It’s a vicious circle

in I am totally overrated, Random Crap, weekly reruns

True story:  Last week my doctor gave me a new drug to take for my ADD.  I’m supposed to tell her if it works for me but I don’t know if it works because I’m supposed to take it 3 times a day but I can never remember to take it because I have ADD.

I also take a drug that fucks with your memory and I can never remember to have it refilled until I’ve forgotten so long that the drug is out of my system enough to actually remember shit.

I would pay good money to have someone else manage my drugs for me and make sure that they’re always refilled, authorized and mailed to me.  And handed to me with water.  With a flintstones vitamin.  And a cocktail.  I basically want to live in a retirement home, but without the old people.  And I want the nurse who knows how to make Moscow Mules.  I don’t think I’m asking for too much.  Or possibly I am.  It’s hard to tell because I ran out of anti-psychotics.

I think I just proved my own point.  And not in a good way.

************

And in other news, it’s Sunday, which means its time for the weekly wrap-up:

What you missed in my shop (Named “Eight pounds of uncut cocaine” so that your credit card bill will be more interesting.):

What you missed on the internets:

This week on shit-I-didn’t-come-up-with-but-wish-I-did-because-it’s-kind-of-awesome:

This week’s wrap-up brought to you by some fabulous people who want others to stop driving like an asshole.  From them: “We would like people to ask their insurance agents for an OBD2 device that runs on the sprint network. The OBD2’s provide a few great things but the punchline is that they keep you from driving like an asshole. They make it impossible to text and drive, and can cut down on accidents.  They send you alerts if your car is driven recklessly or out of bounds (great for parents of new drivers or who have nannies) and it can help you locate your car if you forget where you’ve left it (hello, Disneyland).”  You can find out more here.

233 thoughts on “It’s a vicious circle”

Read comments below or add one.

  1. I do that with my ambien…because I take it and then don’t go to sleep and then get confused as to whether or not I took it. I don’t think I’ve taken it twice, though. I don’t remember.

  3. Maybe one of those gumball machines, but on a timer, like they do for dog food when you go away and leave your dog behind for a few days? You could put candy in it too, so every time it clicks you’d be like “Awesome! Skittles! And brain pills!”

  5. As nurse I’ve come across quite some patients with this problem. Especially in home-care. Here the pharmacy fullfilling prescriptions can make week or month boxes with meds sorted by time of day you need to take them. Maybe they have something like that there as well. If this is a problem, talk to the pharmasist. It’s not THE solution, but it could be helpful to at least keep the oversight.

  6. This is why I have alarms on my phone. Otherwise, I probably would’ve had three babies and a nervous breakdown by now (possibly in that order).

  7. mmm Moscow Mules. They’re my new favorite drink. I think it’s the fancy copper cup that they are often served in.

  9. Seems like a medical-assistant dog could do all that, plus be cute and cuddly. Smart enough to bring you the pill box at the right time and maybe carry a water bottle, like those rescue dogs in the snow in the alps. He could have a service vest with the pill box and the water bottle. You could dress him something adorable, I’m sure.

    Tell the pharmacy to do auto refills and call you when they’re ready, and maybe Victor could fill the pill box once a week.

    Done.

    As long as all the dead animals in your house didn’t scare him or he didn’t try to chase them and eat them. Still, I think it could work.

  12. If I lived anywhere within driving distance of your house (I’m in California) I would totally manage your drugs and cocktails, as long as I could have a cocktail with you. Is it just me or is cocktail a really fun word to say? I haven’t even had a cocktail yet today, but I just like to use that word. Cocktail. OK, I’m done now.

  13. I would like to apply for the position. I am accustomed to psychoactive medication monitoring, as I have worked in mental health centers. I have also been a bartender and I’m a hell of a lot of fun and very accepting.

  14. I have this exact problem. I have depression and ADD. I’m terrified of taking too many drugs, but I can’t remember if I’ve already taken it. Those ‘day by day’ pill holders help, but they’re not perfect. I often lose the holder :(. Ellie Di, I think the phone alarm is an idea I’ll try.

  15. I would more be more than happy to give you your meds and make you Moscow Mules. I’m also good at making the TARDIS noise, (my cats love it) and I am well versed in making tiny clothes for dolls or small stuffed animals. I also like to try out funny accents and I usually laugh at my own jokes. Oh and I cook…like really well. 🙂

  16. I had a sinus infection a while back and was on 2 different meds that had different dosing schedules. I used the calendar on my phone to alert me the several times a day for 10 days to TAKE MEDS NOW!!!

    What I didn’t consider was that my phone calendar syncs to my Outlook calendar, which is used by my agency’s reception office to schedule/reschedule/cancel my clients’ appointments for me.

    So for several days, our reception team was checking a therapist’s calendar which is screaming at them that I’m on meds. Yikes.

  18. There is a machine that you can rent, that will dispense your pills at a certain time every day, even multiple times a day, and it tells you that it’s time to take your medicine, and keeps telling you, until you take them. It won’t help with refills and stuff, but it would at least get you to take them on time!!!

  19. While it doesn’t solve everything, some pills have an extended release formula which cuts down on the number of times you have to remember. A member of my household has found this very helpful with his anti-seizure meds. Note- they are often more expensive because they are “non-formulary” but if your doctor checks off that you *need* this specific kind, insurance may eat the extra cost. Ours does.

