# expired meds

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expired-meds/616271>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 20, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expired-meds/616271 "2012-03-20T01:48:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JJaycee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@JJaycee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JJaycee)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expired-meds/616271/1 "2012-03-20T01:48:51Z")

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Actually, tetracycline (which should be finished anyway because it’s an antibiotic and you shouldn’t have leftovers) can go bad and cause something called Fanconi Syndrome. This can cause serious kidney damage. So, not all expired drugs are harmless or just less potent.

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**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expired-meds/616271/2 "2012-03-20T05:49:41Z")

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Customary to include [link to article](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3040/will-using-expired-drugs-kill-you).