9 smart tips for remembering to take medications

  

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. 

1. 
   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. 
   

2. Location. Location. Location. Set out morning doses before bedtime, and setup evening doses on the nightstand. That makes medications hard to miss. 

3. 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. 

4. 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. 

5. 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. 

6. 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. 

7. 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.) 

8. 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. 

9. 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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MS and vision: How many types of glasses do I need?

 

Vision is an issue for almost everyone battling multiple sclerosis, or so it seems. Most of us have experienced optic neuritis in one or both eyes, when MS attacks the optic nerve, wreaking havoc on eyesight. We face tunnel vision, color blindness, eye pain, loss of depth perception, and general blurriness until it subsides. If we’re lucky, most of the damage is temporary – at least, until the next episode.

 Vertigo is another common complaint among those with MS. Reeling, unsteadiness, and dizziness can crop up anytime. And they do.

 

That makes vision care considerably more complex for MSers.

 Personally, I’ve been through the wringer, when it comes to finding useful and appropriate eyewear.

 Initially, all I needed was a pair of basic magnifying readers. I’d pick these up for reading, computer work, crafting, and other close-up activities. It was enough to keep a few pairs in strategic spots around the house, office, car, and other locations for quick grabbing.

 Eventually, I grew tired of the constant off-and-ons. And, like many, I began needing some vision help with distance sight as well. So I tried bifocals.

 Ugh!

 I would imagine it’s tricky enough to nod one’s head constantly up and down, finding the sweet spots on bifocals for far and close sights. But with MS attacking spots up and down one’s spine, all that neck movement can be a real headache. (See what I did there?)

 And the shifting back and forth from near and far tends to be jarring. It sure was for me. So I tossed the bifocals.

 Then my eye doctor suggested progressive lenses.

 Oh, boy.

 Progressive lenses somehow blend the distance prescription down to the close-up prescription without visible dividing lines. They’re particularly pricey, but plenty of people crow about how wonderful they are. (Actually, I have never heard an MSer praise them, now that I think about it.)

 Ah, hindsight!

 OK, so the vision center expert minimized the possible struggles I might encounter, simply defining a “short-term learning process” with progressive lenses.

 That didn’t even come close to describing the blurriness, double vision, and vertigo I experienced when I began wearing a very pricey pair of progressive lens eyeglasses. Yes, I even barfed.

 Then I did a little reading on the issue. Apparently, progressive lenses can bring blurry vision, headaches, nausea, balance problems, and an impression of still objects bouncing around. Some people even trip or fall when wearing them. Sounds a little dizzying and disorienting, right? Just the ticket for someone with MS?

 I reverted to my trusty pairs of cheap readers. At the time, I still didn’t need much help for distance viewing. I figured I could live with a little squinting, rather than reeling from the weird lenses.

 

Ah, but things change in time, don’t they?

 My latest eye exam revealed I need more distance vision help. When I protested about bifocals and progressives, my eye doc recommended I try using one pair of glasses for distance and another for close-up.  And because most of my need for distance viewing is while driving, I also picked out a pair of prescription sunglasses.

 Gee, this will be fun, trying to keep track of all that eyewear.

 Life with MS. No one ever said it would be simple.

 

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  Image/s: public domain photp

 

 

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Simple OTC product helps vertigo?

File this one under “NOW they tell me.”

 Here we go again, I groaned, as vertigo sent me a-whirl. It started in waves of dizziness, unsteadiness, and nausea – as it generally does. But it built into a non-stop tsunami of nastiness that sent me to bed for three straight days.

 

The slightest movement or turn of head made it worse.

 By the end of day number two, I called my physician’s office. No answer. No callback.

 Tethered to bed by the raging MonSter’s thrill ride from hell, I logged my symptoms (along with what I ate, how much water I drank, and when I took my migraine medication or ibuprofen or anything else).

 On day number three, I dragged myself to my computer and accessed my patient portal. I emailed my symptom log from my smartphone to my PC and copied-and-pasted it in a message to the doctor’s office. Then I slogged my way back to bed.

 Minutes later, the nurse called with an appointment. I was to appear in the clinic two hours later.

 

Amazing how that happens when the message gets through, right?