  20. Well, it won’t take your pills for you, but most drug stores, including mail order, have apps that remind you when it is time for a refill. Lots of the mail order companies will call you if you set it up. Then set up your smartphone to remind you to take your pills. Of course, sometimes I still cannot remember if I took one or not, but I have help all of the way up to that stage!

  21. Wendy @ #3 you can get those pill boxes with timers on (at least in the UK, so I assume you can in the US too), which is a similar thing if you put candy in too, was just about to suggest it too. But they only work if you remember to set them up (and pick up the prescriptions) 😉 lol. Usually they only hold a days worth of pills but this one, while much more expensive, says it can hold upto a weeks worth http://www.amazon.co.uk/MEDELERT-DONT-HAVE-MOST-BEST/dp/B003TSTTHU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1381687297&sr=8-16&keywords=pill+box+timer So that’s half the battle, the other half is an alert to remind you when to set up the box, and one to tell you to pick up the prescriptions.

  22. Those seven day a week, divided into time of day plastic pill things are handy. I take loads of different tablets every day and I always amaze myself that I remember. Perhaps you can keep them somewhere all the time, e.g. the bathroom/bedroom, then have an alarm on your phone that reminds you to go take them?

  24. A psychiatric support dog can help you remember to take meds. I don’t know if there are psych-support cats.

  25. I had to set Google Calendar reminders to take my pills when I was taking pills that fucked with my memory. That way, I got an email every time I needed to take one, so I wouldn’t forget.

  26. Maybe you could volunteer at a nursing home and get them to administer your meds, cocktails, and vitamins to you as part of your volunteer effort…you could be the good example for folks who don’t really want to take their medications.

  27. I was on anti-psychotics 10-15 years ago. I slowly got myself off of them without the support of doctors, family or friends (mom found them in my trash can and flipped out. I flipped out that she was in my apartment, digging through to the bottom of my trash. that’s another story). The fact that everyone in my life wanted me on drugs that took away my personality still makes me sad but my life is amazingly better without them. I have my life back. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone without help from your doctor, but I can tell you life is better without the drugs. Sadly, what happened to my memory can never be repaired. On the fun side, every time I see a movie now, it’s always for the first time regardless of how many times I’ve seen it before. Guess there’s a rainbow in everything. 🙂

  28. I kept forgetting to take my ADD medication until I put “Take medication” on my calendar for twice a day. Definite conversation starter when that pops up on my screen.

  29. I have a similar problem, but I use an app called Pillboxie to help me remember if I’ve taken them or not. The only problem is when I can’t be arsed to actually go take them, because the alarm can get freaking annoying. But I guess that’s on me. :S

  30. My antidepressant makes it so I can’t sleep for more than 3 hours at a time which means I tend to take lots of naps which is very counterproductive to battling depression. I know that feel bro.

  31. Ask your pharmacist to bubble pack your meds. But instead of bubble packs get them to put them in shot glasses.

  32. Oh my gosh, I so needed this! I was in tears when I started reading and now I’m in tears laughing hysterically. I totally know what you mean! I hate it when I have to refill my med box. I just told my husband a few weeks ago that I would pay someone to do it for me. And I know what you mean about realizing you haven’t taken one because you haven’t taken one in a few days. Oops! I am on a Medrol pak once a year or so and I hate trying to remember when to take each one. I have no good advice like the others, and this is a completely rambling message – just wanted to say that I’m with ya.

  33. You need one of those old people’s weekly pill boxes. On Sunday, put all your doses in their appropriate cubby. Write a note on your bathroom mirror in Sharpie to look in the box.

  34. I have a pillbox like an old lady, and often I still forget to take my meds. I’ll lay in bed for two hours wondering why I’m still awake, and then go check the box. It’s sad. I can literally take my morning meds, drink a cup of coffee, and then “remember” that I forgot to take my meds. I’m pretty sure that little box has saved my life a few times. So you’re in good company. Basically none of us know what in the hell we are doing. 😉

  35. Ok, so I totally discovered you from my fellow RN school buddy. We love you, we’re both LPNs and call us if you need a nurse!!

  36. Also, every time I start a new medicine, I freak myself out and have every side effect listed, and also some that I think I just make up. My husband won’t let me read the side effects packets anymore, but I am sneaky and read them online. I need to know if I’m going to start growing facial hair, dammit.

  37. Just discovered Moscow Mules……and some other really good drinks at a new local place. I think I need a Xanax today.

  38. Me! Pick me…I can help you manage your drugs. After back sugery I was taking so many my sister the nurse had to dole them out. But I am drug free now!

  39. Those all exist. Pharmacies can do auto refills. And there are medicine containers with alarms. Andykur phone can do that. 🙂

  40. Jenny, I already do that for my grandad multiple times a day. I also remind him regularly to zip his fly. I would be happy to do the same for you including zipper-checks, if you needed them.

  41. re: the real estate agents blog- while we were looking for a house in the spring, I found one with this dental torture chamber, with a full early 1900s-looking dentist’s chair and everything. I wish I had gotten a screenshot of it because it was gone the next day.

