You have certainly forgotten to take one of your medications at one point or another. This article provides you with useful tips and tricks so that this will not happen to you in the future. In addition, you will receive information about the topic of medication, side effects and interactions.
When we talk about drugs, the active ingredient is of particular importance. This is the substance that actually causes the desired effect in your body. In the case of blood pressure medications, for example, this effect is the lowering of your blood pressure. But often the same active ingredient is “packaged” in different forms. This means that drugs with different trade names can contain the same active ingredient. At the same time, the same active ingredient may be administered in different forms.
What types of medications are there?
Medications come in many forms - there are tablets, capsules, drops and juices. You usually swallow these drugs with a little water. The active ingredient can then be absorbed into the blood via your intestinal mucosa and develop its effect. There are also suppositories that are inserted into the anus. The active ingredient is absorbed through the mucous membrane in this area. In the hospital or at the doctor's office, there is also the option of administering medication directly into the bloodstream via an infusion. In this way, they can usually help even faster, because the active ingredient does not first have to enter the blood via the mucous membranes. For complaints such as skin rashes or earaches, there are of course also ointments and drops that work from the outside.
What do the different times mean when you take your medication?
First things first: In order for medications to take full effect, you should always take them as your doctor or pharmacist tells you. For example, some medicines work better if they are taken on an empty stomach. Others are best taken after a meal. These are mostly medicines that can damage your stomach lining. In this case, food acts a bit like a protective film.
The most important information about what the individual times mean exactly can be found in the following table:
Some medicines do not have to be taken every day at a certain time, but your doctor has prescribed them for you "when needed". These are usually medications to treat a specific symptom, such as pain or itching. You know best when, for example, the itching or pain is too much for you. That's why you can decide for yourself when you want to take the medication. Nevertheless, your doctor usually sets a limit. This may mean that he/she only allows you to take a certain number of tablets per day. Or your doctor may tell you exactly how much time you have to wait between taking your on-demand medicines.
Why is regular medication intake important?
Many people find it easy to take their medication regularly as long as they have symptoms. Then they are often reminded by their symptoms, such as coughing, itching or pain, that they have not yet taken their medication. If the symptoms subside, taking the medication is often perceived as a nuisance. But often the symptoms will only disappear in the long term if you continue to take your medication regularly, even if you no longer have any symptoms.
As a rule of thumb, you should take your medication for as long as your doctor recommends. If you have doubts about the effectiveness of your medications, don't just stop taking them, talk to your doctor about your concerns. Suddenly stopping certain medications can have unpleasant and even dangerous effects on your health.
How do I manage to take my medications at the right time and not forget any of them?
The more medications you have to take regularly, the faster you can lose track of them. There are several ways to help you always take the right medicine at the right time.
1. Use a pill box
You may already know pill boxes from the hospital or from relatives. These are usually plastic boxes with different compartments. Pill boxes come in different varieties, for example with one compartment per day. The more elaborate boxes have three to four compartments per day. This way you can also sort your medications according to the time of day - i.e. morning, noon, evening and in some cases also at night. This way, you can always see exactly when you need to take which medication, and you'll also notice right away if you forget to take one. What you should do if you forget to take a medicine despite all your measures is explained below.
If you are only away for a day or a few hours, there are also decorative pill boxes that you can use. Depending on the design, they look really chic. You can pre-sort your medications for a day in them and put them in your pocket. Then you always have them at hand and are automatically reminded of your medication when you reach into your pocket.
You can also prepare your pill box for a week ahead. This way, you always have your daily medications in view and don't have to tediously gather them together. Choose a day of the week and make the preparation of your personal pillbox part of your routine.
2. Use the Mizu app
The Mizu app can also help you always take your medications at the right time and not forget any.
- Store your medication schedule: You can create your own medication list in the app. Your medication schedule in the Mizu app can provide you with the overview and can also help you pack your medications.
- Document your intake: In the app, you can also check off a certain medication after you've taken it. You can either enter your medications yourself or conveniently scan the barcode.
- Let yourself be reminded: To be even more on the safe side, you can also let yourself be reminded daily to take your medicine.
