Well for that fact of the matter, any potion in a Nordic ruin or any ruin or anywhere really really old.

Now this topic has probably been discussed obsessively by now or so I would believe.

But considering that potions are made from all natural ingredients, wouldn't you say at some point they would expire? Or have expiration dates? I have this uncanny feeling that every time the Dragonborn takes a swig of expired potion, he's having uncomfortable bowel movements.

So, the question to me then is:

Should potions in old dusty ancient ruins, without the presence of bandits, have negative side effects too?

I know it also safe to assume that all the potions are from the bandits or the forsworn. But the best example I have is the very first Nordic ruin you come into. The recent bandits, and that bandit chieftan didn't make it very deep before dying. And I doubt Arvel the Swift left that many potions just lying around.

Potions are magical so why would they "expire"

Potions probably have a lifelong lasting time, and only "expire" after you open it up.

A piece of bread, in an ancient dungeon, with cobwebs over it? Delicious!

Yeah, I think they should have some negative effects, depending on the very ruin you're in, the inhabitants, etc.

But I guess it's a lot of coding trouble, and it's a fantasy game after all.

Edit: http://images.uesp.net/c/c4/Fishystick.jpg

No, they shouldn't.

No, they're just made from plants; no spells involved.

Really? An Icewraith is a plant now?

I could understand, with ingredients like fire salts, or void salts.

But we're talking common, a little Blue Mountain Flower and some other pretty little flower. Last time I checked, blue mountain flower isn't so magical and after a while they kind of wilt.

And consider Alchemy is in the process of a grindstone and mortar to turn things into a fine liquid, with such common ingredients in most. Wouldn't they expire?

edit-

Which reminds me. Another thing I have noticed is, how healthy some of these ingredients look still in these old little ruins? Flowers don't wilt. Bread doesn't mold.

You know, you may not code it, just give them sad names. "Moldy Bread"

void salts, Fire salts, Frost salts, Daedra Heart, ect...

http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Restore_Health (Wheat + Blue Mountain Flower)

I take the point that not all potions/poisons are made from plants, and that some are made from the remains of daedra.

Irrespective of whether potions found in dungeons should "expire" and have negative effects, I think this highlights an area where Bethesda missed opportunities to make Alchemy more interesting. Each type of potion can be created with multiple pairs of ingredients, but for the most part it doesn't matter which pair of ingredients you use, because the potion strength/duration will be the same. (There are a few exceptions, like Deathbell for damage health). It would have been nice to see more variation here.

To me, the idea of potions expiring drives at a semi-simulational game play mode. I would love if they would've spent more time on giving us an option like this, like Obisidian did in Fallout NV (which I never played, but I heard they delivered on this mode). To me, my biggest pet peeve with potions is how they are utilized. You can guzzle as many as you like in one go, and every normal player is going to learn to horde potions so they can burn them for hard hitting opponents to stay alive. I really wish they would have taken a different approach. If they were going for a semi-simulation like experience, I think potions should have a drink animation, that if interrupted, halts the effect but makes you lose the potion. This would mean you would use potions pre-combat, which I think is what they should be used for. If that change is made, I'd like to see the power of potion effects increased, as well as duration. This would mean players would mostly use potions to make their dungeon crawls a little less hairy. This would also mean that restoration would be the go-to option for in-combat healing, which again, is how I feel it should be. Now, for everyone who would play a pure thief or warrior, I think you would still be able to get by with loading up on health or being stealthy enough to survive combat so you could heal up after combat with some health pots.

Morrowind had spoiled potions in pawnshops and random loot that gave negative effects along with the base ones. What happened to that?

I guess potion makers in Vvardenfell just svck at making them or don't know how to make them eternally preserved like the rest of the world.