Medication Management UGG!
As many of you have experienced, managing Lyme medication regimens can be one of the most difficult treatment aspects to keep track of. I have several systems in place to manage my medication. Hopefully, some of the following organizational systems will work for you.
Raw Regimens, Straight from the Doc
Upon returning home from my appointment I sit down with my new regime and try to get a basic understanding of it. One thing that helps me personally is making a table like the one below. I begin by filling out *Name of Medication in alphabetical order (column B), *Dosage(column C), *number of times a day taken (column D). If it is a medication that has specific instructions regarding the regime, I am sure to make note of the information (i.e. abx wk 2, 3 as seen below, or MWF if you only take the medication specific days of the week.) Add as much or as little information you need to help you remember your regime.
Medication Table
In addition to the organization above mentioned, I also use my medication table to keep track of additional aspects of my regimen On the far left side (column A) I have a check mark box for when I am filling my pill boxes for the week (pictured below). This column helps me keep track of when I put each specific medication in my pill box for the week. Each medication name that is in bold is a medication that goes my the pill box. The medications that are not in bold are IV medications, liquid medications etc. that do not get organized in the pill box. I already reviewed columns "A-D". Column "E" identifies what pill box to place each medication (*note below the pill boxes are labeled "1,2,3,4" as I take my medication four times a day. At the bottom of the chart I typically list what time each group of medications is taken (i.e. pill box 1=8:00am). The final column "F" is to mark off medications I need to get from the pharmacy, or how many weeks I have to order the medication.
*Note: This is also a convenient way to list your medications for your appointments, rather that re-writing them, you can just hand your doctor this list.
*Note: This is also a convenient way to list your medications for your appointments, rather that re-writing them, you can just hand your doctor this list.
Pill Boxes
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/8/9/14890656/1365643200.png)
I personally have 4 pill boxes, meaning I take medication 4 separate times a day. One of the ways I determined this is by asking about medication interactions and noting how far apart medications need to be taken from each other. (ex. pill box "1" is taken at 8am, pill box "2" is taken at 12pm because the medications in pill box "2" need to be taken at least 3 hours apart from the pills in box "1")
Storing Medications
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/8/9/14890656/2941763.jpg?1372521268)
I find that storing medication bottles in alphabetical order makes it easier to shoot down my medication list and fill my pill box. For you it might be easier to store them based on what pill box they go in (1, 2, 3 etc.). I use these shelves, originally made to organize spices in a kitchen cabinet, to keep my pill bottles organized.
When I began to get more medications and they no longer fit in the spice shelves, I got spice clips from Amazon and attached them to trays for easy storage, this way I can keep them alphabetically and never run out of room for additional meds. I have also made covers for each bottle that have the name of the medication, the generic name and what the medication is used for in my case. This helps for medications with big bottles that do not fit in these clips.
When I began to get more medications and they no longer fit in the spice shelves, I got spice clips from Amazon and attached them to trays for easy storage, this way I can keep them alphabetically and never run out of room for additional meds. I have also made covers for each bottle that have the name of the medication, the generic name and what the medication is used for in my case. This helps for medications with big bottles that do not fit in these clips.
Pills on the Go
Sometimes when I'm "on the go" I don't want to take 1 or all of my pill boxes with me. I use these old pill bottles labeled 1-4 and take what I need while I am out of the house.
Grab-and-Go Treatment
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/8/9/14890656/2040438.jpg?418)
Note the IV treatment supplies on the right, all packaged in a zip lock bag on the left. The bag contains all of the equipment and IV medication I would need in one day. Making packets such as this can make real life application faster, and less confusing. I also do this for other IV treatments such as saline or lactated ringers (LR) - just putting the tubing, heparin saline flush and alcohol wipes in the zip lock, the saline or LR bags are too big for the bags. I also package my dressing change kits this way. Some patients get prepackaged dressing change kits, and that is most convenient, however if you get the materials separately - make your own kit. This system also provides benefit if you need someone to assist you with this process. If this person is less familiar with your medical supplies, you can ask him/her to bring over a packet instead of looking for each individual piece. I also notice that this system makes travel easier, if you are going over someone else's house or visiting someone across the country - having these kits makes packing much easier. Again, in the picture above, all the supplies shown on the right are packed into the bag on the left.
*Note: I get my dressing change supplies separately because I find this is a less expensive method. If your insurance is going to cover supplies, they may be more open to this system.
*Note: I get my dressing change supplies separately because I find this is a less expensive method. If your insurance is going to cover supplies, they may be more open to this system.
The material appearing on LIVINGLYMESMART.WEEBLY.COM is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This website does not endorse any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site.