No matter how organized someone may be, there are undoubtedly going to be times when they miss their daily medication. Morning medications can go forgotten when you wake up late and have to leave for work in a rush. Lunchtime can be chaotic and it’s easy to scarf down your salad without much thought to anything else you should be taking. Evening meds are missed because when you return home tired, there’s nothing else you want to do but take a shower and pass out.
If you’re taking prescription medications, it’s ever so important that you remember to take your medicine and do so at a regular time. Whether you are taking maintenance medications or antibiotic treatments, missing a dose will impact your treatment’s effectiveness.
What happens if I happen to forget to take one dose?
Maintenance medications are known to have a longer-lasting effect that stays in your bloodstream for more than a day. Missing one dose once in a while is okay, just remember the keywords “once in a while” and “okay.” This is because you can take it the next day and still feel okay. Missing them for a week or more, however, can have grave consequences on your health and even warrant a trip to the emergency room.
If you are taking antibiotic treatments for any bodily infections that you have incurred, these are quick to enter and exit your body. Skipping a dose or two can be extremely harmful and make your infections worse. Remember that antibiotics are normally administered for extremely bad infections, so these can be life-threatening when they get worse.
While it isn’t ideal, some medications can be taken a few hours after you missed the dosage instructions by your doctor. If you were supposed to take your pill at six in the evening and only remember at nine, you will probably be fine.
If I Missed My Morning Dosage, Do I Double The Dosage In The Evening?
If you missed a dosage in the morning, do not take that morning dose with the evening medications, as doubling up can be harmful to your body. The only exception, however, is those who take birth control pills.
Missing the daily birth control pill can lead to unintended pregnancies, so if you forget a dose and do not realize it until the next day, take it along with the next day’s pill. The low hormone dosage from the pill is not going to be harmful. Just make sure it doesn’t become a habit!
What Do I Do If I Cannot Remember To Take My Meds?
Fortunately for those who live in the 21st century, so many technologies exist to help us with everything we do on a daily basis. With timers and reminders that exist on our phones, we barely miss out on anything nowadays or at least have no excuse to do so.
Here at My Medication Log, you’ve got technology on your side. We have created a smartphone app that is cloud-based that assists both patients and caregivers in medication management. Using our app, you can rest assured that your medications will be taken on time, as well as log when you’ve taken them to avoid taking double doses. Pair this with a pillbox that you set aside in your home or put it in your bag when you leave to be sure you remember to take your daily dose.
Conclusion
Maintenance medications or any other medicines prescribed by doctors are integral in keeping people’s health in good shape and assisting the treatment of chronic illnesses. Missing multiple doses can be harmful, which is why it is a blessing of today that technology provides us with many means to expedite daily tasks. Use My Medication Log to monitor and remind yourself about your medicine usage for the best results.
My Medication Log is the best daily medication log available for any device, thanks to its cloud-based functionality and ease of use. With our app, you can have a good system to remind you and even assist your caregivers with your medication usage.