Forgetting to take meds...

[Gnusgal]

I don't know what my problem is lately. I've forgotten to take my meds at night at least three times in the last two weeks. Actually, with one of those times I took them, but not all of them (I have a daily pill box and somehow not all of the pills came out of the box when I dumped it out. Apparently I didn't check to see what was in my hand. ) This is getting to be a real problem. Of course, forgetting the coumadin can be a problem, but worse still is the not taking my vasotec. When I do that I get lots of palpitations. Last night I distinctly remember telling myself as I went to take my contacts out "Better take your meds now or you'll forget." Well, by the time I got in there, I forgot! Today is the first day of school with kids, so my heart's already acting kinda crazy... I really don't need this today.

 

[Cooker]

I have to take mine in the morning ... it is the only way I would ever remember.

 

[Ross]

I've made a habit of sticking my finger in the pill box to make sure I got them all. Too many times, 2 or more have jammed together and didn't come out by a simple over turning into the hand.

 

[Cooker]

I've made a habit of sticking my finger in the pill box to make sure I got them all. Too many times, 2 or more have jammed together and didn't come out by a simple over turning into the hand.

That happened to me several times ... I bought an oversize pill box and now no jamming....

 

[Mike]

maybe it would help...

maybe it would help...

to put your nightly meds in a separate pill sorter with your contact case.

Or if you check your computer every night, consider putting your reminder in your computer's scheduling program. Some programs allow you to set a regular daily "appointment" at a particular time. Some even have an alarm function that you can set to remind you.

Or if you have a cooperative cell phone, set your nightly meds as a daily event in the calendar.

or ask somebody else to help remind you of them for a while. That might re-establish your pattern.

It could be that changing hormones and nerves from anticipation and maybe even school re-starting are just messing with your mental wiring just now. I'm sure you'll get it back on track soon.

Diana (Mrs. Mike)

 

[Alistair]

This has always been a fear of mine. I've never been good at taking meds. I couldn't even remember to take a daily vitamin. Prior to surgery, I was taking a baby aspirin each day. I would leave the bottle on my desk as a reminder. That same bottle reminds me now to take not just the aspirin but my Coumadin as well. That, and a low dose of Metoprolol, is all I take.

Traveling and being away from home overnight; I fear that is going to be my big hurdle. I thought about putting a few of each in a little baggy in my wallet just in case I forget to take them.

-Alistair

 

[Superbob]

I use a pill box and occasionally will forget to take my dinnertime meds (esp when we eat out), so then have to swallow a lot more than I like at bedtime.

I think Mike's suggestion is a good one. Could program reminders into your computer and/or cellphone -- perhaps even using the alarm function on a cellphone could serve that purpose.

Good luck with this, Niki.

 

[cday]

I think that the alarm idea is a good one, but I think linking it to the contacts or teeth brushing is even better. You have got to have a reminder task now that your nightly routine is changing due to school responsibilities.

 

[Freddie]

Yep, I agree. Linking your pills with your contacts is the answer. I like to use sticky notes, but by using an elastic your pills and contact case will stay together. Just a thought.

 

[Duff Man]

I set alarms on my digital watch to go off daily. They repeat without me needing to set them again. I can set up to 5 alarms, so if it gets that bad and I need 5 dose times during the day I can do it. I also use a pill box. I'm not 100% sure, but I think there hasn't been one dose that I've missed in the last 5 years that wasn't intentional. I'm fanatical about it, not to mention if I go longer than 14 hours without taking my second dose of tenormin my heart wigs out.. so that's an automatic reminder.

 

[hall]

I agree, to take them with a routine you do every night. When I read your post it reminded me to take my nightly pills so I am not a whole lot of help!

 

[Gnusgal]

Okay, maybe I should have prefaced this post... I DO have a routine. Every night I take out my contacts, take my meds, then get in the shower. I have to take some meds at night because I take meds twice a day. I have a pill box for morning and a pill box for evening. Both are by my contact case because I take the morning ones when I put my contacts in, and the night ones when I take them out... I've been doing this routine for some 20+ years. I don't know what in the world is going on. This is very unusual for me. I think it may have something to do with the stress going on right now (DH's grandmother is dying and we've gone up to the hospital every day, not to mention school starting).

As for the alarm options, I don't know that it would work. I have a tendancy to ignore alarms. I know that's dumb. But usually I see an alarm (on my computer or the cell phone) and I think "Okay, I'll do that in a minute" and finish what I'm doing at the time... Then proceed to forget. I really hope this is just a passing thing and that once things calm down a bit it won't be an issue anymore. Tonight, as soon as I got home from work, I put my pills and pill boxs (it's time to refill) on the bed in my spot. That way I can't go to bed without taking my meds. Surely that will work!