Parkinson’s News Forums Forums Living ​With​ ​Parkinson’s How do you store your medication?

  • julesbunny

    Member
    February 8, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    Interesting thought and better than I think my husband does.  He stores all his meds in one container.  Yes it makes it easy for him to get at, but I am really concerned that intermingling the meds and the wearing on each other will cause issues.

    He has tried using one of these daily med keepers, so all the doses for each time in the day are separated and it looks good but totally useless in that he doesn’t use them in order, so in reality you can’t really tell if the dose is taken or not.

    To note on this, he is only 59, and Young Onset PD, and in control of all his functions, most of the time, albeit cognition is up and down with ON/OFFs…..  so I have no idea what a good solution is for storing meds, apart from me giving them to him from SEPARATE med containers 🙂

    Would love to hear of other alternatives.

  • dtm23020optonline-net

    Member
    February 8, 2022 at 4:50 pm

    All the meds are down in our kitchen, his and mine (expect for when I managed to get covid in January I brought mine to the upstairs bedroom for a time and I have kept some there) but I actually set up his daily meds. And we use empty prescription bottles of different sizes for the time of day and what meds are needed when. I use skinny ones for the his 3 times meds, a super large for the one and other meds, and a medium one for nighttime that includes his meds for night terrors. He also had Covid, was in the hospital, but for a uti to begin with. He is more accurate on taking on time now since he has gotten home. So I wrote him a timetable, which he seems to not to like, but when he asks me when is my next med I have to ask him when did he take his last one. But for the most part he has taken control, and as I pass by I make sure the next med is on a particular part of his dresser that we together decided on. I know as mental decline goes on, I will have to make sure I am the one who is more in charge of times as I did when he came home from the hospital and was not a hundred percent. It works for us, and he was the one who began putting the meds in empty bottles when he was still working for the daytime, he would put the ones he needed daily. Now I take care of that.

    • lori-deporter

      Member
      June 19, 2023 at 8:48 am

      I started using an app on my phone to track may rytary(carbadopa/levopdopa) I have to at least mark it as taken or it keeps yelling at me.

  • krukar

    Member
    February 9, 2022 at 8:25 am

    I store my meds separately .  Parkinson’s (C/L) 3 times per day (2 pills) the main batch in my bathroom. In the front room on the Counter I store my daily 6 pills in a narrow pill  holder. I refill it daily.Then I store my main daily Meds in my bathroom in a 7 day pill container. I refill it weekly. My Alexa beeps at 6:00, 11:00 am and 4:00 pm the time for my C/L doses. The other pills I take AM, PM. I track it which is good for my brain. After 16 months it becomes easier. If it did not work I would be less motivated to adhere to it. When I travel it takes some modification.

    When I got the Virus recovery became our priority. Blessings, Mike

     

     

     

     

  • alan-berry

    Member
    February 10, 2022 at 12:08 pm

    I have several ailments including Type 2 diabetes for which I do not have medication. It is controlled by diet.
    All my meds are stored in a single box under my control. A list of all meds and the times of taking them is also in the box. I am lucky that all my morning pills and , in turn, my evening pills are taken at the same time. My most unfavourite time for taking pills is Wednesday evening when I take 12 pills. Like many people I have difficulties swallowing so a pill then a swig of water takes time.
    On Fridays I prepare my needs for the following week. Two Sunday to Saturday storage containers are used, one for A.M. the other P.M. I take pills from the main store and place them in the daily slots. In this process I make note of any medication I need to reorder. A quick review of the daily slots and I am ready to phone the pharmacist. Should I try to reorder too early my pharmacist is aware and alert and always spots it. I am glad to say it is rare that he catches me out. Of course I could make mistakes, after all I am almost human.