  42. As a nurse (who knows how to make Moscow mules) I would happily work for you but I feel the commute may be a bit far & the kids may be annoyed if i’m gone too long. I don’t know how it works in the states but over here we have a dossett box which the pharmacy puts together with all the persons med put in sections for different times of the day and different days of the week. All you need then is a retro digital watch which beeps at set times to prompt you to take your meds course you can get a phone app to do it but that relys on you remembering your phone app& a retro watch is far too cool!!

  44. pills 3 times a day?! who could ever do that? that’s crazy and i think you should focus on moscow mules 3 times a day instead…and i like your idea of assisted living facility. maybe we can play bingo or do a puzzle later.

  47. Scratch my last comment, that’s what I get for trying to comment whilst on my phone.

    I’ll apply for that job.
    Shaken or stirred?

  49. Ooof, that’s not fun. I can barely remember my multivitamin. I have to set reminders in my phone for doing other things, like taking a probiotic or buying shampoo.

  50. If you have your phone with you all the time, you can put reminders on it. Ones that say *what* they are for in clear, concise words so you don’t have to be all ‘wtf is this thing trying to tell me??!?!”

    Why, no, no reason I know this.

  52. Jenny,

    This isn’t a comment about meds (although when my gallbladder tried to kill me and I had it removed, I did use an alarm app to tell me to take the damn vicodin every 8 hours), but I feel I need to tell you this:

    This week, your posts saved my mind. I am not diagnosed with depression, but I do see a therapist. I’m pretty sure this week was the most psychologically exhausting and hellish of my 35 years. If it’s possible to be clinically depressed out of the blue for a week, I was there.

    Your posts kept me laughing, but also reminded me that there are people battling this all the time, and that depression lies.

    I have a newfound respect for people who live with this all the time. Coming out of it sucks as much as being in it.

    So, my dear, thank you. Sincerely, profusely, and with more gratitude than a post can really convey. Thank you, thank you, thank you just for being your awesome, wonderful self.

  53. I have RA too and completely understand. I use one of those medication organizers, but I can never remember if I took that day or forgot to fill it in the first place! Lol

  54. Oh, my gods, the comment about their phone calendar syncing with the work one made me laugh. I could totally see me doing that.

    And giving someone with ADD a pill to take three times a day is cruel.

    I hope you find a good solution to help you.

  56. This post reminds me of Alzheimers. Some of my friends worry they will get Alzheimers and be placed in a home. I always say,”Why worry? You won’t know when it happens.” I have notes for my husband on the refrig. and front and back door that say,”Did you remember to take your heart pills?” and he still walks out without taking them. You just have to get into the habit which usually takes 30 days of repeating something.

  57. There’s an iPhone app called something like “Rx Alert” where you enter in all your mess and how often you’re supposed to take them. Then it dings when it’s time and tells you what to take. Also, my pharmacy will do automatic refill it call you when it’s time to refill. Then you press 1 fir yes and presto, it gets refilled.

  58. I totally have an alarm for taking my mid-day med. I’m good at taking my morning meds: when I get up, I put them in a little bowl (except for the Xanax, which I take immediately) and take them downstairs with me. After I eat my breakfast, I can see the little bowl with my meds, so I take them. I use my phone alarm to tell me to take my mid-day xanax (it even says what the alarm is for), but when I didn’t have my med right at hand in a little pill box, I would often forget to take it anyway. Then I have an alarm for my nighttime meds, which I put in the little bowl. Unfortunately, I often don’t immediately go upstairs and fill the little bowl, so then I have to remember if I did so or not.

    i love the idea of the medicine machine. I might have to look into that.

  59. I finally bought a 7 day am/pm pill box. Now, I just need to remember to keep it filled, and remember to take them each morning & night! Speaking of which, never took my morning pills today. *sigh*

  60. I finally bought a 7 day am/pm pill box. Now, I just need to remember to keep it filled, and remember to take them each morning & night! Speaking of which, never took my morning pills today. *sigh*

  61. Whoever you hire, just make sure that person knows that Moscow Mules MUST be served in copper mugs. I have no idea why this is, but it greatly contributes to their awesomeness.

  62. I work from home so I could keep my job and dole out your pills at the same time. I used to live in TX so I already know my way around. My son is in college and my husband and cat will totaly move if I ask very nicely. I hate my neighbors anyway. I am your girl.

  63. I actually went around and around with the school nurse about this once, because she said my sons should remember to come to her to take their meds. Um….lady…. I personally think that this proves she was on dumb bitch pills that she TOTALLY remembered to take…because she didn’t have ADHD.

  64. Holy shit! I think people are missing the fact that ABC is ordering a sitcom based on your book! Whoa!!!!

  65. I think the pharmaceutical companies should hire clerks to make “courtesy calls” reminding people to take their meds. It’s good for business, it’s good for society, and it would give some unemployed CEOs a job.

  67. Forgetting to take ADHD meds, or, even better, forgetting a HAD taken a dose, then doubling it and falling asleep, are two of the reasons I stopped taking them. Of course, I can’t remember anything now, and all my projects are half finished. HELP BRAIN.

  68. If it makes you feel any better, this post reminded me I needed to take my ADHD meds. =) Luckily I only have one dose a day; Vyvanse sustained release FTW!

