Eldergays do you use a pill organizer to keep your medications organized?

Not medications per se but all the vitamins I like to take. I need a new 7 day pill box, mine is falling apart. It's been around the world with me.

I do for my current and previous dogs

I have some, but rarely use them. Mostly only if traveling. I take 3 different medications (all are once daily), but I take a shit-load of supplements.

Only open your bottles once a week - so yes, an organizer is a time saver and removes the hassle.

I take about 17-19 supplements a day, so I need to get it together or I will forget.

I use little round screw top tins. I have 3 for each day. wakeup, empty stomach. 1st meal. 2nd meal. I can grab the meal ones and throw them in my bag for the day. take the 1st one with coffee and water.

I fill them every 2 weeks.

It's mostly supplements.

i reevaluate 2 x. year or sometimes seasonally. I just suspended a few supplements for the summer break because I dont need their effect.

I'm ok to have expensive piss but I dont want to be too extravagant.

I have two, one for the morning pills and vitamins, and one for before bed.

I take a fuck-ton of pills.

Yes. I use one AM/PM pill organizer box and fill it every two weeks. I do take one med in the morning and at night, but I keep that bottle next to bed, so I can use the PM slots for days 8-14. I take 7 meds in the AM, there's an 8th, ondesteron, which I'm supposed to take first thing, on a totally empty stomach in the AM to keep from puking up the other 7. Fuck that. I won't get out of bed unless I know there's a double shot of espresso immediately available to me. So a take a pills with my coffee, then have a cup of "normal coffee" spiked with protein powder, then take the remaining ones that I suspect causes nausea. Two of the pills keep me alive, so I can't miss them or I'll get sick. That's not even including the ones for heart failure.

And then there are the 4 vitamin supplements for what my body absorbs poorly from food or can't synthesize from protein. The bottles are on the kitchen counter. I take them when I'm in the mood. Two of them are like big horse pills.

My husband has to take a handful at night, so I say, "Judy, honey, have you taken your night meds?" He always says back, "I need a Doll, damnit! And bring me my NIGHT Vodka, not the MORNING Vodka!".

Used to travel like the plaque. We're used to traveling cross-country will all of our meds in carry-on bags. But we're going to attempt to travel around Europe next year with them. Two of his meds are controlled substances, so that will be interesting. We wouldn't dare try to travel with our portable pharmacies to many other parts of the world.

R7 I take my meds in checked luggage in multiple AM/PM pill organizers if my trip is 3 weeks or less (usually domestic). Anything over that (usually international), I throw all the bottles in. I don't have enough pill organizers for longer than 3 weeks. The only controlled substance that I take is Ambien and I don't take it that often. I always bring it in the bottle. My app from my doctor's office lists all my medications if anyone asks (no one has ever questioned anything). If I were a young person, I think I would always bring the bottles as customs might be more likely to suspect something illicit. Definitely bring anything controlled in the original labeled bottle.

DataLounge and the AARP website have apparently now merged.

Yes, for one pill, Flomax. Too many times I couldn't remember if I took it or not. Usually I'd realize it that evening or next morning when I can't pee.

I dont take any pills, just a nasal spray, so dont need one

I have three different conditions that require oral medication. 2 require morning and evening doses. I also have allergies and take OTC antihistamines daily. I use a pill case with morning and evening compartments.

Yes. I find the organizers that are divided by Morn/Noon/Evening/Bedtime the most helpful.

Yes, a silver pill box for morning and a blue one for evening. Only one pill is an Rx, the other 8 or 9 are supplements. They work wonders. I’m 80 but all my friends say I look 79!

Pill organizers make a great stocking stuffer for all your eldergay DL friends.

Go ahead and splurge and buy them the morning, noon, and night style organizer.

Not being demented, no.

I am undeterred by my complicated medication schedule.

The only thing DL loves more than ageism is ableism.

I use a "lock-box" similar to this. I take a lot of medications and I get three months supply at a time for each prescription so I have a LOT of pill bottles. These are all once daily in the morning, including some vitamins.

The PRNs are in my nightstand.

I look at it every day and I want to laugh. Or something.

r8, good advice to bring the original Rx bottles. We can't be separated from are meds due to the frequency of lost luggage, so we pack them in carry-ons that also contain our laptops or tablets, which go under the seats in front of us.

