I try my hardest, I’ve got alarms, I’ve got sticky notes,I’ve got apps, I’ve got people asking me, and I still cannot remember to take my medication. But to be fair, I forget what I’m doing as I’m doing it also. What are ways that you all have found to help remember to take your meds? The only time I remember is when the weirdness starts up and my teeth feel giant and my hearing goes tinny, with echoes.
Any input would be great because I cant keep going on like this. I want to move back in with my family, but I can’t until I can be more stable for my wife and son(he’s 13 months and I’m afraid I’m gonna break his brain, going batty all the time)
Please tell me what helps you in this regard!
I have an organizer for my meds. The first thing I do every morning is to take my meds. Also the last thing I do before going to bed is taking my meds.
I put the pills in the organizer every sunday evening.
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If you use an organizer you can easily see if the box for morning is empty or not if you get unsure about if you have taken the pill or not. All you need to keep track on is if it is morning or noon.
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I use two organizers. They holds a weeks worth of meds.One for morning meds, one for nighttime meds. I keep them each in the same place . They hold a weeks worth of doses in 7 separate little compartments. I used to set a kitchen timer when it got to be within an hour or two of taking my meds.So for example l am supposed to take my meds at 6:00 pm. so when it got to be around 5:00 pm or 6:0 pm I would set the timer to go off in an hour,So I didn’t have to remember to take my meds at an exact time every night I have myself a one or two hour window to aim at. I hope I’m making sense. I weaned myself off the timer, now when it gets to be 6:00 or :7:00 I automatically think of my meds, It’s just a habit I got into.
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I have an easy system. I have two coctail glasses, one for the morning and one for the evening. I just fill these glasses regularly with my meds. A simple system, but it works.
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Maybe this is where my sis got the martini glass idea.
Right now I’m in between taking care of my meds myself and getting help from my sister to take care of them.
For some reason, the morning ones are easy to remember so I think I’m doing better at not forgetting those. But I still have trouble with the evening ones. If I haven’t remembered to take my meds with dinner, my sis will try and get my meds too me soon after, while there is still food in my stomach.
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Thanks to you all. I forgot I’ve got a week organizer, with morning noon and evening. I guess it just boils down to the fact that I suck. I’ll have to refill it today once I’m done with attic work.
You’ve all been helpful, and I appreciate it. I hope it becomes habit soon.
Please don’t say that. Faulty memory is a common symptom of this illness. You don’t suck, you just need to find an idea that works for you. You have a wife? Did I read that correctly?
Is there a way you could ask her to help as well? I don’t do all this alone everyday. Somedays I’m on it and I’ve got it… gold star for me, didn’t miss a dose… 
somedays, I need help and would almost miss both doses… 
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I use a calendar. I write down all the meds I am supposed to take, and then when I take them, I check them off. There are some meds that I have to take with dinner. I am going off these meds soon. But there are others that I have to take in the morning and at night. When I take them in the morning, I check them off and I write down what time I took them. Then, I check them off at night, after I’ve taken them again. Sometimes I forget to take my morning meds until very late in the day, so sometimes I just take half of those meds, or sometimes I go to sleep before I take them at night. These meds are just my Klonopin and my asthma medication, so I figure skipping them once in a while is kind of okay. I never forget to take my antipsychotics. I just take them with dinner. I think I am going to continue taking them with dinner, even though the one I’m switching to doesn’t require it.
Thanks, that’s something I’ve been working on my whole life, the self loathing. I won’t say things like that here anymore, I know we all have similar issues and I would never say that to any of y’all.
Yes I’ve a wife but we don’t live together right now, for the better part of this last year really. She does help me a lot when we are around each other, but it’s been weighing a lot on her. I’ve been going down hill for a while, but only got the diagnosis this last year. I had too many freak outs that were both too unnerving and too close together and it scared her for her and our baby. We’ve decided that until I can get my medications regulated and my mood swings under control I shouldn’t be there. It really sucks. My boy is one of the only things that can help me when I have an episode. He saved me from the bacon, when it tried to kill me with it’s incessant crackling and overbearing roar. I miss my family so much.
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have u thought of going onto injections instead of pills? that way u only have to turn up at the clinic once every two weeks and no more pills. it’s that easy.
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I’ve not had it given as an option, but I’ll try and discuss my options on Friday with my psychiatrist. Thanks. 
I agree with jaynebeal. My son was put on injections—success! Take care and be good to yourself**
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I have a smart phone, I set up multiple alarms for my meds. After I take my med, I log into my phone the med I just took. I make a list of the meds I took
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I had actually considered a med journal, just never got around to it. It’s still a great idea.
I saw my medication regulation specialist, uh I mean my psychiatrist(isn’t it weird that they don’t do therapy, and give it to the psychologists?) today and was able to discuss things with him And he upped my dosage level to 4mg a day, but wants me to take it once a day, before bed. Seems easy enough. I set an alarm on my phone that actually tells me to “take risperidone, NOW, not in a minute”. That should be good because I do need very specific direction, and at the time it needs doing, otherwise I’ll wait a while and forget that I was supposed to do. He also thankfully gave me more clonazepam for a months time–7, at .5 for a month just did not cut it. So now there’s an allowance for some every day. That should be good as I don’t leave the house much so I shouldn’t need one every day.
I’m slowly getting to the front if the line for individual therapy, so I’m glad about that. And it’s the same therapist I had for marriage counseling, so I’m already somewhat comfortable with him. He’s actually going to take me until someone else opens up but maybe I can finagle getting to keep him as my therapist, I hate getting new doctors. They want you to re tell yourself and I’ve done that too many times. It’s frustrating, like c’mon read the notes buddy.
So I’ve ended up just rambling I feel, but that was today.
I passed out last night like someone blow darted me. Slept for 12 hrs and was in a groggy place for about two hours today, coffee being a jittery life starter. I hope it was from all the attic work I’ve been doing that helped play into the supreme sleepiness. But the next few days shall tell.
Tortise,I put taking meds similar to taking lunch and dinner,I take it once a day at 12am at night,up till now I never missed a dose because the medication is so helpful that I am afriad to missed it,haha,good luck
I took at 10;30 and it’s now 1:25 , and I haven’t passed out which is good and bad. Good it doesn’t put me down and I was just uber tire yesterday, bad because I’m Not asleep and will probably sleep late…
As I said before, time will tell all the nuances of a change in dosagery
Thanks for all the replies y’all, I think that this once a day thing is going to work out well enough. My teeth still do this thing where they feel giant and too large for my head. They still somehow fit by the way, lol.
It’ll be nice if I has as many days like today was. I spent time with my parents and my kids, both of em.
Today was a good day.
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Well I’ve spoken to my doctor and I am going to try the injectable form of risperidone. That way I don’t have to worry about missing a dose, just go to get my injection every two weeks. Hope it helps…
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