a little tip for pill takers

11 years ago

I have started taking blister packed pills and I don't always remember if I've taken them so I have started writing (with a sharpie) on the clear part of the blister pack (that covers the pill) the first letter of the day of the week that I start them and each pill after that. If I'm to take 3 a day I write M 1, M 2, M 3, etc. I can see at a glance if I've taken today's pill and I don't have to mess with putting them in little daily containers.

Just thought I'd pass it on. I hope I've explained it so you can follow my idea.

Diane

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Comments (13)

sheilajoyce_gw
11 years ago
Good idea. I hate those blister packs! It is so difficult to remove the pills from the blister.
sue_va
11 years ago
I have a pill holder that is divided into 4 rows of 7 small sections, marked Saturday through Sunday so it holds a month's supply. Whatever I take daily goes into the section for that day. If I were using a blister pack of something I would open enough at one time to fill the whole thing. After I take my daily dose I leave the little box for that day open, so with the lid up, I know I've taken them.

I need all the help I can get to remember stuff! :)

Sue
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lydia1959
11 years ago
Another good pill taking tip is one that I think Nodakgal shared a while back.

When taking large, hard to swallow pills.. turn your head to the right as you are swallowing.. the pill will go down smoothly! I don't know why it works, but it does.
pekemom
11 years ago
I take 3 prescriptions so the weekly pill container is working out well since lately I'd been forgetting if I took my pills every day...
Also I have gummy vitamins, DD told me about them, so I don't have to swallow pills whole. They might be hard to chew for some people though..
Jodi_SoCal
11 years ago
My daily vitamins, Omega-3, fiber and vit D supplements are all gummies. Boy, I sure do look forward to vitamin time! I'm going to pick up gummy calcium next.

Jodi-
bengardening
11 years ago
My Dh turns his bottle of pills upside down when he has taken them. Then if he cant remember he will know at a glance if he did.
I take 150mg of avapro for High blood pressure. I dont have insurance so I Pay for them myself. My nurse friend told me to tell my doctor I want 300mg instead and to break the pills in half. They are cheaper that way. So that is what I do now.
joyfulguy
11 years ago
Take two pills - one from a long line of seven boxes, one from seven compartments in a circle, and one of the circle of compartment's lids doesn't like to stay closed ...

... so, in order to avoid having to chase a pill all over the kitchen (supposing that I might be able to find it) ...

... a narrow slip of paper, folded a couple of times and slipped under the cover, teaches that compartment improved behaviour.

ole joyfuelled (without help from extra vitamins)
kayjones
11 years ago
When I did in-home nursing, we popped the pill, then initialed the blister pak that it came from, with our initials and the date. We turned these in to renew the prescription for the patient. We all had our written initials on file at the pharmacy so they could verify the initials as ours.
User
11 years ago
Thoughtful idea, rosepetal.
kathi_mdgd
11 years ago
I have to take my thyroid pill as soon as i wake up,so i keep it on my nightstand with a bottle of water.Once i take it for that day,i do as the other posters dh does and turn it upside down,so i know at a glance that i took it.When i go to bed at night i turn it right side up.Works for me.

The rest of my meds are sorted and into those daily pill organizers.Thank goodness for those.
Kathi
lindaohnowga
11 years ago
As mentioned above, turning your head to the right as you swallow the pill, does work. I take a lot of vitamins and it works like a charm for me.
dances_in_garden
11 years ago
My daughter had so much trouble swallowing pills, but after the "turning the head" trick they went down so easy, that now she can take them without even doing that. I think swallowing a pill made her nervous that it would hurt, or she would choke (even though I told her she swallows bigger amounts when she is just eating LOL).

Once she knew it was not going to get stuck or hurt, she wasn't nervous anymore and down it would go.

As for turning the bottles over. It would rely on me remembering to turn them back right-side up at some point, and how do we know I would remember to do THAT? LOLOLOL!

I have one kind of pill in a blister pack and I have been told DO NOT open them before I need them. They degrade quickly, I guess. Plus they have a time release coating that should not be rubbing up against other pills or whatnot. I haven't been able to find a container that holds ALL the pills I have to take morning and night anyway.

Dances.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
11 years ago
sheilajoyce said: "I hate those blister packs! It is so difficult to remove the pills from the blister."

I do, too. I finally decided to get a small pair of scissors (Fiskar's for school kids) and keep them on my nightstand, so I can cut the blister pick where it is supposed to be torn. Then it is a simple matter to tear down the seemingly very heavy duty blister foil and remove the capsule.

I have to do this twice a day and just do not have the strength to tear open the packs.

a little tip for pill takers

Comments (13)

sheilajoyce_gw

sue_va

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