I do now. I spent 9 days in hospital at the beginning of May for heart failure caused by a respiratory virus I didn't even know I had, that attacked my heart causing a massive build up of fluid from my chest down. I'm now on 6 medications a day. 6 in the morning and 2 of them again in the evening. I have an appointment on Wednesday morning with one of my heart specialists for a blood draw, then go back next week for the results. That will let him know how to proceed. I'm hoping it will mean some of these medications can be stopped. Then I'll have an appointment next month with my cardiologist (after an echo-cardiogram) to hopefully be told that I'm back to normal and don't need to take these pills any longer.

I spent $9.00 on a pill dispenser at the pharmacy, a pill box that turned out to be a horror. Then I was in a Dollar Tree one day looking for plastic food containers and walked down the medical aisle and saw this one. Works like a charm and only $1.25.

Ugh I'm so sorry R20. Scary and I hope you make as full a recovery as possible.

Q: What do you do if you have to take a pill at a different time than the others?

A: You don’t. I take 14 oral meds a day- 11 Rx and 3 supplements - as well as injectables weekly, monthly, and bi-monthly. I try but they go into two slots: breakfast and bedtime. When I’ve been hospitalized, often times they don’t have the med and have to get it, or have it and don’t give it to you at the time that was prescribed on the label. I’m following the doctors’ orders better at home than they do in the hospital.

When I bought my first pill organizer I said to myself, "you are officially OLD".

I hate using them, but it's just so muche easier and saves so much time

R21 - I feel you - they've jacked up the prices on these pieces of plastic to insane levels. However, all pill organizers are not the same, as most people realize only after buying them.

You need considerable depth and extra room, should you need to add more in the future.

Organizers do 2 things: reduces the hassle of opening up so many bottles every single day, which is a pain in the ass. And it's a visual reminder that you've taken them, just in case you're running around and forget.

Any daily activity becomes automatic after awhile - so you can sometimes forget - did I take them this morning or not? Even those with the best of memories.

Lastly - it can also give you a heads-up a week before you run out so you have time to get replacements. I take 17 supplements (no meds) a day - I can't remember if I'm running low on each one. But when you take out 7 days' worth and you see a handful left - it's time.

It's not just an old person's thing - lots of bodybuilders and health-conscious people use them as well.

I've seen lill organizers with 4 slots each day, morning, noon, evening and night time. Great for people who need to take pills at mealtime as well as before and after sleeping.

[quote]You don't.

Don't take R23's advice. Maybe that works for R23 but this is medical advice, essentially. Follow your doctor's orders. You could try multiple pill cases, or individual ones per dose (ex: 7 separate cases weekly for midday pills; take one with you when you go out for the day). Different people have different ailments and someone skipping an antihistamine until later in the day is not the same as missing a dose of anti-seizure meds.

Do NOT listen to R23. I have them blocked for many reasons. He has no idea of what he is talking about

Too much ch trouble to fill the organizer box. If I’m not sure if I took a pill, I skip it. Better than taking a double dose.

I only take one medication but I also take a baby aspirin and three vitamins, so yeah I am not opening five bottles every day. Plus the melatonin I take at night which I do separately.

In the early evening, I put my morning meds (2 supplements and an anti-depressant) in a plastic bottle cap in the bathroom, and cover the cap with a larger one. Then I take my night-time anti-depressants and put them in a bottle cap on my nightstand.

That way I know if I've taken my evening pills before bedtime and the morning pills are ready to take in the morning.

I guess I should be grateful to have so few prescriptions.

You should be alarmed that you're so fucking depressed.

At least he seeks help for his mental issues. r31. Better to se a doctor and take pills than... whatever you're doing.

You don't seem happy, that's for sure.

[quote]Too much ch trouble to fill the organizer box. If I’m not sure if I took a pill, I skip it

Yeah, don't take advice from this person, OP.

I'm not -- 'cause my medication works.

Thank you R22.

I have a 7-day, detachable pill organizer. I only take 3 prescriptions and one vitamin D. After all these years, I know which ones to take in the AM and which one to take in the PM. The vitamin D I take with lunch. For some reason, it keeps me awake if I take it at night.

I detach each day as needed and take it with me wherever I go. That way, I know I'm taking all my meds daily.

Bad pun, but me heart goes out to you, r20.

Had three episodes of congestive heart failure last year. Diuretics (furosemide and spironolactone) which brought the fluid build up and swelling down after the first hospitalization. Had an echo, ultrasound, a radioactive dye to look for amyloidosis, and an angiogram. All pretty much negative.