 I arranged a ride (as I was in no condition to drive, feeling carsick merely being still).

 In the office, the doctor reviewed my symptom log, checked my vitals, and wrote me a prescription for …

 

Wait for it …

 The script said “Meclizine.”

 What’s that?

 Meclizine is an antihistamine. It’s generally used for nausea, dizziness, and vomiting from motion sickness. And it’s available over the counter. Brand names include Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula.

 As a child, I frequently experienced motion sickness on longer car rides, especially on curvy, bumpy roads or in stop-and-go traffic. So I am very familiar with Dramamine.

 

But duh.

 It never occurred to me that Dramamine might help with MS vertigo. And no doctor or MS specialist ever mentioned that to me.

 I want those three days of miserable head-whirling bed-rest back - along with all other times I was sidelined with the whirling nightmare of vertigo.

 And now I keep motion sickness medication in my nightstand, my car, my purse, and my gym bag. I even have the chewable tablets in my running pack. Just in case.

 I’m also looking into the anti-nausea bracelets that lots of cruise ship passengers and air travelers wear to find out if those might help with MS vertigo as well. (There may be a product review here in the future.)

 

NOTE: I am not a doctor. I do not have advanced medical training, licensing, or certification in medical or pharmacy sciences. I just know what works for me. Please confer with your own medical team before taking any medications, therapies, or treatment regimens.

 

By the way, the doctor tried performing the Epley Maneuver for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), in case my symptoms happened to be caused by shifting calcium crystals in the inner ear. That made the whole experience worse. MS is unlike any other animal, and this simply proved that again.

 

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Image/s: Adapted from public domain image.

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

You are invited to join the Kicking MS to the Curb page on Facebook and the Making the Most of MS board on Pinterest.

45 smart and eco-friendly ways to reuse prescription pill bottles

Don’t toss empty plastic pill bottles. Why not recycle them creatively instead?

Multiple sclerosis warriors can collect a fair amount of empty plastic prescription bottles over time. But why toss these in the trash, when they can be handy for storing all sorts of tiny objects and essentials? Instead of pouring empty prescription containers into landfills, why not find creative and practical ways to use them instead?

Here are 45 different ways those empty plastic prescription bottles can be used for storage and organization. Perhaps you can think of many more applications as well. 

NOTE: Written by this author, this copyrighted material originally appeared on another publisher’s site. That site no longer exists. This author holds all rights to this content. No republication is allowed without permission.

Be sure to peel the labels off your empty plastic prescription bottles. Wash the containers carefully, and dry them thoroughly to remove any possible medicinal residue. Mark empty plastic prescription bottles with stick-on labels, or write the contents directly on the containers with a permanent marker.

Use empty plastic prescription bottles to store:

1. Antacids – How many times have you reached into your pocket or purse for a chewable antacid tablet, only to find the last one stuck to the bottom? Somehow, that fuzzy, lint-covered over-the-counter antacid seems less than appetizing. If you store that opened roll of Rolaids, Tums or other antacids in an empty plastic prescription bottle, you will always find a fresh tablet when you need it.

2. Bandages – Most adhesive bandages fit nicely inside an empty plastic prescription bottle, and the container will keep these first-aid necessities clean and dry. Why not keep empty plastic prescription bottles of adhesive bandages in the car, as well as the bathroom and kitchen cabinets.

3. BBs and Air-Gun Pellets – Do you have a toy or hobby gun? Empty plastic prescription bottles are ideal for storing those BBs and pellets. The child-proof lids will keep the contents securely stored, although you will still want to stash the plastic prescription bottle in a safe spot – out of sight and out of reach.

4. Beads – Crafters and jewelry makers may find empty plastic prescription bottles particularly handy for storing beads, clasps, hooks and other beading supplies. By using several empty plastic prescription bottles, crafters can keep beads and adornments sorted by color, size, style or other criteria.

5. Beanie Baby Tags - Do you still have an assortment of Beanie Baby animals or other collectible toys? How about keeping those little hang tags in empty plastic prescription bottles?

6. Bobby Pins – Hair clips and bobby pins fit easily into empty plastic prescription bottles. Instead of digging through vanity drawers for hair pins, why not keep these hairstyling supplies inside empty plastic prescription bottles?