  69. CVS does a very decent job of sending me reminders about the prescriptions I have on autofill. You can even set everything up online so you don’t have to actually talk to anyone who will get all judge-y about having prescriptions for Ambien, Xanax and Paxil.

  70. Are you kidding me? I never heard of an adult on ADHD medication in the UK. move over here We are all a bit wacky so maybe you would feel more at home. Seriously don’t get into the thrall of the money making drug companies – I am sure you have looked at your diet, taking plenty of exercise, yoga etc so will not get too preachy about that.

    I wonder how many creative people would have been zombied out in the past with drugs – Eistein, Austen, Bonaparte, Rockerfeller, Leonardo Da Vinci, Louis Pasteur there is a long list of people who may have been affected. What would we have lost in terms of inventions, literature etc.

  71. There is no limit to the amount of money I would pay to have someone make me a Moscow Mule anytime I wanted one. I would get a second job to pay for it.

  72. just set a reminder on your phone, to take your meds three times a day. If you can sign up for mail order prescriptions, there is an option to have them automatically refilled and mailed to your home. 🙂

  73. I provide those basic services (without flintstones vitamins or cocktails) for the hubs… and while one of his doctor’s offices thanks me for being there for him and giving him the support he needs, his neuro-psych seems to think that it’s some way that I abuse him by controlling his medications and keeping him unaware of what he takes… He calls it “outsourcing” – and it works for us. Until I have a week when I forget to send the mail order script within the comfort zone to have it refilled, and the mail order script company decides to take three extra days to send us the medication, and I call his therapist about to have a panic attack because “OMG – what if we don’t have these pills in time???” but that’s only happened like 3 times in the last 10 years.

  76. WILL totally text you when to take your meds if you’ll make me laugh once a day.
    LEGIT offer.

    Just moved and my new friends are not very funny.

  77. I have a nifty little gadget called a Dose-Alert on my antidepressant bottle. It’s basically a little stick-on countdown timer. You can set it for whatever your dose interval is (3x/day? 8 hours), it beeps annoyingly just like an alarm clock to alert you that it’s pill time, then you press the button to reset it for the next dose after you take your pill. I’ve been using it for a week and haven’t missed a dose yet, which, for me, is kind of miraculous. The Walgreens one is available at Amazon, but I’m pretty sure I paid about $5 for mine at the store. [ http://www.amazon.com/Walgreens-Pill-Reminder-Dose-Alert/dp/B005L88GPW ] When you refill your meds , you just switch the timer lid to the new bottle.

  78. My mom had cancer on top of fibromyalgia when I was a kid (10-16). Every Sunday I filled her medicine tray with the dozens of pills she had to take each day of the week. It sounds awful and it was, but it was also some quality time I spent with her and it definitely put her illnesses in perspective for me. I could never look at all those pills and then wonder why she would “choose” to stay in bed instead of come to my school play or something.

  79. I am a bartender and I make a mean Moscow Mule! (in a traditional copper mug, of course!) Xanax is the memory eraser for me….sometimes I’ll be singing along to my iPod & then I totally forget the words to songs I’ve known for 20 years. I’ll take the forgetfulness over the anxiety any day!

  80. Jenny,
    Contest Time!

    “Who Wants To Be The Bloggess’ Companion/Drug Adninstrator?”
    The winner gets bragging rights, free books for life, and endless assortment of stuffed animal carcasses and the privilege of spending fourteen hours a day in close proximity to a living legend!

    Any takers out there?

  81. SAILOR MOON VOGUE-ING! How did I not know about such awesomeness? Thanks for spreading the fierceness.

  82. My husband hands me my meds every morning. Not because he is a nice husband, or a trained monkey, but because he is so terrified of me not taking them and losing my shit that he likes to keep things in order.

  83. I 100% support my extended release meds for my ADHD because yes, I can’t remember to take pills 3 times a day. My attention does not find it shiny enough to remember. Non extended release pills for people who can’t pay attention are just mean. Do people with arachnophobia have to grasp their meds through a spider web? I personally don’t need any additional tests to be assured that I have issues paying attention and especially to boring things like taking meds.

  84. I also want to live in a retirement community without old people. Let’s make that happen. I’d pay a lot of money to have someone else remember my meds.

  85. I seriously love the person who posted as Ethel Merz. I can die happy now. As for the pills, just have fun with them, Jenny. Enjoy!

  88. well let’s see. i take xanax at 5am, 11am,5pm,11pm. thyroid at morning 1 hour before i eat or if i have been eating all night (insomnia, ambien doesnt work for me) i have to wait 4 hours before i take it. after breakfast pills prestiq and bupropfion, night time med for hbp and lamical for crazies and then a rum and coke with ice cream in it just because i have taken or forgotten 9 pills each day. but what really messes me up is when the phar changes generic manf, and all the colors of my pills change.. maybe i should have a rum and coke 9 times a day instead

  89. I love your blog, but this is the first time I’ve ever posted. (Long time listener, blah, blah, blah….) I’m pretty sure this was my resume in a blog post. I’m your girl, lady. My Moscow Mules rock and I’ve made koozies for my stainless steel glasses. They are rainbow colored. I worked with mentally handicapped people for three years. If anyone can get you your meds on time, it’s me.

  91. i just spent the last 20 minutes laughing till i cried over the real estate photos. thank you so for sharing that.

