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Albuterol is one of the most commonly prescribed and used breathing medications. As a bronchodilator, albuterol is highly effective for opening up the airways and treating conditions that can cause bronchospasm – including asthma, COPD, and other respiratory diseases. If you’re someone that uses albuterol, you might be wondering how long you can use it in your nebulizer past its expiration date.
Let’s take a closer look at this medication and if it’s truly okay to use after the expiration date.
What Is Albuterol and How Does It Work?
Albuterol belongs to a class of drugs called beta agonists. Beta agonists bind to certain receptors in your body. When those receptors are activated, smooth muscles in the airways relax and open up.
Those receptors also activate the sympathetic nervous system – which is in charge of the “fight or flight” response. That’s why many people experience side effects like increased heart rate, dizziness, and shaking after nebulizer.
Despite the potential side effects, albuterol is extremely effective in relieving symptoms like:
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Chest tightness caused by asthma and COPD
It is prescribed in various dosages for both adults and kids to improve these symptoms.
How Medication Expiration Dates Work
Every medication is given an expiration date. Expiration dates play a crucial role in ensuring medications are both safe and effective when taken. These dates are typically set by the manufacturer and indicate the last day the drug can be expected to maintain its stability, strength, and purity when stored correctly.
These dates are set for safety, regulatory compliance and quality assurance. For some medications, using them past the expiration date can be harmful because the effectiveness decreases.
Where to find the expiration date
You can find the expiration date for albuterol on the medication packaging or the canister of your inhaler. This is the last day the manufacturer guarantees the drug’s safety and full potency. Beyond this date, effectiveness may diminish.
Does Albuterol Expire?
Every single medication has an expiration date, so yes – albuterol does expire. However, this doesn’t mean your outdated albuterol is harmful the minute it expires.
A study published in 2022 by Elsevier Ltd. analyzed batches of albuterol with expiration dates ranging from 2003 to 2019. The analyzed drugs consistently exceeded 90% of the listed strength.
Evidence suggests that drugs stored under ideal conditions may be effective well past their expiration dates and be perfectly safe and effective to use.
What Happens if You Use Expired Albuterol for Nebulizer?
The biggest risk of using expired albuterol is reduced effectiveness. If you’re in the middle of an asthma or COPD exacerbation, there’s a risk that a less potent medication may not open the airways as effectively.
While theoretically this is true, the reduced potency of expired albuterol may be insignificant. Unfortunately there is no way to 100% know the effectiveness of your expired albuterol, so keep this in mind when considering usage.
Best practices
While the risks are very low with using expired albuterol in your nebulizer and inhaler, it’s best to follow these practices:
- Check your albuterol medication supply’s expiration date regularly
- Keep a reminder in your calendar for when you need to replace your albuterol
- Schedule an appointment with your doctor or schedule a virtual appointment for faster refills
- Store albuterol in a cool, dry place
Ask Your Doctor
Even though nebulizing your expired albuterol is likely safe, you should always ask your doctor before using it, especially if you have concerns about its effectiveness or safety. Your healthcare provider can offer personalized advice based on your medical history and the severity of your condition. They may also be able to provide insights on how long past the expiration date the medication might still be effective.
If you find yourself frequently relying on expired albuterol due to financial or prescription refill issues, discuss these challenges with your doctor.
The Final Say – Can You Use Expired Albuterol?
While expired albuterol is not immediately harmful and may retain some effectiveness past its expiration date, you should always prioritize using medication before it expires. Regularly checking supply, properly storing medications, and having open communication with your doctor can help you achieve this. It’s always better to err on the side of caution when managing a respiratory condition, so seek confirmation from your provider before using any expired medications.
Try the TruNeb™ Portable Nebulizer
Make breathing treatments easier with a pocket-size portable nebulizer that goes anywhere. Keep it in your purse, backpack, or bag. The TruNeb™ portable nebulizer is chargeable and has no air compressor or tubing to mess with. We make breathing treatments simple.
