Mixing up/forgetting meds

[quietposter]

Good morning. This morning I did it again. I mixed up my meds and this time it means I doubled my usual tizanidine. I always think I’m taking the right pills, but sometimes I just mess up. Today, this affects not only me, but also my husband who now has to stay home from work and drive me to pick up our grandson from school this morning as it’s not safe for me to drive. I’m so frustrated with myself.

So, I’m curious what everyone does to make sure they take the right meds at the right time. I’m currently using a morning and night pill box with the afternoon pill (the extra tizanidine) tucked in with the morning ones and taken later. Nine times out of ten this works. However, there are also those rare days where I take or almost take, the morning pills at night or vice versa.

My husband and I looked at one of those spaceship shaped pill holders and they were too complicated for me. They also didn’t seem to hold 30 day supples of meds.

Anyway, I’m all ears! Thank you for any suggestions you may have.

[pennstater]

I use different color pill boxes for AM and PM, which is another clue for me. I use yellow for am, thinking sunrise. Then blue for evening, thinking the night sky. After taking my pm pills at night, I put the case in the drawer. I then take the am case out and leave next to my coffee cup for the am. After I finish breakfast, I put the am case away, then take out the pm case.

That seems to work for me. Glad you caught your mistake before it became an issue.

[Seasha]

I use different color pill boxes for AM and PM, which is another clue for me. I use yellow for am, thinking sunrise. Then blue for evening, thinking the night sky. After taking my pm pills at night, I put the case in the drawer. I then take the am case out and leave next to my coffee cup for the am. After I finish breakfast, I put the am case away, then take out the pm case.

That seems to work for me. Glad you caught your mistake before it became an issue.

What a brilliant idea, pennstater !

I simply turn the bottle upside down when I take mine as an reminder, but pennstater's is a much better way!

[Marco]

I'm sorry for the hassle. I think most of us can relate to it.
I'm similar to the others.

I have two separate pill boxes for morning and evening pills.
The morning box is clear.
The evening box is dark green.
These boxes are stored in my bathroom.

I even have a third pill box for a medication that I need to take with meals.
Since that is the only medication, I use one pill box for both breakfast and dinner.
This box is stored in the kitchen.

[quietposter]

Thank you all. Those ideas are similar to what I already do. However the idea of putting the boxes away is new and may help. I currently leave am and pm (yellow for am and clear for pm) together on my counter next to the coffee maker.

My husband said he found a box he thinks may work as it has rows for morning, noon and night. I told him to get it. I didn’t even look at it. At this point I’m feeling just a bit defeated and embarrassed over repeatedly and randomly making these mistakes.

I used to have a brain that remembered things, clearly it’s now hiding in the back of a junk drawer somewhere. If I could only remember which drawer…

[marti]

This may sound kind of OCD, but I keep a notebook and write down every script and supplement as I take them. I also turn the bottles over to remind myself that I took the pills. I don't actually take a lot of meds, but I keep track of everything. I even write down every time I use Miralax in coffee and every BM. I tend to have some problems with that. So... OCD right?!

[Seasha]

This may sound kind of OCD, but I keep a notebook and write down every script and supplement as I take them. I also turn the bottles over to remind myself that I took the pills. I don't actually take a lot of meds, but I keep track of everything. I even write down every time I use Miralax in coffee and every BM. I tend to have some problems with that. So... OCD right?!

Marti- no, it's not OCD. It's being smart and organized!