  92. i have also been telling my daughter that i have squirrels in the house who are eating all the nutter butters. they are in cahoots with the pie mice

  93. i’d take that job. but then i’d probably forget to take my meds. then i’d forget to fill yours. and we’d probably end up just being drunk and crazy.

    so, not much different.

  95. Maybe update a schedule on your blog/twitter, so that all of your followers can remind you all at once?

    Or the phone alarm idea, that always works for me.

  96. Can’t you make your spouse do it? I feel like I’m always shoving vitamins down my husband’s throat… he’s only a few notches above the pets, and rather below the kids, in his ability to take his own medications.

  97. I bought one of those days of the week prescription things with slots for morning and night (I only take mine twice a day). It makes me feel 80, but it helps me remember.

  99. I do that with my antidepressant. And fyi, I want to thank you for talking so openly about mental illness because I avoided talking to my doctor about it for YEARS. Your openness, along with a couple of other bloggers, really helped give me the courage to get help and not be ashamed to ask for it. And my antidepressant is *glorious*.

    So thank you Jenny.

  100. Phone alarms, it is the only way I can do it. Plus a reminder alarm an hour later just to make sure. They go along with my alarms to get up, go to bed and go to lunch when at work…. Yes, I can’t even remember to go to lunch.

  101. Because I have two kids on the spectrum I can tell you this. Hire a kid with Aspergers, He/She would be all over the mailing, authorizing and dosing of meds. You could pay them in gamestop gift cards. The only drawback would be the day they read all the pamphlets on each medication and take your cocktails. They would call you in the middle of the night to tell you when it was safe to drink again though, so there’s that.

  102. In addition to a large-ish pill keeper (7-days with separate slots for am and pm) I use https://ifttt.com/ to send myself an email reminder. IFTTT can be used in several ways; you can send emails, phone alerts. You could probably even tweet yourself at scheduled times if that would help remind you best. It’s really versatile and helps me a lot when I’m in a bad phase and can’t remember anything

  106. I have the same problem. I have to set my phone alarm to remind me, although it only works if I keep my meds really close by.

  107. It’s always interesting to explore the impact brain pills have and why they lead to you taking different pills.

    For example: one of my pills is an antipsychotic which happens to block serotonin receptors. This screws with my appetite severely, which led to a Phentermine prescription to control for that side effect. It works by stimulating the release of a stress hormone (specifically, norepinephrine), which circumvents the serotonin block but also risks increased blood pressure. Which is why my doctor makes me go in every month or two to make sure that my blood pressure isn’t too high.

    SCIENCE!

  110. I don’t have medication but my alarm/reminders on my phone are normally too easy to dismiss and ignore. I downloaded an alarm app that makes me do math to snooze or dismiss it. I had to set it on the easiest to be able to shut off my alarm but I’ve only been late to work once. It would probably work for a pill reminder since you can make notes to say what it’s for.

  111. I cannot recommend the PillBoxie app enough. It’s cheap, and it alerts you for whatever wonky schedule your medication is on. Only take something once a month? It will remind you. Alternate doses on something? It remembers. It’s easy to set up and practically the best thing ever.

    I use it for something that dosing changes regularly on – that I have to take at night. I have never in my entire life remembered to take a pill at night. So, I got the app. It’s better than a phone alarm (which you can snooze or clear and then totally forget about) because you can set it to keep reminding you until you actually take your pills (you can snooze it too, but it will keep reminding you – it’s a bit persistent like that).

  112. My Geegee gets her pills in a monthly blister pack. It looks like a calander with a plastic pill filled bubble for each day. Not only is it clear whether she’s taken her pills that day but you can see exactly how many days of meds she has left and all your pills run out at the same time so you only have to remember to reorder once. Of course it did nothing to help when her doctor told her “stop taking that little white pill” and she heard “stop taking ALL your pills”. Cue three nights in the ICU and the whole family flying in. Thankfully she’s too stubborn to die!

  113. I just want to thank you as I am having a rough week; I accepted today that my depression is back and thankfully have great resources and people to help. I want you to know that it means the world to me to enjoy your humor and to know there are other people who know what I am going through. Big hug; go download dosecast and much love to you for making me feel less alone.

  114. Not only do my meds fuck with my memory, but I get the bonus of Fibro, MS, and ADD related memory issues which makes it so much worse! I guess I’m lucky that I can make it out of a room and remember to put on pants.

  115. the phone alarm has saved my butt on many an occasion, as far as taking my meds goes. so does having pill towers that have each day on them, so i can see when i *forgot*. (i have pill *towers*. prescrition meds plus herbal suppliments that my endocrinologist recommends. what i got was screw-together boxes from Michael’s that are made to hold beads. and labeled with sharpies.)

    my mother has adult ADD also, PLUS narcolepsy. the meds are the *same* for each condition! she just takes a higher dosage for the narcolepsy. phone alarms it is!

    this works for both of us since we’re nearly always within earshot of our phones.

  117. I think Walgreens has an auto-renew options for prescriptions, where they mail it to you once a month. I’m serious. Look into it. <3

  118. I have trouble remembering to take meds so I set an alarm on my phone to remind me. If I can’t take them at the exact time I need to I hit snooze on the alarm and keep snoozing until I’ve taken them. I don’t actually turn the alarm off till the meds are actually in my mouth, or I will miss the dose! It’s disruptive but it really does work!

