment.

 

I found that gargling salty water helped a lot. I thought that it was an old wives tale, but I tried it in desperation and it worked a treat. I think the salt kills the bacteria that causes the infection.

I'm not going to close my eyes and suck it from a hose. again. 

14 minutes ago, highlandmac said:

Buy another packet for 35p or so from the nearest supermarket?

[Alert Mongoose]

TCP and a gargle is the solution here. Works a treat.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

[hk blues]

8 hours ago, coprolite said:

I'm being a massive baby about a toothache and have finished all the painkillers in the house (without exceeding the recommended dose) except for a packet of ibuprofen i found at the back of the cupboard.

The expiry date is 03/2020.

What to do? 

As they're likely to have lost much of their potency you can probably safely take a few with no ill-effects.  I've taken some medicine which is 5 years out of date with no side effects and it still worked.

Caveat - I don't have any actual medical certification.  

 

[Soapy FFC]

I've always assumed that out of date things like pain killers and indigestion tablets would be ok just maybe not as effective. I wouldn't take critical drugs like blood pressure tablets that are out of date as the consequence of them not being as effective could be a problem. 

[Cosmic Joe]

Get in touch with Bob Mortimer and he'll talk you through it.

[bennett]

Phone the dentist, ask for an emergency appointment. 

 

[Richey Edwards]

I'd get my balls kicked if I gave someone any expired medication. There are plenty of medications that it would be a pretty bad idea to give someone once they've expired - things like insulin for diabetes, inhalers for asthma or COPD, blood pressure medication etc. Basically when any medication is critical for someone's wellbeing it is not worth the risk of giving expired medication. 

Taking expired Ibuprofen most likely will not cause you any harm, but it's effect could well be lessened now. I'd suggest just getting some new ones so you get the full benefit of them. If the pain persists try not to use Ibuprofen long-term, as it can cause some pretty nasty stomach issues.

And phone for an emergency appointment. 

Good luck, hope you feel better soon.

[alta-pete]

Having suffered a toothache in the early lockdown I can confirm that swooshing cheap whisky through the affected area does indeed seem to kill the infection and numb the pain. But remember to spit, Kenneth. 

[Venti]