Did You Take Your Medication Today?

It’s seems that once someone is diagnosed with kidney disease, the inevitable happens. You have to take more medication. Taking your medication just as your doctor directs is very important to your overall health and well being when dealing with kidney disease.

Remembering to take your medication can be difficult. Here are some helpful hints:

• First of all know what, why and how you should be taking your medication. Write this information down on a piece of paper. If you have a better understanding of why the medication was ordered for you, you will want to stick to your medication schedule.
• Put your prescription bottles in a location that you will see regularly, such as a basket on the kitchen table, medicine cabinet near the toothpaste etc. (remember: always keep medication out of children’s reach)
• Stickynotes are great; place a brightly colored one as a reminder on the mirror in your bathroom or on the refrigerator.
• Make a ritual of planning out your weekly medication regime. Pick the same day every week to fill your pillboxes.
• Allow at least 5 days in advance to call your doctor or pharmacy for refills of your medications. You don’t want to run out.
• A digital watch with an alarm can be a great reminder.
• Talk to your doctor if you are having any problems keeping up with your medication Schedule. Write down the questions you want to ask your doctor about as they come up, so you will be organized when you have your next appointment or make the call to him. Sometimes side effects may make you not want to take your medication. Your doctor may be able to prescribe something different. When you have to take medication several times a day, it can be hard to remember to take all the doses. Your doctor might know of a medication similar that can be taken less frequently. It’s very important that you are honest with your doctor if you miss doses of medication. Your doctor cannot treat you appropriately if he/she doesn’t know what’s going on.
• Finally, talk to your pharmacist about devices that can help you to remember to take your medications such as pill trays, watches with alarms, pill cases and more.

Taking your medication as prescribed is essential to staying healthy and avoiding complications associated with kidney disease.