So you see, the Mizu app offers you some helpful features to help you master your medication intake!
3. Set yourself an alarm clock
In addition to or instead of the app, you can also set an alarm clock for taking your medication. Your cell phone is the best place to do this, since you usually always have it handy. If you want to be very precise, you can also write a note for each alarm clock. In this note you can then write down the medicine and the amount you should take.
4. Label your tablet package
A crafty mnemonic is to label your tablet package yourself. As a woman, you may already know the principle from birth control pills. Many birth control pills have the day of the week printed on the back of the tablet strip. This means that you always know exactly whether you have already taken the tablet today. If you want to do it yourself, write the date of each tablet on the back of the tablet strip. This method is particularly useful if you only take a few tablets and only once a day at the most. This is, for example, often the case with vitamin tablets.
5. Involve your family and friends
It may also help if you ask your family, partner or friends to remind you to take your medication regularly. You can also post your medication schedule in a place in your home that you frequently visit. This could be the refrigerator or the mirror in the bathroom. This way, you always have your medications in sight. If you need something even more eye-catching, you can also use colorful post-its to remind you to take your pills.
How am I supposed to swallow this tablet anyway?
Maybe you know this situation: You are prescribed a tablet or a capsule. When you unpack it, it's so huge that you can't imagine how you're supposed to swallow it. If you are lucky, the tablet has one or more breakage notches. Along this line the tablet can be divided and it will be easier for you to swallow it. However, if the tablet does not have such a notch, you should first ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are allowed to split the tablet. You can also buy a tablet mortar at the pharmacy and crush your tablet into powder. But here, too, the following applies: Only crush your tablets after consulting your doctor or pharmacist. Some tablets can lose their effect after being crushed.
Capsules, on the other hand, must not be divided or crushed. The reason for this is that the active ingredient is protected by the shell. If the shell is no longer intact, the drug may no longer work correctly.
If this does not work, it is best to talk to your doctor again. Often, the active ingredient in the tablet or capsule is also available in another form - for example, as a juice.
What is the best way to take the medication?
You already know that some medicines should be taken before, during or after a meal. Tablets and capsules in particular are often difficult to swallow. That is why many people resort to liquid to swallow them. In addition, this allows the drugs to reach the gastrointestinal tract more quickly, where they can be absorbed by the body. However, not every liquid is suitable for this purpose. It is best to use still drinking water. What is definitely not suitable for taking your medication is alcohol, milk, coffee and grapefruit juice as well as currant tea. These liquids can negatively affect the way your medications work.
What should I do if I forget to take a medicine?
Despite all the useful tips, it can still happen that you forget to take one of your medications. Or are you no longer sure whether you have taken it? Maybe you then get the idea to simply take twice the amount of your medication next time. That's exactly what you shouldn't do - at least not without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first. Two tablets also mean twice the amount of medicine. In many cases, this can have more negative consequences for your health than it "compensates" for your forgotten intake.
If you want to be sure, it is best to call your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to tell you exactly whether you should take the medicine again, or if you should stop taking it once and then continue as usual.
What is meant by side effects and drug interactions?
In connection with taking medication, the two terms side effects and interactions come up again and again. Here is a brief explanation of each one:
1. Side effects
For example, if you are taking a medication for high blood pressure, the desired effect is to lower your blood pressure levels. If, however, you also experience dizziness as a result of taking the medication, this is a side effect. The effect therefore describes the desired effect of the medication. All effects that a drug causes in addition to its intended purpose are referred to as side effects.
2. Drug interactions
If you take more than one medicine, the medicines can influence each other. In this case, we speak of the so-called interaction between two or more drugs. For example, one drug may slow down the breakdown of another drug. This means that the drug remains in the body longer and can also have a longer effect. Sometimes this is good, but in other cases it can be dangerous.
Your doctor should tell you about the possible side effects of your medicine. He/she should also be aware of possible interactions. In order for your doctor to be able to include all of your medications, you should also tell him/her about the medications that you rarely take. You should also take into account medications that you buy yourself at the pharmacy without a prescription and on your own decision (e.g. cough syrup).
