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The effectiveness is not guaranteed once the expiration date has passed. Proper storage is essential for ensuring that the inhaler is effective. It is important to store inhalers away from direct sunlight, high temperatures, and changes in humidity.
People should only use expired asthma inhalers in urgent situations when there are no other options. If a person uses an expired inhaler in an emergency, they should try to use a new inhaler as soon as possible and seek medical treatment.
The main risk associated with using an expired albuterol sulfate inhaler is that it may not control asthma symptoms as effectively as a new inhaler.
For example, if someone uses an expired inhaler to control an asthma attack, they may find that the medication does not work as well as it should. This is because the active ingredients break down over time. While the effectiveness of the medication reduces over time, the inhalers are usually safe to use after expiration and are unlikely to pose additional health risks.
All medications eventually break down and stop being effective. Since , legislators have required drug manufacturers to put expiration dates on medications. It is also important to store medications correctly, as improper storage may result in an active ingredient degrading before the printed expiration date. However, research carried out by the Food and Drug Administration FDA suggests that most medications retain much of their potency for at least a few years after their expiry dates.
There are some exceptions, however. The following drugs are unsafe to use after their expiry dates:. To prolong the lives of albuterol sulfate inhalers and other medications, people can do the following:. Leaving medication in a car or another environment likely to experience extreme temperature changes can reduce its effectiveness.
Inhalers rely on a well-functioning canister. If punctured, the pressurized canister may burst, and the device will no longer work. There are no standard guidelines for the disposal of asthma inhalers, and many drug take-back programs do not accept them. This is because the pressurized canisters explode if they are compacted or incinerated. Also, there may be some medicine left in each canister, which can contaminate a water supply.
In addition, some inhalers contain single medications, while others contain two or three drugs. This adds the risk that someone may end up doubling up on one drug, especially if prescribed inhalers by different physicians.
Below is our attempt to help understand which inhalers can and should be used together, and which ones should not be used together. Different classes of medications can be used in combination for example, combining a beta agonist with an anti-muscarinic inhaler , but in most cases, patients should not take the same class of medicine in more than one inhaler.
The following chart helps explain this:. To make sure your inhalers are OK to take together, look at the class of medications.
If you notice that you take more than one medicine in the same class, ask your physician to review your prescriptions. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.
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