Expired Rescue Inhalers: The Unintended Experiment

For months, I've been looking at my rescue inhalers and their expiration dates, yet I've kept using them anyway.

Months might be an understatement.

Years.

In fact, I have repeatedly looked at old inhalers that are so old as to have the old style labels from my pharmacy on them (Canadians who use Shoppers Drug Mart, you know what I'm talking about) and considered, "Hmm, when did they update those labels again? Maybe I should not use that one..."

How long after an expiration date can you use an inhaler?

This is a question best left to your pharmacist or other healthcare provider. However, general guidance suggests it's likely acceptable to use them if they're within 12 months of their expiry date.

I will tell you, though, I have just done a round-up of my inhalers floating around - yes, including that one with the old-style label! - and I have been using inhalers with expiration dates across the spectrum.

Now...I cannot say that the fact that I even possess in-date inhalers is intentional. It was not. My doctor, however, has faxed refills, and they have just filled them rather than filed them, which means… hello, fresh Ventolin!

Do expired asthma inhalers work as well?

I have not noticed a discernible difference in the efficacy of my inhalers myself after they are past the printed expiration date. Well, except maybe when they are, uh, a couple of years old?

My everyday carry inhaler currently has a 10/2024 expiration. Still, I noticed that when I had a little flare the other day, I wasn't bouncing back as well from the Ventolin I had at home. This led me to unbox a fresh inhaler, and I have felt much better since swapping them out. I don't know the expiry date on the one that wasn't working well, so I can't confirm it was past its expiry in 2022. I also cannot say it was not a more recently expired asthma inhaler, either.

I am sure my family doctor will love this report when I see him, as I've been inadvertently citizen-scienceing myself with old inhalers. Actually, he probably will. And then he will tell me when he last sent me 7 refills, and I should just stop using the expired asthma inhalers.

Which, yes, he's probably right, but then we wouldn't be here, now would we?

Unboxing a new inhaler

Fortunately, the most recent rescue inhaler I unboxed is good until 2025...and it was October 26, 2023, when I unboxed it. Wow, what a concept - an inhaler with a well-over-a-year expiration date... not 3 years past!

Do you notice a difference in efficacy when your asthma inhaler is expired or nearing its expiration date?