NEED MEDICAL ADVICE!

[trof]

Naw, not really.
Just wanted to shake up the mods.
;-)

But I do have a really dumb question.
Many OTC meds and prescription drugs come with a little plastic cylinder in the bottle.
It has silica gel in it or some desiccant to keep the pills dry (I guess?).
Is that thingy in there just for shelf life and shipping?
Or should you keep it in the bottle?
It gets in the way when you're 'pouring' a pill into your hand.

Thank you.
(Sorry mods. False alarm.)
:-)

[Kali]

1. you should take it out every day and dry it well in the oven

then put it back in the bottle to absorb all pill juices that might leak out:P

if you had moved to Scottsdale I would say you could probably do without for most of the year, but since you live where I presume it is pretty humid...

[trof]

3. You presume correctly.

It's humid on the gulf coast.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I dunno, I always throw them out...

They DO get in the way!

:hi:

[trof]

4. Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing.

Hi, Peg.
:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Hi, trof...

Nice to see ya!

:hi:

[noamnety]

6. I just swallow them with a little water

when the pills run out. I figure they are there to absorb something, there's probably a bit of the meds soaked up in them that I don't want to waste. :)

[undeterred]

7. If you eat it you will extend your shelf life.

[freshwest]

8. I bet it will. Your shelf life as a mummy... LOL

[Chan790]

9. It depends on how long you're keeping the pills.

Disposal of them shortens the window of maximum efficacy of many meds by up to 1/2. So if it's like my Advil where I go through a bottle every 6 mos...you don't need it. If it's like my bottle of pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) that I go through over 2-3 years, I'd keep it.

Doubly so living in the gulf south. Humidity being what it is.

[MiddleFingerMom]

11. 2-3 YEARS?!?!?!? You don't cook up very much meth, do you? n/t

[Chan790]

13. Why cook?

The 80-something never-married Holocaust survivor down the hall from me deals some of the most primo Method in Montgomery County. (Yes, really. Supposedly, methamphetamine quality not being an area of expertise for me.)

I've honestly reported him more than once, the police seem reticent to do anything about it. I'm generally accepting of other people's drug-foibles as long as they keep it away from society and non-public but this is absurd. He really needs to not be cooking meth in his condo or dealing out of it.

[csziggy]

10. I save them and throw them in the bottom of my camera bag

Or one of the drawers that has stuff than needs to stay dry. But for the pills that will be used in 1 to 3 months, I take them out if they are in the way.

[MiddleFingerMom]

12. Since I'm allergic to both H20 & saline, I stuff them up my nose in lieu of a neti pot regimen.

.
.
.
The bulky cylindrical ones ARE a pain in the ass and I usually get rid
of them -- other desiccators I leave in.
.
.
.

[Bake]

14. I think you're supposed to eat it.

At least, I always do.

:hi:

Bake

[snagglepuss]

Don't throw them away. Here's some unusal uses for those little packets.

http://www.diylife.com/2011/01/03/silica-gel-packets-unusual-uses/

[snagglepuss]

15. Don't throw them away. Here's some unusal uses for those little packets.

http://www.diylife.com/2011/01/03/silica-gel-packets-unusual-uses/