Having Trouble Remembering to Take Your Medications?
Here are some Helpful Tips for Staying Consistent and Achieving Success:
Why is it important to take your scheduled medications as prescribed by your provider?
With daily medications, consistency is of paramount importance so that the medications have the ability to build up in your system to a therapeutic level. This helps you feel better sooner. Also, it gives your provider an accurate understanding of whether or not a medication at a specific dose is working for you.
In the busy world we live in, schedules are constantly changing.
Some days your schedule might look different and things may vary based on the day of the week. Consider throwing sickness or travel into the mix and then things may get really confusing. With so much variation, how do you set yourself up to be consistent with your medications?
Here are some common challenges and tips for success:
I keep forgetting to take my medication, sometimes for a few days at a time.
Set a daily alarm on your phone/computer. One of the many wonderful features of smart phones and other devices are alarms that repeat themselves automatically on a scheduled basis. If you are having trouble remembering to take your medication, setting an alarm that goes off at the same time every day provides a reminder/check in to take your medication if you have not already. Note: It is best to let the alarm sound until the medication is in your hand. This helps avoid getting distracted by an alternative task after you have silenced it.
I cannot remember whether or not I took my medications today.
Getting a pill organizer can be very helpful for this. They almost always cost under $10 and can be found at your local pharmacy, grocery store, and online. If you take medication in the morning and evening there are specialized organizers for exactly this purpose. By putting your medications in there each week, you can always look back to that day’s slot: if it is empty, you’re good to go and if the medication is still in there you can take it at that time.
What about a combination of both?
If you struggle with remembering to take your medications and are unsure whether or not you took them, unless otherwise discussed with your medical provider, look for something you do twice a day. For example, put your pill organizer next to your toothbrush. That way, you will have a visual reminder to take your medication twice daily no matter when you wake up/go to sleep.
Medication consistency is key for your behavioral and overall health. If you continue to struggle with taking your medication on a regular basis, please feel free to discuss alternative methods with your Psychiatry Provider at Brightland Health.