Does Zarbee’s Cough Syrup Expire?

It is due diligence to check the expiry date on every drug product before you make a purchase. This helps to guarantee safety and effectiveness and also ensures that you get the best value for your money. In this article, the pharmacist will answer the question “Does Zarbee’s cough syrup expire?” He’ll also explain how long you should use the product once you’ve opened it. 

Does Zarbee’s Cough Syrup Expire?

Yes, Zarbee’s cough syrup does expire just like every other drug or supplement. The fact that it is made of natural ingredients without the kinds of preservatives used in pharmaceutical drugs indicates the strong need to discard the product once it has passed its expiration date. 

Generally, expiration dates in pharmaceutical products do not mean that the product loses all its potency to become ineffective and harmful once expired. 

What it does mean is that the manufacturer can only guarantee that the drug will retain its potency, efficacy, and safety within the period between when it was produced to when it is labeled to expire.

So taking a drug that has passed its expiration date is at your own risk as it may not be as effective as it should be. It could also become toxic and harmful. It is highly recommended that you discard Zarbee’s cough syrup once it has expired.

To buttress the original intention and meaning behind expiration date labels. Studies have shown that a good amount of medications are capable of remaining effective for at least 5 years after it has expired.  

One such study was done on 14 medications that had expired between 28 to 40 years prior to the analysis. Surprisingly, the result came back showing that 12 out of the 14 meds analyzed, were able to retain their potency for more than 336 months after production. While 8 of the 14 meds retained their potency for over 480 months post-production [1]. 

This level of potency may be hugely impacted by how well the product was stored prior to expiration. Poor storage conditions are known to speed up the rate of degradation of medications.

Whether the findings from this study can be applicable to Zarbee’s is unknown as there is no study showing the retention of potency and efficacy of Zarbee’s after it has expired. 

My professional advice to you is to discard any Zarbee’s cough syrup that has expired and either seek a replacement or reach out to your doctor for a new drug recommendation best suited for your condition.

What are the Potential Risks of Taking Expired Zarbee’s Cough Syrup?

An expired Zarbee’s cough syrup may become ineffective such that after taking it, you may not notice any improvement in your symptoms as should. This is likely due to the fact that the active ingredients in the products have broken down to a level that is no longer enough to produce the desired therapeutic or beneficial effects.

This process is not only limited to supplements like Zarbee’s. It cuts across all drug products, be it pharmaceutical or herbal. It is an established fact that medications begin to lose their potency at a very slow rate starting from the day it was manufactured [2]. 

However, this process doesn’t become spontaneous or rapid after the drug has expired. It still maintains that pace, which might explain why certain drugs can stay effective for over 5 years after the labeled expiration date.

Another potential danger involved in taking an expired Zarbee’s product is the potential risk of being exposed to harmful byproducts that may have been generated either by chemical or microbial breakdown of the product. This is more likely to be a problem if the product was not stored properly under their recommended storage conditions. 

Taking an expired and ineffective drug may also prolong the condition intended to be treated, thereby increasing the possibility of it worsening or becoming complicated [3]. 

There are also unnecessary and avoidable financial implications that you may incur while trying to resolve the negative health consequences of taking an expired cough syrup.

In summary, the potential risks involved in consuming an expired Zarbee’s cough syrup carry more weight than the amount you’d spend in replacing it. Hence, it is definitely not the gamble and as such, do not take Zarbee’s once it has passed its expiration date.

How Long Does Zarbee’s Cough Syrup Last Once Opened?

Assuming you have a bottle of Zarbee’s cough syrup that has not expired yet. 

Once you’ve opened the product, it is highly recommended that you use it within 90 days. After the 90 days have elapsed, discard whatever is left of the cough syrup and if need be, get a fresh new bottle.

If you’re wondering why you have to discard it after 90 days even when it is still miles away from expiration. It is because Zarbee’s cough syrups contain natural ingredients like honey, Ivy leaf extracts, elderberry fruit extract, etc. With little to no chemical preservatives. 

It doesn’t even have alcohol in it nor does it contain some of those pharmaceutical preservatives with names so complicated that pronouncing them feels like wrestling with a linguistic Hydra, each name a multi-headed challenge.

So, since they don’t rely on chemical preservatives like benzoic acid, sorbic acid, parabens, Butylated Hydroxyanisole BHA (told ya!). They are more prone to microbial contamination, especially with the regular opening and closing of the cap in open air.

Once your Zarbee’s cough syrup has gone bad, the first obvious sign you’ll notice is the bad odor that will come from the bottle once opened. At this point, you have no option but to discard it, regardless of whether it is just 30 days or 60 days after opening. 

Taking Zarbee’s that has gone bad may cause symptoms like diarrhea and other discomforts. Depending on the contaminating microorganism, it may become a serious issue.

As such, do well to discard the product once it has exceeded 90 days after opening, or when you’ve begun perceiving an unusual foul odor coming out of the product.

Final Thoughts

References

1. Cantrell L, Suchard JR, Wu A, Gerona RR. Stability of Active Ingredients in Long-Expired Prescription Medications. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(21):1685–1687. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.4501. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ 
2. Gikonyo D, Gikonyo A, Luvayo D, Ponoth P. Drug expiry debate: the myth and the reality. Afr Health Sci. 2019 Sep;19(3):2737-2739. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v19i3.49. PMID: 32127846; PMCID: PMC7040264. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7040264/ 
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019, April 29). Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/dont-be-tempted-use-expired-medicines