It’s one of the worst feelings, waking up in the middle of the night and wondering, “Did I take my bedtime medication?” Or pausing mid-morning and thinking, “Geez, I think I forget to take that pill today. Or did I?”
For anyone living with multiple sclerosis, those little memory blips can crop up anytime.
For example, I have a prescription that is dosed weekly. That means I have to remind myself on that day of the week to do it. Making matters worse, this drug has to be taken a full hour before eating anything. How many times have I forgotten, only to remember it after eating my breakfast? (Don’t ask.)
I know I am not alone in this. Lots of people (especially MSers, anyone reaching a certain age, or anyone who may be a little overtired or stressed – OK, I can fit all of those criteria on a given day) can slip up with medication doses.
Here are nine practical steps we can take to keep track of our regular medication doses.
We don’t all have to do all of these things. It’s important for each of us to find the methods that work best for us, so we’ll stick to them.
- Use a weekly pill sorter box. In our house, we call those “smutwurfs,” because they are marked S-M-T-W-T-F-S. The idea is to place each day’s medications into its marked spot. (If you take AM and PM meds, you might want two of these sorters.) Lots of people use these for traveling, but they are equally handy at home. (I even use one to keep track of our senior doggy’s medicines.) Here’s one example of a pill organizer. And here’s one for someone taking medications three times a day, marked for morning, noon, and night.
- Location. Location. Location. Set out morning doses before bedtime, and setup evening doses on the nightstand. That makes medications hard to miss.
- Set alarms for medication times. Smart phones are ideal for this, although some people still prefer an actual alarm clock. It’s easy to set up recurring alarms on a smart phone or tablet, if you take your meds at certain specific times of day and/or night.
- Put dosage times on your smart phone calendar. If this makes more sense to you, it’s equally simple to create recurring calendar events on your smart phone calendar. What’s more, you can even set start and end dates, if a medication will only be used for a specified duration.
- Make yourself a chart of checklist to record when you take your medicines. Keep it in a visible and convenient spot, and mark it each time you have a dose. Here’s a medication tracker/pill reminder gadget with little sliding buttons for AM and PM. Some people prefer to use daily medication log books (or even large print versions) to check off doses.
- Keep extra meds handy. If you may find yourself out and about at medication times, it’s smart to carry a few doses in a pocket, pack, or purse. That way, you won’t find yourself without your dosages when they are due. Although some folks keep their extra meds in their cars, this is not advisable when extreme temperatures are possible, as those may degrade or alter the potency of the medications. Here’s a convenient little daily pill organizer with four compartments to hold one day’s medications while away from home.
- Enlist another for reminders. Some folks find it helpful to clue in a trusted and reliable friend or family member, just in case they happen to forget when it’s dosage time. (If you have a caregiver, then this step is likely already in place.)
- Stay current with your medical team about your medications. It’s easy to lose track of medication regimens, especially if your treatment plan changes. Old medications may no longer be recommended, and new ones may be prescribed. Mixing old and new drugs can be problematic, potentially causing dangerous or unpleasant interactions, so it’s essential to keep things up to date.
- Keep your medication supply current. If a drug is no longer part of your treatment plan, it’s time to get rid of it, so you won’t risk taking it by mistake. Most communities offer periodic drug turn-in days, when they accept such medications and dispose of them properly and safely. (I take my Rx labels off first for privacy’s sake, but that’s just me.)
Each individual will quickly determine which steps are most helpful. The main thing is to manage medications accurately and eliminate missed or incorrect doses.
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Image/s: Public domain photo/s, Pixabay
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