Expired Claritin

It appears that Benjamin Franklin was wrong. He once said that, “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Well...life amidst the coronavirus pandemic has proved that to be false. Schools are closed, grocery stores are limiting purchases as shelves run bare AND our traditional April tax deadline has been moved to July. The world has shifted on its axis. 

But, some things do not change. I woke up coughing last night. I recognized this cough. I’ve had a version of it at this time of year for most of my adult life. This morning, as we welcome the second day of Spring, I grabbed the Costco sized Claritin I’ve had for years. The ritual has begun: Spring allergies are no match for my faithful over-the-counter symptom buster. After swallowing a tiny pill with my coffee this morning, I glanced at the expiration date. Can it be? Expired in 2012? I am not a big believer in expiration dates - I see them mainly as guidelines. BUT...even I must admit that a medication expired for EIGHT years may need to be replaced. In normal times this would be an easy trip to Costco. Today...I will go on using my eight-year-old-Claritin-thank-you-very-much. 

When the list of certainties are dwindling, seasonal allergies and expired Claritin stand as solid markers of normalcy. 

And don’t worry. Expired or not...my Claritin is doing wonders. I feel better already!