  121. I’ll do it. I’ll start next week and you can pay me in beer and giggles. Also if you could find me a stuffed crocodile wearing a tutu, that would be spectacular.

  122. Your first paragraphs are a lot of what’s wrong with me, and a lot of why I feel I can’t be a good mother to a biological kid who will most certainly have ADD….bc if I can’t remember my own meds (or that I’m cooking, or that I was filling up the sink with water, or that I left the car on to warm up an hour ago) how will I remember theirs AND mine?!?

    in 20 years, I’m fucked. I’ve already apologised to my husband in advance.

  123. My ADD drugs are twice a day and I always forget to take the second dose, and usually the first. The good thing about this is that it means I don’t have to remember refills nearly as often!

  126. They make machines that you can rent or buy that manage your medications for you – they dispense the right one at the right time. They make ones that blink at you when you are running low on a prescription. Admittedly they do tend to be very expensive like all medical equipment.

  127. I take my mess at the exact same time every day regardless of my own awakeness or personal definition of morning and evening. Morning meds at 8am (and have an alarm set to go off every day at 8am) afternoon ones at 3pm and night ones at 10pm, all with alarms. And I have email reminders set up to repeat every four weeks for each medication I take. I spend a day every week & sort them into weekly pill boxes and as soon as I see that I am low that week or next I reorder that med.

    I’m only 34. I take pills more regularly and more responsibly than any of the elderly or cancer patients in my family. Totally depressing.

    Oh and I also have ADHD and will forget if I don’t take those meds so I HAVE to do it this way.

    I also always have 3 days worth of meds in my purse at all times, in case I’m out or stranded without them. And I have a laminated sheet in my purse with all my current meds (god I love my laminator) so if incapacitated or unable to speak at the ER I can show them that. Flip side of the card has my allergies & major diagnoses. Important shit.

    I never understand why this seems so complicated though. If I don’t take my meds I get very ill. I don’t like withdrawals from anxiety meds or not being able to function, so I take them with alarms. Best thing about smart phones, infinite alarms.

  128. That reminds me, I still have to read the handful of ADD self-help books that I keep forgetting I have.

  129. Have you read “Where’d You Go Bernadette?” it is hilarious and she has an assistant that sounds like what you are in the market for. 🙂

  132. If (and by “if”, I mean “when”) you open your new “nursing home for young people”, may I come swim in the pool…and participate in the wheel-chair races?

    Just food for thought…..

  133. I have to take 1 Tamoxifen/day for a year after my boobectomies in May and couldn’t keep track, so I got a pill box. It really works! I needed a no brainer. I think I am ADD too and forget five minutes later if I’ve taken pills. Let me know if it works for you.

  134. I have now watched that street dancing thing like three times and I can’t figure out what the heck I’m looking at. LOL!

  135. I’ll come be your personal assistant and make sure you take all your pills on time!

  136. You need a WIFE! I’ve been begging my hubby to give polygamy a try so i can have something help me with everything around the house. I think that it would end up being a lot cheaper than a maid/nanny/personal assintant

  137. Wendy (commenter #), I think you should patent that medical gumball machine. Make mine ativan and jelly belly jelly beans. A spoonful of sugar truly does help the medicine go down, but possibly in not so delightful a way as a freshly mixed cocktail does.

    A few of those real estate agents should receive hazard pay above and beyond their commission.

    As for the Moscow Mule, mix six servings worth of everything but the ginger beer in a pitcher, and place next to six bottles of ginger beer. Then just pour a servings worth from the pitcher in a glass and top with ginger beer. Not ad good as a personal assistant/ bartender/ concierge, but a little preparation and at the beginning of the week may be a good plan B.

  138. I love a good Moscow Mule! I don’t think you need an old folks home…I think you need an assistant or a groupie or maybe a Sister wife to take care of your needs.
    I would like to see what that job description might look like…
    Senior Drug Administrator for Creative Genius

  139. Get your ADD meds in a patch (Daytrana) or an XR pill, them make it Victor’s job to dole out the mads. My husband would get up before me anyway, and he’d stick the patch on my before I even woke up; so it was already kicking in when I was up & starting my day. It worked fabulously for me, except my sensitive skin couldn’t take it. I switched to Adderall XR, and the Mr. wakes me up with a glass of water, a vitamin, & my pill. I have never ever been able to remember to take meds, not even much-needed asthma meds. If my husband didn’t take care of it in the mornings, I wouldn’t ever take meds.

  140. I have definitely forgotten to take my ADD medication before. Maybe you should tell her that it doesn’t work, because you forget to take it, because you have ADD. She might understand that. lol

  141. early last year I had to learn to take a couple of pills once a day, and it was a real challenge. Then I kept losing my prescriptions, so my pharmacy offered to manage that side of things – they text me to collect the next batch & to get renewals. I use a weekly pill sorter that I usually end up carrying around in my handbag, cos the one day I don’t have it I’ll have forgotten to have breakfast & thus my meds before brekkie.

