Do you have a bottle of xanax that’s about to expire soon? If it’s not soon, you might have a couple bottles that expired recently. The expiration date on those pills must have made you curious: Does expired xanax still work?
Sounds like an obvious answer yes, but for some people this is not so clear.
The active ingredient in xanax – alprazolam – stays stable for up to 12 months after production.
So if your Xanax was manufactured about 12 months ago, does it still work? Let’s see.
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Can Xanax Expire?
Yes, your Xanax can expire. In fact, most medicines do expire. The reason for that is that many drugs are made with natural ingredients. And like all natural products, some of those ingredients will break down over time.
The rate at which a drug will break down depends on the type of ingredient and the conditions it’s stored under. So while there are some drugs that can last decades past their expiration date, many will only last a few years.
The FDA requires that drug companies print expiration dates on their products. Those dates give you an idea of how long the drug will work as expected. But the date doesn’t mean the drug is completely useless after that date.
Depending on the drug, the expiration date might just tell you how long the drug is expected to maintain its full strength.
After the date passes, the drug will likely continue to work. It just may be less potent than it was when it was freshly made.
Does expired Xanax work?
Let’s see. As we said, the active ingredient in xanax – alprazolam – stays stable for up to 12 months after production. So if your Xanax was manufactured about 12 months ago, does it still work? If it’s been sitting on the shelf since then, the answer is no.
The expiration date on your bottle should tell you how long the drug is expected to maintain its full potency. So if your xanax has been sitting on the shelf for more than a year, chances are it’s lost its potency. As we said, alprazolam stays stable for up to 12 months after production.
So if you have a bottle of xanax that’s been sitting on your shelf for more than that, does it still work? No, it doesn’t.
You can expect it to be less potent than it was when it was freshly made. Not only that, if you don’t store it properly, it may also be contaminated with bacteria. That’s why it’s important to check the expiration date on your xanax.
How to find out if your xanax has expired?
If your xanax has been sitting on the shelf for more than a year, there are a few ways to find out if it can still be effective. If your bottle has a “Best By” date printed on it, you can use that as a guide. If the date on your bottle is more than a year old, your xanax may have lost its potency.
Another way to find out if your xanax has expired is to do a simple test. If you have a spare sample of the same medication, you can compare the two to see if they’re the same strength. You can also use a reagent test kit to see if your xanax is still active.
Another way to find out if your xanax has expired is to talk to your doctor. They may be able to tell you if your xanax has lost its potency.
Can you take an expired Xanax?
That’s a good question. Some people will take expired xanax to save money. But is it worth taking expired xanax?
The short answer is no. Just like any other medication, an xanax that’s past its expiration date is less potent than it was when it was freshly made. That means it will take more of the drug to have the same effect.
Taking more xanax than you need could lead to an accidental overdose. That’s why it’s important to take the right dose of xanax.
You should also be careful if your xanax doesn’t have a “Best By” date listed on it. Some manufacturers don’t put that information on bottles by default.
Will taking an expired Xanax make you feel the same?
No, taking an expired xanax will make you feel much less than the same. As we said, expired xanax is less potent than it was when it was freshly made.
That means even if it still has some active ingredients, it will take more of it to get the same result. Taking expired xanax may also put you at risk of an overdose.
That’s because an expired xanax may not have the same level of active ingredients as when it was made. So even if it seems like you’re taking the right dose, it may not be enough to have an effect.
Taking expired xanax may not even give you any effect at all. Some ingredients may have degraded to the point where they don’t work as expected.
Final words
Keep in mind that all medicines have an expiration date. That’s because all medicines are made with natural ingredients. And like all natural products, some of those ingredients will break down over time.
The rate at which a drug will break down depends on the type of ingredient and the conditions it’s stored under. That’s why drug companies print expiration dates on their products.
Those dates give you an idea of how long the drug will work as expected. But the date doesn’t mean the drug is completely useless after that date.
Depending on the drug, the expiration date might just tell you how long the drug is expected to maintain its full strength.
That means that even after the date passes, the drug may still be effective. It just may be less potent than when it was freshly made.