     

     

  • Deleted User

    Deleted User
    February 10, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    We have a weekly pill organizer, three times a day, 7 days a week compartment. I labeled the “time” on each compartment so he knows which compartment to take. He keeps the weekly container on the kitchen table. This allows me to see which one he missed or not. Since I work full-time, I purchased a large, impaired vision clock to remind him the time, day and date. This alarm clock goes off three times a day for one minute as a reminder for him to “take Prescription” printed on the screen. Next to the clock, we have a Dr. Anthony Fauci bobblehead! Every Sunday night  I refill the container for the week. I also have a small square basket to hold all his prescription pill bottles upright along with his vitamins. In the basket I have a printed copy of his daily dosages so if  his in-home physical therapy’s needs to review or we have a copy handy to take to the doctor to review or when we travel. This basket is stored in the hallway bathroom cabinet.

  • rcb1040

    Member
    February 16, 2022 at 10:15 am

    Howdy

    I keep all my meds together in a small retangular plastic basket in my bathroom.  No youngsters visit our home so no need to worry about that.

    I also always have my day’s pills plus another half a day’s pills with me in a pill container in my pocket.  That is all that I can fit into the container.  This is in case I am not able to return home in the evening for some reason.

    I also always have ready several liter size water containers so I can grab one if I leave the house.

    I am on a 3 hour C/L pill cycle nowadays plus low BP pills and mood pills.

    If something causes me to be out of my home for some time, my family can just bring the plastic basket to me and I will have what I need.  Also, nowadays, I always get a 90 day supply of all of my meds at each renewal.

    Thanks,

    Robert C

  • stp61

    Member
    February 16, 2022 at 11:35 am

    I use a 7 day pill case I load up every week. Helps to see what’s going on and i’m not risking spilling 200 pills a couple times a day. loading the pill case is also a good finger workout too ;-). I also keep a smaller pill case in my desk at the office so I don’t have to haul pills every day and I have another small case for a couple pills if I’m going to be out and about at dose time. I use the Medisafe app on my phone to track and get reminders. For bulk storage I just keep them in the original bottle in the bathroom.

  • claudio

    Member
    February 17, 2022 at 12:07 pm

    I take 8 different meds daily (most of them PD related). This means that for me, managing all the meds is a critical task. I have always kept apart L/C meds from the others, because I take L/C several times during the day and I need to have it with me wherever I go. So every day I fill a small plastic cylinder container with 6 pills of L/C. Apart from that, I have a 2-3 pills L/C blister in the car, the same in my bike, in my key holder and in my wallet. For the other meds, until 2-3 months ago I stored them in a 7 day/compartments small container, (I easily remember when and which I had to take each med), sure that this method couldn’t last forever. In fact, when 2 apparently identical pills, that I had to take in different hours of the day, appeared in my life, I switched to a completely different system.
    I bought 3 small containers (3,7×2,4×1 inch), each with 10 properly sealed different size compartments in order to store large and small pills without wasting space. I labelled the cover of the inside compartments with the med name and hour of assuming it during the day. In this way anyone has the container immediately knows my weekly regime (apart from L/C). Then I accomodate the weekly needs of meds according to their label in the proper compartments. At the end, I still have 2 compartments empty…ready to welcome (?) 2 new pills! With several properly labelled weekly containers, I refill them every 2-3 weeks and the managing of meds is over…not the PD! May be now it’s clear why for me managing meds is a critical task, duly accomplished! So far!

  • lyn-richards

    Member
    February 17, 2022 at 1:31 pm

    There are a few things that work well for me & help manage my life-long absent-mindedness & distractibility. I would forget about taking my med while walking from one room to another, so keeping meds where I use them has been very helpful for managing this issue.

    I have a dosette + water at my bedside with the meds I take when I wake up : C/L + rasagiline/Azilect + mirabegron/Myrbetriq (who thinks up these names?!). My rotigotine/Neupro patch + gabapentin are on the bathroom counter to take at bedtime (it’s a large bathroom with a skylight and fan to vent shower steam, so I don’t think humidity is an issue).

    I used to keep the daytime C/L doses in a pill timer with an alarm. I carried that with me everywhere, which is important since my life is pretty busy and I’m often away from the house — even with the pandemic. That device had a compartment for the day’s  doses plus a space for the week, and another space for other meds, so it was also great for travel. This worked well until the device died. Right now I just carry the day’s C/L doses in a tiny old aspirin tin that easily fits in my pocket, and re-set my phone alarm when I take a dose. That has been working well.