    My motivation for figuring out a system that worked consistently wasn’t my fear of dying from a stroke/heart attack. Nope, it was my fear of not-dying from a major stroke and ending up in an old folks home before I was 50. there’d be no Moscow Mules for me there! nor margaritas

  142. I just love you Jenny!!! I read you all the time!! For over 4 yrs!! You’ve helped me a lot through my depression times! I love you!!!

  143. I’d just like them to get my meds straightened out. I’ve had side effects of rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, and burning feet all side effects of meds. The drug of choice for my anxiety and depression my insurance decided I should be taking the generic. It’s been a crazy ride since then.

  144. I made my own dispenser with those small round stacking craft containers. I labeled them to suit my times (I only needed an am and a pm and all the predone boxes seemed to be three a day). A phone reminder, plus a week of preboxed tablets sitting on my dressing table – I know I often remember my tablets after I get into bed, only to get up and find that day’s pm box empty. Saved myself many double doses.

  145. My guess is that if you can’t remember to take the drugs, they probably aren’t working as well as they could be.
    I speak from experience with ADD meds.
    Talk to your doc about Concerta, it’s both quick and long release and all but eliminates the need for multiple doses during the day.
    Good luck.

  146. I know what you’re saying. I hate it when you have to take tablets every 6 hours with a meal. What… are you supposed to get up and make a sandwich at 3:00 in the morning? The app sounds like the best idea. P.S. I love reading the comments on your site too. You have a lot of funny (adoring) followers 🙂

  147. What Linnie at #5 said. My ex just had to start having that done this summer. It’s helping, he picks up the pill-pack once a week on the same day each week. It comes in one of those plastic things that are marked by day of the week (and time of day if you need it broken down by AM or PM which his doesn’t) which makes it easier to let you know if you have taken something or not, if the slot is empty you took it, if not, you haven’t….
    The pharmacy could probably mail these out to you, each week but the way his works is he takes the empty one in at the end of the week and trades it for the full one.

  148. Also, I’m great at remembering my before bed pills, but lousy at remembering my in the morning ones. Something to do with the way my daily routine works. I keep trying to fix it, but haven’t quite got the hang of it yet.

    Hell of it is, the morning pill is the one that is supposed to help with concentration, therefore memory….. *sigh*

  149. Honestly, you haven’t trained up Hailey yet? Surely she could at least handle the pills side of the equation, with Victor acting as alcohol-handler.

  150. Been there. I suffer from neuropathy, which in my case means numb (partially) legs from the knees down. Until it’s FREAKING BEDTIME, when everything decide to say hey, I hurt! Except for the part where my legs are also restless. So even on the nights when my legs aren’t trying to kill me, or encouraging me to kill myself, the legs are driving me crazy. I have tried everything, and I mean everything. I have a counter top full of partial bottles of medication, none of which work. I have a TENS machine. Didn’t work. The only thing that did work was darvocet, which has been off the market for a while. All the meds on the countertop either made me dysfunctional during the day, destroyed my vision, killed my sex drive, made me a tense, edgy, irritable son of a bitch that NO ONE wanted to be around, or made me sleep all the time.

    I’m not ready to jump off the roof yet, mainly because our roof is too low to be a sure thing. But man, this sucks. Meds help when you find the right one, but when you can’t find the right one and you can’t get the only thing that ever worked, it’s really really depressing.

  151. You know there are lots of iPhone applications to manage your medications, it’s really useful, but of course you need to remember to look at it.

  152. If you’re having real trouble remember to take it, I would honestly be suspicious that it’s not working for you. I have ADD as well, diagnosed about five years ago and started treatment almost three years ago (I was young/stubborn/stupid and resisted meds until I realized there was no way I was going to achieve my professional goals or even be a functional adult without them). Anyway, when I took my first dose of medication, the effect was extremely, hugely, wonderfully noticeable. Not in a “high” kind of way, but in an “at-the-time-totally-unfamiliar-and-amazing-mental-clarity” kind of way. I remember sitting in a coffee shop studying — really, effectively studying — for probably the first time in my life, and thinking “This must be what it feels like to be normal.” To this day, I might miss my dose by a couple hours or so, if I’m really busy with something (my medicine is three times per day, too), but I never just plain forget; I feel too noticeably different when I’m on the medicine vs. off it. Obviously, every person and every medicine is different, and I probably just lucked out, but if the effect is so underwhelming that you’re not even remembering to take your next dose, then I’d be a little suspicious. I have no idea whether or not my experience is representative, and I certainly don’t want to be overbearing/give you unsolicited advice . . . just a shared experience from someone who’s been there (kind of . . . I didn’t have to deal with the interactions of other drugs that screw with memory). Good luck . . . ADD is a feature of many wonderful, creative, eccentric brains (your awesomeness alone proves that point) but it can also be a real bitch sometimes. *Sending good wishes and hugs.*

  153. I actually have a lot of experience with setting up medicines for patients.

    The best thing to do is to get one of those seven day pill boxes at CVS or Walgreens. They cost around a dollar and are invaluable for this kind of thing.

    Also, if you have a smartphone with an alarm, you can set it to go off at a certain time every day and remind you to take your meds.

    As for the cocktails, you could possibly just fill one of those big insulated gatorade coolers with your booze of choice, and just set it on your counter next to the meds.

  154. I feel your pain with the meds. I set a alarm on my phone to remember and then never have my phone on me, or forget why the phone is beeping.