7. Breath Mints – Once opened, breath mints or rolled candies may tumble out of their packaging into a backpack, handbag or pocket. Prevent sticky messes and fuzzy candies by keeping these treats in empty plastic prescription bottles. (Be sure to warn children that not all contents of plastic prescription bottles are readily edible, to prevent them from consuming actual medications.)

8. Buttons – Often, store-bought garments come with tiny packets of spare buttons or snaps. Keep these extra fasteners in an empty plastic prescription bottle, so you will know exactly where to find them, if one should pop off of your favorite apparel.

9. Cash – Store an extra $20 or two in an empty plastic prescription bottle in the glove compartment or door cubby of your car, just for emergency use.

10. Christmas Tree Light Bulbs - Boxes of new Christmas tree lights usually include miniscule packets of spare light bulbs and fuses. Tuck these into an empty plastic prescription bottle, and stick this in the Christmas ornament box for easy access when you need new bulbs or fuses.

11. Coins – The larger empty plastic prescription bottles easily hold coins of all denominations. You can keep a supply of coins (particularly quarters) for the Laundromat and the toll booth in an empty plastic prescription bottle in the car.

12. Cotton Balls – Tidy up the bathroom vanity or cosmetics kit by storing loose cotton balls in an empty plastic prescription bottle. This solution is particularly convenient for traveling, offering just enough cotton balls for make-up removal or first-aid uses on the road.

13. Cotton Swabs – Q-tips and other cotton swabs fit neatly inside an empty plastic prescription bottle for daily use or travel.

14. Cough Drops and Throat Lozenges – Store a few cough drops or throat lozenges in an empty plastic prescription bottle in your school backpack, purse or briefcase. Stash another empty plastic prescription bottle of cough drops or throat lozenges in your desk drawer or at your workstation. (Be sure to warn children that not all contents of plastic prescription bottles are readily edible, to prevent them from consuming actual medications.)

15. Daily Medications – Track your daily medication doses and vitamins by storing these in seven empty plastic prescription bottles. Label the empty plastic prescription bottles for each day of the week, and you will always know if you have taken your daily doses. (Some folks find it helpful to use 14 empty plastic prescription bottles, if morning and evening doses are needed.)

16. Disposable Razor Heads – Toss used razor heads into child-proof empty plastic prescription bottles. Seal the tops securely before discarding these potentially dangerous items in the trash.

17. Doll Accessories – Store miniature doll toys and fashion doll accessories in empty plastic prescription bottles, and you won’t lose any more of those tiny high-heeled Barbie shoes.

18. Earring Backs – How often have you looked for stray earring backs in your jewelry box? Why not keep a small supply of earring backs in an empty plastic prescription bottle?

19. Fishing Hooks – Do you love to fish? Keep track of those little fish hooks and lures by sealing them in empty plastic prescription bottles. Use several empty plastic prescription bottles to sort and store those small angling accessories.

20. Fruit Snacks – Pack healthy dried apricots, cranberries, prunes or raisins in empty plastic prescription bottles for bag lunches. (Be sure to warn children that not all contents of plastic prescription bottles are readily edible, to prevent them from consuming actual medications.)

21. Game pieces – Track pairs of dice, game tokens and other small pieces in empty plastic prescription bottles. Tuck one plastic prescription bottle inside each game box, filled with the tiny components of that game. Plastic prescription bottles are just right for packing those little Monopoly pieces, for example.

22. Glitter – Craft glitter, sequins and sand art may be stored easily and neatly in empty plastic prescription bottles.

23. Matches – Keep matches (cardboard and wooden) in empty plastic prescription bottles. This storage method prevents matches from striking accidentally, while keeping these fire starters dry as well. What a super solution for boaters, campers, canoeing enthusiasts and white-water rafters.

24. Medical Information – Place a list of pertinent personal medical information inside an empty plastic prescription bottle, and store it inside the freezer. Stick a note on the refrigerator door to alert paramedics, in case of an emergency. (Storing medical information in the freezer is a common practice, especially in senior citizen communities.)