    I used to keep my magnesium (for night-time leg cramps) with the gabapentin in the bathroom dosette until a friend mentioned the interaction between these 2 meds & I also discovered Mg should be taken with food. So now the magnesium goes in an attractive little jar on the dining table to take at supper. I put it where it will be in the way, so it catches my attention.

  • Jeanette Jagst

    Member
    February 17, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    I prepare my husbands medications weekly. He has 6 lots of meds a day so I use a circular plastic pillbox which has 7 compartments (It’s actually a box for 7 days but we use it for one days pills. I have labeled the compartments with the time his pills need to be taken, the seventh compartment is used for vitamins/supplements etc. All medications are kept in the refrigerator because we live in a tropical climate. Each day I take out a new pillbox which he keeps in his room or, if he goes out, it’s small enough to fit into his shirt pocket. He has a mobile phone which has an alarm set for his various pill times (Unfortunately, sometimes the alarm doesn’t go off but he’s been taking pills so long – 29yrs, we usually remember in time.)

    • twok

      Member
      February 18, 2022 at 5:02 am

      Wow!  That defines spousal devotion;  29 years supporting her husband!

  • twok

    Member
    February 18, 2022 at 7:46 am

    I devote a large shallow kitchen drawer to all meds and supplements. I have them segregated and deposited in shallow containers.  Large bottles, partially full, are stored nearby.

    I find that depositing pills in the used white bottle caps…before I swallow them, provides a visual verification of what I should be taking.

  • lori-deporter

    Member
    February 18, 2022 at 7:46 am
  • Deleted User

    Deleted User
    March 14, 2023 at 6:41 am

    I know this answer comes a bit late, but for others who might have the same question, here’s my two cents on how I store my medication. Personally, I use a pill organizer to keep track of my meds. It’s convenient and helps me remember to take my pills on time. I bought mine on Amazon, and it’s been a lifesaver. If you’re looking to save some money on your prescriptions, I recommend checking out a website that can help you Save up to 80% on your prescriptions. It’s a great way to cut costs if you’re on a tight budget or if your insurance doesn’t cover all of your medications. In any case, I hope this answer helps someone out there.

    • mary-beth-skylis

      Moderator
      March 14, 2023 at 10:48 am

      Hi Ryland,

      Thank you for sharing your experience. I, personally, like using a pill organizer, too. It can be really easy to forget which medications and supplements you’ve taken and on what days. So, the organizer clues me  in a little bit.

  • lori-deporter

    Member
    June 6, 2023 at 9:09 pm

    Some pharmacies offer dosage pouches!

  • Karla Burkhart

    Member
    June 8, 2023 at 4:04 pm

    The daily meds in their bottles are in a box on top of the dresser. Then I put the individual pills in a weekly/morning evening box that is refilled weekly. The c/l pills are in a bottle in the bathroom cupboard and in my purse. I need those 4 times a day.

  • sherman-paskett

    Member
    June 8, 2023 at 11:56 pm

    I keep mine in the original container in my medicine chest over my bathroom sink. They require 3/4 of the shelf space. Every night, before bed, I count out the next day’s meds: 10.5 C/L, 1 Rasagiline, 2 Amantadine, and put them in a little metal pill canister on my keychain, so I always have a day’s meds on me.

    If I am traveling I generally count out enough for the trip and put a day’s worth in one of those daily pill minder things, then transfer them to the keychain each night. I also pack a few days extra meds, just in case something causes a delay. I have had PD for 13 years and never been off meds for more than a few hours. I do not want to find out what might happen if I am off meds for a week.

  • ron-lusk

    Member
    June 9, 2023 at 5:02 pm

    I store all my meds in a medicine cabinet in the master bathroom.  Once a week I use those to fill 4 medicine organizers for the week to come; one with meds without food (Synthroid & Ritery), then morning meds with food at least an hour later, third on is noon  & 4PM (2 more Ritery  & others for high blood pressure, and the 4th with the 4th Ritery at bed time.

