Lived Experience Forum

[Queenie]

I'm in with @Former-Member and @utopia. I forgot to take my afternoon antipsychotic which has to be taken with food. I just tucked into a snack and duly popped it. Phew! That was a close one!

I have tried just about everything to remind myself to take meds. Webster packs, water and pills beside bed (which doesn't work because I'm too afraid the dog will get at them, so I store them on top of the fridge), reminders and alarms on laptop and phone... it's just a case of "I'll take them in a sec" and then I forget.

[utopia]

I'm glad you caught him @TheVorticon. Well done.
Still feeling a bit jittery / shaky - but no longer feel the intensity of an impending panic attack.
@Former-Member @Queenie - seriously we are in need of someone on here to say "time for meds" - just like the nurse at the hospital.
I also think - yep in a minute and then promptly forget.
I hope you are both feeling okay with your late dosage.
I see my psychologist tomorrow at 8am (such a cruel time for an appointment) & I'm sure he'll have words to say to me about missing my meds. Lol.

[Mazarita]

I'm another who is a bit irregular with meds, @utopia. I've never really managed to take them at the same time each day, partly because I often don't wake up at the same time. I need to take meds three times a day. Two times a day for the mental health and one for crohns in the belly. The number of pills, powders and vitamins stacks up. It's hard to swallow all my night meds! I often lapse on the crohns medication, to my detriment. That's because it needs to be taken at least an hour after the morning meds and I just forget. Night time meds I try to take after dinner, but I eat at a friend's place a lot and often don't end up taking them until late. It's bloody complicated.

[utopia]

@Mazarita. Hello like minded medication forgetter.

I have always detested taking tablets. Took me until I was in my 20's to even be able to swallow a tablet. At hospital last year, I'd stand there with my 5 or 6 pills in my little plastic cup and take a solid few minutes to swallow them all. One at a time. It used to frustrate the other patients. lol. I watched a guy swallow all his in one go. So then I found the two smallest tablets and swollowed those together with half a glass of water. I really am terrible.

If I'm in pain, then I put off taking a pain pill until I just can't stand it any longer. Probably why my headaches get so bad. I really never liked taking meds.

And now, add laziness to the mixture, and a shocking memory, and occassionally 'what's the point' and I don't always get them down. The 'in a minute', seems to be a reoccuring theme in my life at the moment, and that attitude doesn't work well with having to take meds. And I'm whinging and I only have to take mine at night. Well I should take the blood thinner, half in the morning and half at night, after food, but I just take it all in one go, when I remember.

But I'm going to try to set a new routine in place and take them at 8.30 at night. I'm normaly home and awake at that hour. Having said that, I haven't taken tonights yet. lol.

[Mazarita]

@utopia, that was a good giggle just at the pumpkin hour. But I better go offline now and head towards sleep. Goodnight. 

[Former-Member]

hello @utopia

Forgetting to take medication is easily understandable especially when you have to wait an hour after eating then at bedtime and you go to bed at different times.

I have had a time change with my medication whilst in hospital. I found the same I was forgetting to take the earlier two hours before going to bed.

I use my mobile and set the alarm. I have the mindset when that alarm goes off I take the medication immediately.

We really do need to train our thinking. For me I know that if I take my medication correctly it works at it's best. That is incentive enough as I hate taking any medication at all like yourself Utopia. I also have the same issue swallowing and take ages to swallow just a couple.

[utopia]

@Former-Member sorry but I'm glad someone else struggles with taking tablets too. Tonight I took my tablets at 8.30pm - my new time. Tomorrow night will try to be in bed by 10pm. And re-train my sleep pattern.
Yes, missing a med or not taking them at the same time, can really affect me. And they are not as effective. You are right.

[Neb]

Huh....thought it was just me

Because of this, I have been taking dothiepen for 40 odd years and man I can tell when the plug comes out of the bath tub of happiness.......

$2.00 shops have those handy dandy old peoples tablet thingies. So once a week I sit down and fill in the 7 days  appropiately and these live RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the coffee, which I never forget.

[Former-Member]

hello @utopia @Neb

It is extremely difficult as we have a medication change due to need for decrease or increase or even total change.

This brings about fogginess, dizziness, reduction in energy - sometimes overall feeling unwell as our bodies adjust.

therefore to have the added burden of changing of medication times, is more than people realise.

I find that having to go to bed at a certain time goes against my inner adult voice.

Routine medication taking is important though and yes I notice the difference if my routine is changed.

[JasJac]

@TheVorticon glad you caught your pokemon. how is the game now? i stopped playing ages ago..

@utopia hope your new night time routine works better.

@Former-Member just wondering how long it takes between missing meds and hospital for you? i've been off meds for a while, but thinking about it..