Any Doctors in the house? - What is that smell?!

[Mad Doug Biker]

Hello, I have been unwell these past few days, mainly with a hideous headache which extends from the top of my head to my jaw and neck. My mouth is sore and I am also coughing things up. I''m also now quite dehydrated too.

Annyway, on routing about trying to find pain killers, I found a lost forgotten box of Sudafed max strength.

Nothing wrong there and it did the job...

Except for one thing.

I had neglected to look and see when they expired
They are 3 years out of date and I have been taking them.

Now, here's the thing, I am suddenly stinking of something and I don't know what it is, but it's not very nice.

I an almost metallic smell, with hints of burnt wood, it's quite odd.
It is NOT sweat either, I smell nothing like that!

Does anyone know what this would be?

Thanks

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Is it your own perception that you smell, or have others confirmed it?

I have no idea of the details, but I am aware that there are some conditions that cause you to get the sensation of smells that aren't actually there.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

It's only me here.
I do wonder if it's the out of date/off bits of the pills seeping out?

 

[ClichéGuevara]

My advice would be to see your Doctor.

It could have nothing to do with the drugs, and be a symptom related to the other ailments.

 

[Bazzer]

NHS direct if it mentally bothers you, or just shower more often if the smell bothers you ?

 

[si_c]

It's only me here.
I do wonder if it's the out of date/off bits of the pills seeping out?

Unlikely.

Medications are held in a binding agent and are relatively stable chemically, but they do degrade over time. The Use By date on medication relates to the period at which the active ingredient is likely to drop below, usually, 90% of it's original strength. You're basically taking weak pills.

That's not to say it's definitely not the cause - I'm not a chemist - but I wouldn't be worrying about it. If the strange smell is worrying you, contact a professional - and definitely mention the pills you have taken - and let them make an assessment.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

The Use By date on medication relates to the period at which the active ingredient is likely to drop below, usually, 90% of it's original strength. You're basically taking weak pills.

The shelf life of pharmaceuticals is driven by ICH standards

https://www.ich.org/page/quality-guidelines

There are standards for stability testing (Q1), impurities (Q3) and specifications (Q6).

Strength ("assay" formally) is only one of the considerations; generation of impurities and other properties including dissolution rate are also important and will be on the specification. Which is the limiting factor for shelf life will vary from one product to another.

It's possible that in this case shelf life is determined by assay reduction, but also possible that impurities or other specifications limit it. It's also possible that the product is very stable, and shelf life is only limited by the length of data available from studies. We can't definitively conclude that the OP is taking weak pills.

 

[figbat]

Tonsillitis can cause bad breath, I guess other infections could too.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

It's only me here.
I do wonder if it's the out of date/off bits of the pills seeping out?

Nobody on here will be able to answer your question with any certainty. Seek medical advice if you are concerned.

Data may not be available to help a medical practitioner answer your question as to whether degradation products of the pills are a potential cause.

 

[craigwend]

NHS direct if it mentally bothers you, or just shower more often if the smell bothers you ?

Above,

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/

rules (in) out your and everyones suspicions etc

Also helps rule out any other causes etc and waiting for GP appointment

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Oh, I woke up earlier to an awful taste in my mouth. One of my teeth was a bit sore and now I taste what I recognise as poison, like an Abcess.

Doubt I'll get an appointment tonight though, so just keep draining it with salty water...


I may have possibly just found my answer! Maybe.

 

[bruce1530]

Phone NHS24, they have an emergency dental service, I phoned them on Christmas Day (evening), they gave me an appointment for 10am on Boxing Day. The people at the dentist said they had been fairly busy on Christmas Day.

 

[ColinJ]

Oh, I woke up earlier to an awful taste in my mouth. One of my teeth was a bit sore and now I taste what I recognise as poison, like an Abcess.

Doubt I'll get an appointment tonight though, so just keep draining it with salty water...


I may have possibly just found my answer! Maybe.

I think that you could be right there!

I had the same thing a few years back and a rotten tooth/abcess were to blame.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Phone NHS24, they have an emergency dental service, I phoned them on Christmas Day (evening), they gave me an appointment for 10am on Boxing Day. The people at the dentist said they had been fairly busy on Christmas Day.

I had an infection before and went to the hospital.

Because it was Dental and not vital, I was left all night and only seen in the morning.
Pointless.

 

[vickster]

I had an infection before and went to the hospital.

Because it was Dental and not vital, I was left all night and only seen in the morning.
Pointless.

That’s why you’d need an emergency dental appointment. Contact a dentist if there’s no dental hospital nearby?