  • peggyr

    Member
    June 15, 2023 at 2:38 am

    Meds are a huge factor in my day-to-day existence. This became really obvious last spring when I was hospitalized for a week via the ER because I was behaving strangely, having what I didn’t know at the time were hallucinations.

    When I was admitted to the ER, my thyroid levels were way off, as were my sodium and potassium. The doctors established a regimen of 15-20 different kinds of pills (prescription and over-the-counter supplements), including the Rytary I was taking for Parkinson’s, along with repeated blood testing to get me back to healthy levels.

    My health care had gotten away from me because of COVID and mobility issues. My new drug regimen was clearly not optional. To make sure I didn’t fall back into dysfunction, my wonderful son, who is 30, bought a clear plastic case organized into slots for every day of the week and time of day (morning, noon, evening and bedtime), each with a flip-open, securely fastening cover.

    He comes over to fill the case every weekend and rides herd on the overall supplies, which I refill or repurchase online.

    Home health aides who help me with daily living bring me the necessary pills at the prescribed time of day and watch me take them. I keep the prescription bottles with the drugs that have the most sensitive dosing (Rytary and thyroid) on the table next to my bed and ask the morning aide to give me the thyroid pill and dispense a day’s worth of Rytary into one shot glass. Another shot glass holds the pills that the sides dispense directly from the master organizer box throughout the day.

    For good measure, a series of alarms on my phone tell me when it is time to take meds. I manage and respond to the alarms. I have asked all of the aides to nudge me if an alarm goes off and I don’t seem to be responding to it. They can see on my outer phone screen the reason for the alarm.

    I know that, as time goes on, I will become less capable of managing my medications to the degree of independence that I now enjoy. My son and I are compiling a visual guide showing each of the pills, when I need to take them and their original containers.

    My guiding principle governing the system is to keep to a minimum the number of steps I need to remember in order  to get all the necessary meds in me. I really don’t want to repeat last year‘s experience.

  • joseph-joe-saxman

    Member
    June 16, 2023 at 2:58 am

    My medication is stored in a closet in my office. Havin a medical background allows me to segregate the medicine  as it is done in a pharmacy(separate ointments, eye and ear medication). This allows me easy access with less mistakes. I keep a container with my open prescription bottles in (non-refrigerated) a plastic container to fill my weekly pill boxes with. I utilize the alarm system on  my phone to remind me when to take my medicine.

  • andy-c

    Member
    June 26, 2023 at 2:07 pm

    Hi everyone

    This how my meds are stored, we have 31 6-compartment daily pill boxes with each compartment marked with time as I have to take meds 5-6 times a day (8am, 12pm 3pm 6pm 8pm & 10pm) and every round is different ranging from 3 to 15 tablets, in total 57 tablets per day for PD, Diabetes 2, osteoporosis / osteoarthritis.

    My wife does all the ordering stocking and filling pill boxes, god bless my angel, so I only have to take them on time. But as time has moved on so to speak, my memory of time to take my meds is becoming hit and miss. So i cause myself alot of down or off periods during a day which is not fun so neurologist and wife are insisting I get a rogitine apomorphine subdermal pump subdermal to at least try avoid the ups and downs and reduce daily pill intake.

    I am Young Onset PD, first diagnosed at 39 but ignored /denied it and was tested again at 49 and confirmed at late stage 2 and now at 53 going on 54, I am mid stage 4 with the beginning of dementia and associated confusion and anxiety so I have to  stay home all day, no going out alone and follow a regular schedule of activities per day, all written and clearly displayed in all rooms.

    My full pill boxes are stored on bookshelves next to my desk and computer where I start my day then after first round they go in my pocket until I finish for day and put the empty pill box in restocking container which is then managed by Alejandra.

    It getting tougher everyday to remember to take and more problematic to swallow so many pills.  And being home I don’t really carry my mobile phone with me most of the time so alarms don’t help much. So that’s my/ our way of storing and managing my medication. Restocking and storing is perfect, taking is the opposite. Cheers Andy

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