25. Medical Sharps – Put used lancets and hypodermic needles inside empty plastic prescription bottles, and seal lids securely for safe disposal. This suggestion may be particularly helpful while traveling, as a safer means of transporting spent sharps home for proper permanent disposal in an appropriate container. Be sure to check state and local requirements for medical waste disposal, as licensed containers may be required in some areas.

26. Nail Polish Remover – Fill empty plastic prescription bottles with cotton balls, soaked in nail polish remover, for handy do-it-yourself manicures.

27. Orthodontic Rubber Bands – Do you have a brace-wearer in your household? Those tiny orthodontic rubber bands may seem to show up everywhere. Prevent this minor mayhem by storing these supplies in empty plastic prescription bottles.

28. Pain-Relief Medications – Many consumers purchase acetaminophen, ibuprofen and other over-the-counter medications in bulk containers for better pricing. Why not store smaller supplies in empty plastic prescription bottles for daily use? Be advised, however, that original labeled packaging may be required for airport security, when you travel.

29. Paintballs – Paintball enthusiasts may store leftover paint pellets in empty plastic prescription bottles to prevent these supplies from popping and spilling.

30. Paints – Mix powdered poster or tempera paints in empty plastic prescription bottles for painting crafts. Store leftover acrylic paints in empty plastic prescription bottles as well. Dab a bit of paint on the top of each plastic prescription bottle for easy color identification.

31. Paper Clips – De-clutter a home office or workplace desk by storing loose paperclips in empty plastic prescription bottles.

32. Picture Hooks – Pick up picture hanging hooks and nails, and keep them in empty plastic prescription bottles for easy organization.

33. Postage Stamps – Avoid sticky messes by storing postage stamps in empty plastic prescription bottles.

34. Rubber Bands – Stash rubber bands for ready use in empty plastic prescription bottles. Use another empty plastic prescription bottle for coated hair elastics.

35. Safety Pins – Always have safety pins available when you need them by keeping them in empty plastic prescription bottles.

36. Salad Dressing – Take a single serving of mayonnaise or salad dressing in a bag lunch by packing it into an empty plastic prescription bottle.

37. Salt and Pepper – Carefully punch a few holes in the tops of empty plastic prescription bottles to make your own salt and pepper shakers.

38. Screws – Store screws, nuts, bolts, brads and nails in empty plastic prescription bottles to tidy up the tool chest.

39. Seeds – Organize flower, vegetable and other plant seeds in empty plastic prescription bottles. You can even start seeds in empty plastic prescription bottles by adding peat or planting medium.

40. Sewing Kit – Stick a needle, thread, straight pins, safety pin and spare button in an empty plastic prescription bottle to create a personal sewing kit for travel or the workplace.

41. Shampoo and Conditioner – Stop overspending on sample-sized sundries for travel. Pour small amounts of shampoo and conditioner into empty plastic prescription bottles for use on the road. Just be advised that airport security may require such items to appear in original labeled containers, if you fly.

42. Snacks – Pack cereals, peanuts, pretzels or other small snacks in empty plastic prescription bottles for bag lunches or traveling treats. (Be sure to warn children that not all contents of plastic prescription bottles are readily edible, to prevent them from consuming actual medications.)

43. Spices - Empty plastic prescription bottles make super spice storage containers. Pour cinnamon, cloves, ginger, paprika, parsley or other spices into empty plastic prescription bottles to organize your spice cabinet.

44. Thumb Tacks – Keep push pins and thumb tacks neatly stored in the office or home in empty plastic prescription bottles.

45. Toothpicks – Tuck a supply of wooden toothpicks in an empty plastic prescription bottle for easy accessibility in the kitchen. How about keeping an extra supply of toothpicks in an empty plastic prescription bottle in your briefcase, car, handbag or school backpack for quick use when you need one?

Don’t discard those empty plastic prescription bottles.

Instead, reuse those handy pill bottles for organization and storage – at home, in the car or in the workplace. Or donate empty plastic prescription bottles to veterinarians, animal shelters, day care centers, free clinics, homeless shelters, senior centers, and other facilities that may be able to recycle and reuse them.

Image/s:

Adapted by this user from Pixabay public domain image

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