Does ibuprofen expire?

Maybe it’s the coffee you drink every morning. Or the yogurt that got pushed to the back of the fridge. Or a forgotten bunch of now-wilting spinach. Everything in the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets has an expiration date, and the medicine cabinet is no exception. The law requires all medications to have printed expiration dates, so the clock is ticking once you break the safety seal on ibuprofen. 

How long is that countdown? Is it safe to take expired ibuprofen? Where should you store medication? All those answers and more are right here. 

RELATED: What is ibuprofen?

Can you take expired ibuprofen?

Look at a brand-new bottle of ibuprofen, and you’ll see an expiration date (aka expiry) of between one to five years. That’s true across brand names and formulations (200 mg, 400 mg, etc.). However, whether it’s safe to take these expired medications is a little less clear. 

A law established in 1979 required all drug manufacturers to include expiration dates on their medications, and they’ve been doing it ever since. According to Harvard Health, this is the date until the manufacturer can guarantee the drug’s full potency and safety. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding medications after their expiration date, saying they can lose their potency or change in chemical composition. “When a drug expires, a few things can happen,” says Dr. Dhaval Desai, MD, Director of Hospital Medicine at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital. “With some medications, nothing happens. Other medications could have an altered component as they age, changing how they work. So the best thing I can say is to avoid expired ibuprofen.”

Certain studies have attempted to determine whether expired medications are safe and, if so, how long they can last after the expiration date. For example, this study from 2019 concluded that it’s “not uncommon that the actual shelf life [to exceed] the manufacturer-assigned one by three- or four-fold.” Studies like this one from 2012 have found that drugs can maintain potency for years after that date. 

The thing is, every drug is different, so it’s hard to pin down their post-expiration safety. Plus, some may be unsafe, so it might not be worth the risk. For medications where 100% effectiveness is critical, it’s best not to take them after the expiration date. However, reduced potency is often the primary consequence of ibuprofen, Tylenol (acetaminophen), supplements, and other over-the-counter medications. Liquid medications break down faster, so it’s usually best to use them by the drug’s expiration date or dispose of them. 

Note: Taking certain expired medicines can be ineffective and dangerous. Certain OTC and prescription drugs can break down, become toxic, or get contaminated after their expiration date, including:

• Liquid antibiotics
• Aspirin
• Nitroglycerin
• Insulin
• Tetracycline
• Mefloquine
• EpiPens
• Eye drops

It’s best to replace these medications before they expire. 

What happens if you take expired ibuprofen?

This isn’t always like eating expired foods, which could cause food poisoning and other bacterial infections. Side effects are relatively rare for expired ibuprofen but not unheard of. “Unless you are allergic, taking expired ibuprofen in the short term isn’t typically harmful,” says Dr. Ila Dayananda, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at Oula. “But it can potentially give you a stomachache or other gastrointestinal distress.”

The main issue with taking ibuprofen is that it might be less effective. “Over time, the chemical composition of the medication may degrade, leading to a potential loss in potency,” says Dr. Dayananda. “Consequently, taking expired ibuprofen may reduce how effective it is in alleviating pain and inflammation.”

Dr. Desai adds, “If you accidentally take an expired ibuprofen, I don’t think there should necessarily be a lot of risk. However, there’s no guarantee. We still need to watch for acute symptoms like an upset stomach, feeling “off,” or just feeling sick,” which is why he doesn’t recommend intentionally taking expired ibuprofen.

If you happen to give expired ibuprofen to a child, “cease giving the child any more of the expired medication, then monitor them for any adverse effects, changes, or unexpected symptoms,” Dr. Dayananda states. “Most likely, they will be fine, if perhaps in need of more effective medication; however, if there are unexpected complications, it’s important to consult with a doctor or poison control center for next steps.”

How to store ibuprofen

Ibuprofen has many environmental enemies. Moisture can accelerate the drug’s degradation, as can heat and direct light. It’s best to keep the medication away from moisture, heat, and light and instead store it in a closed container in a dry place at room temperature (between 68°F and 77°F). This should help the ibuprofen last as long as possible. 

Many people store ibuprofen in a bathroom medicine cabinet, and bathrooms can be warm and humid, especially after a shower. According to MedlinePlus, showers, baths, and sinks can cause medications to degrade before their expiration date. A study on ibuprofen stored in a household bathroom found that ibuprofen can start losing potency after just six to seven months. If possible, it’s best to keep it somewhere dry and dark. 

How to dispose of expired ibuprofen

When disposing of any medication, the goal is to do it in a way that won’t harm others or the environment. If you dump medications in the trash, a child or pet could potentially still consume them. If you flush drugs down the toilet, it could pollute the water supply. That’s why the FDA has specific guidelines for getting rid of expired medications. 

The best way to dispose of any drug is to drop it off at a drug take-back location. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has established permanent drug collection sites and also has occasional drug take-back events. 

Some people are tempted to flush expired drugs but know that ibuprofen isn’t on the FDA’s “flush list.” This is a list of drugs that could be fatal if consumed by children or pets or that people seek out for misuse and the only ones that are okay to flush. For Advil, Motrin, and other non-flush drugs, the FDA recommends mixing the unused medication with another substance—like dirt, coffee grounds, or kitty litter—then sealing the mixture in a plastic bag and placing it in the trash.