What we didn't realize was that my liver and kidneys were failing, which was hastened by two c-diff infections along with my usual heavy drinking, which led to six weeks in the hospital, a rapid 75 lb weight loss, and referral to Palliative care. I'd been in remission for colon and kidney cancer. Of course I enjoyed my cocktails during chemo rounds and then after four surgeries while recovering at home with heavy opiates. So, I killed my liver, which almost killed my kidneys. A radical lifestyle (i.e. no alcohol, as much exercise as I can manage) and an austere diet along with all the meds are keeping me alive. I'm "only" 63. I have to use a pill organizer so that I don't forget to take anything.

Not at all suggesting you may have any of the above, except for the "heart failure". Before all the other stuff entered the picture, the heart failure was treated with the diuretics, and it went away. Was able to stop taking them for a while. It is fortunate that a viral infection was discovered in your case. I'll bet that goes missed in a lot of cases. Have since learned that (congestive) heart failure is very common after age 50 and can be managed, depending on the cause, of which there are many. Good luck!

[quote]Organizers do 2 things: reduces the hassle of opening up so many bottles every single day, which is a pain in the ass. And it's a visual reminder that you've taken them, just in case you're running around and forget.

The latter is why I use one. At least once a week I'll forget in the morning and notice I haven't taken the day's ration a bit later.

Because most of the pills my dogs take/took are big supplements or powder I got the attached

Whenever I put off filling the pill organizer and just try to "freeform" the 7 individual bottles of meds, vitamins and supplements that I take each morning, there's always this lingering doubt that I missed one, or doubled dosed something. Then there are the days when lunchtime hits and I can't remember whether I took them or not. With a pill organizer these uncertainties go away, you know you're getting all your meds, not double dosing, and if you forget you can easily tell if the slot is empty or the pills are still there.

My Ritual - put vitamins, supplements and meds in Seven-Day pill box while watching "CBS News Sunday Morning"

I should have been more descriptive. I have two 30-day pill organizing cases, one for the morning pills and one for the evening pills. Each case has four removable cases for each week in the month. I keep the morning case on top of the coffee machine and the evening case on the arm of my side of the couch. I had to do them this morning because we're leaving town for a week tomorrow and not enough days filled.

R37, I've had relatives who had the liver issues from drinking and when they stopped things really improved and they lived nice long lives. I'm taking furosemide and spironolactone as well, along with lisinporil, levothyroxin, & carvedilol. They found that my thyroid function was off a bit when I was in hospital. The levothyroxin hopefully will get it back on track, but if I have to take it for the rest of my life, so bit it. It costs me nothing.

I had a cardiac bi-lateral catheterization done several weeks back. Scary until it wasn't. He had to tell me when he had the catheters in each side of my heart. I felt nothing. I was expecting the worst at my age (72) and whispered to him right before he stuck the first catheter in my wrist, "just please don't let me die". When it was all done and I was off the table and back in the waiting room the cardiologist came in and said "well I've got some great news for you, you don't have a single blockage and i was expecting to have to put in 1 or more stints. You have some of the cleanest arteries I've seen for a man your age. One thing I can tell you is that you will never die from a heart attack. Something else will ultimately get you, but it won't be your heart.". I then told him that I had stopped eating meat over 30 years ago and I firmly believe that's why my arteries were not blocked, and he agreed.

I hope you continue to recover and have many more years to look forward to.

r43, thank you.

From surviving cancer, I learned to be grateful for everyday and to not let things bother me -- except for the Orange Turd, of course. After dealing with the heart/liver/kidney failure, was told that I wasn't a candidate for liver or kidney transplant and was referred to Palliative care. Googling all of the symptoms gave me 3-6 months (cirrhosis, decompensated, Stage 4 CKD). By the time I got the appointment with the Palliative doc, my partner and I had done the trust, transferred all of my assets to him, and gotten rid of most of my personal stuff. It was so liberating. I was in full acceptance mode. But then my liver enzymes unexpectedly went down and the kidneys showed some signs of life. 7 months later, I'm skin and bones, tire easily, but getting better everyday. Two nurse friends both said, just cut the booze, salt, and sugar -- you'll be fine. And they were right! Not even doing dialysis anymore. My poor partner, who is my hero, had to witness all of this. We'd gotten married only a year before this happened.