Can I Eat This: Quasi-Legal Amphetamines Edition
August 22, 2016 5:02 PM Subscribe
So my spouse bought us some Sudafed on Saturday, the real stuff that you have to turn over your driver's license for. Then we forgot it in the car and it spent all day in the glovebox.
We're in South Carolina, so it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit most of the day. The box says the product should be stored up to 77 degrees Fahrenheit at most, with temperatures up to 86 permitted for "excursions," which I'm assuming "all day in the parking lot" does not fall under the rubric of.
Is it ruined? Will it poison us if we take it? I have massive sinus pressure and would dearly like to have some cheery little red pills because I've already taken too much Ibuprofen today.
We're in South Carolina, so it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit most of the day. The box says the product should be stored up to 77 degrees Fahrenheit at most, with temperatures up to 86 permitted for "excursions," which I'm assuming "all day in the parking lot" does not fall under the rubric of.
Is it ruined? Will it poison us if we take it? I have massive sinus pressure and would dearly like to have some cheery little red pills because I've already taken too much Ibuprofen today.
Response by poster: Specifically, if anyone knows their chemistry here and can assure us that these pills retain their efficacy and not-too-bad-for-you-in-small-doses status, preferably with enough technobabble to soothe my superstitious fears...
posted by Scattercat at 5:07 PM on August 22, 2016
posted by Scattercat at 5:07 PM on August 22, 2016
It may be less effective due to degredation. I'd pop one now but ask your mom or your partners mom to get you another score if they haven't used it for themseleves lately.
posted by Kalmya at 5:09 PM on August 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Kalmya at 5:09 PM on August 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: for stuff like this it is 100% normal and non-suspicious to call your local 24h pharmacy and speak with the pharmacist.
iirc the temperature guides are really meant for long-term storage, not a single day in a hot car. they won't "poison" you unless you are already allergic to an ingredient in the medication.
posted by poffin boffin at 5:14 PM on August 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
iirc the temperature guides are really meant for long-term storage, not a single day in a hot car. they won't "poison" you unless you are already allergic to an ingredient in the medication.
posted by poffin boffin at 5:14 PM on August 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
I'm a pharmacist. I would take them. The worst that could happen is that they are a tiny bit less effective because the drug degraded a tiny bit in the heat. But probably not. They're definitely not going to poison you.
posted by selfmedicating at 5:27 PM on August 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by selfmedicating at 5:27 PM on August 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
It's not poison. There's no way that the FDA would approve over the counter cold medicine which can be distilled into meth and ALSO if you leave it in a hot car it turns into poison.
If anything it's probably been rendered inert, or now has a slight possibility of containing some compound that has been shown to cause cancer in mice if massive doses are administered.
posted by Sara C. at 5:27 PM on August 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
If anything it's probably been rendered inert, or now has a slight possibility of containing some compound that has been shown to cause cancer in mice if massive doses are administered.
posted by Sara C. at 5:27 PM on August 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I routinely take pseudoephedrine into the dessert where it can exceed 100 degrees and have not noticed any decrease in efficacy.
I can't easily find scientific studies discussing the effect of heat on the active ingredients right now, but Advil Cold and Sinus is pretty much the same thing and its box says to avoid heat about 104 degrees. Your box is being very, very cautious.
posted by Candleman at 6:05 PM on August 22, 2016
I can't easily find scientific studies discussing the effect of heat on the active ingredients right now, but Advil Cold and Sinus is pretty much the same thing and its box says to avoid heat about 104 degrees. Your box is being very, very cautious.
posted by Candleman at 6:05 PM on August 22, 2016
Doctor's kid here. My Doctor Dad takes most prescription medications literally YEARS after the pills have expired and most of the pills rattling around our medicine cabinet date back to the first Clinton administration. What he'd say is that though they certainly have a reduction in efficacy, they wouldn't harm you, just have be 97% (for the recently expired stuff) of the desired efficacy or 90% (for the stuff from the early 90s).
posted by arnicae at 6:16 PM on August 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by arnicae at 6:16 PM on August 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Well, I took it (after calling a late-night pharmacy). If I die or gain superpowers, I'll let you all know, because frankly it would be pretty noteworthy for me to tell you in either case.
posted by Scattercat at 6:16 PM on August 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Scattercat at 6:16 PM on August 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Don't think you would have a problem... I would think this and other drugs/standard pharma ingredients are shipped by trucking, which is certainly not temperature controlled (unless the obvious like refrigeration or freezers). So, a day in a hot car, days in a broiling truck going cross-country. Someone correct me if I'm wrong!
posted by Lornalulu at 6:32 PM on August 22, 2016
posted by Lornalulu at 6:32 PM on August 22, 2016
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posted by heathrowga at 5:05 PM on August 22, 2016 [1 favorite]