  155. Yes! It’s like the ultimate paradox! I need my Ritalin to keep me focused but taking it 4 times a day takes focus. I use a weekly pill box and set alarms on my phone to remind me when to take them. I try really hard to only dismiss the alarm after I’ve actually taken them and snooze it otherwise. I put little affirmations as the alarm title, rather than ‘time to drug up or risk ripping someones head off.’ I’ve recently changed my alarms to songs I like, but sometime it just fades into the background noise.
    I hate my pill box. I look like a total memere with all my daily drugs. Can’t they make something cute or sleek to hold all those pills that doesn’t scream I NEED THESE?
    And I’m constantly struggling to get the refills. Because it’s a class C drug, the doctor can’t call in a refillable order. So she gives me 3 written scrips at a time with staggered dates so I can’t get them all at once. But I can’t drop them off at the pharmacy all at once to keep on file. I have to hold on to (not loose) them and bring them to the pharmacy when I’m out. Which is usually when I’ve gone at least a day without them and I’ve exposed my bitchiest side several time to unsuspecting bystanders.
    Ahh. Serenity now. yeah, right.

  157. i just had a look at google play store because i thought “you can’t possibly be the only one, there ought to be an app”, and i was right. i don’t know what phone you have, but i’m sure there is the same/a similar app for iphones.

    the app i found is called med helper, there is a free and a cheap version out there, here is the link: Med Helper

    and here is part of the description:
    “Med Helper keeps track of prescriptions, alarms remind you when medications need to be taken, notify you when Doctors appointments are scheduled and alert you when meds are running low or are about to expire.
    Med Helper also tracks your vital signs and PRN / take-as-needed medications. You can log and export reports to your Doctor, Nurse or Caregiver and multiple profiles let you manage others in your care.
    Whether you’re self managing or taking care of your loved ones Med Helper is easy to use and helps to assure medication adherence. It’s like having your very own Mobile Healthcare Assistant.”

    does sound like what you need for your pills, right? now you just need someone that makes sure you never forget your phone or let it run empty, and a barkeeper. or you could train victor for that.

  158. It sounds like you need an assistant. For drugs. And life. And that person should probably be myself. I’ll be accepting the position poste haste.

  159. My ADD husband has that same problem. He needs to take meds for his rheumatoid arthritis but forgets, then complains that he is in pain. I ask, Have you taken your meds? and he says, No, and I roll my eyes at him. Rinse and repeat (almost) daily.

  160. I thought you posted awhile back you did have someone? A cool lady who was dressed as the cat in the hat a picture? Who knows, I could have a imagined it. But perfect idea for you, a person dressed as a different character every day to wander through the house dispensing drugs.

    (Mary-Fairy still exists and is amazing, but she lives in Louisiana so the commute would be difficult. ~ Jenny)

  161. had the same problem after i got out of the hospital with my daughter! all those drugs and breast feeding was impossible to keep track. i promise you they have an ap for that!! if there isnt one for drugs, try using the ibaby app. you just push a button when you take the drug and it marks the time it was taken – can also make your own buttons for different drugs. if you cant remember when you took something or If you took something the phone will tell you. i bet you could even set up alarms to remind you. Hopefully that helps!

  162. I used to have a problem remembering if I took a pill or not. Then, I started to turn the bottle upside down when I took it, and leave it in a place I would see it, like the middle of the kitchen counter! Ao, you would see the bottle right side up in the morning, then take a pill and turn it over. Later, you would see it upside down, and take the pill, turn over the bottle again. Before bed, you see it, and take a pill, but leave it right side up for the morning.

    If necessary, put it in the fridge, near the milk or whatever.

    Hope this helps.

  163. I can commiserate, but I will say that setting an alarm (or multiple, since you have to take more than one) on your phone as a reminder to take your meds works tremendously well.
    Curious as to why she’s having you take something three times a day though. Hasn’t she ever heard of the extended release ones? Seriously.

  164. I have 4 pills I have to take in morning, 1 midday, and 2 at night.
    I use one of these:
    http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Weekly-Pill-MediPlanner-Organizer-3-Times-a-Day-Case-Whosale-retail/204440_469432035.html
    (although I bought mine at the local pharmacy)…

    and I keep it by my frig, where I have also made a habit of sitting my drinking glass each day. I’m sure to go to the fridge for a drink in the morning, at lunch, and at dinner. I see the pill box and I take my pill. If I can’t remember if I’ve taken it, I look – empty, I have… full, I take it. I refill everything on Sunday mornings when the box is completely empty. It sounds silly and simple, but it has made a huge difference in my taking meds as prescribed.

  165. I think all your requirements could be filled by hiring a Personal Assistant. After all, you do have to tour to publicize your book, write your blog, be awesome and track down the latest edition to your collection of taxidermy animals. I think you have enough happening to justify paying someone to follow you around with pills and drinks, if it works for rock starts, why not you? 🙂

  166. I went to watch the Sailor Moon video and their was an ad that was so horribly awesome I just had to share it with you. I watched the whole 2+ minutes of it instead of the 15 sec. YouTube requires, because I couldn’t turn away! What product is it for you may ask? Poo-Pourri!

  167. I can’t remember shit and I don’t even have any medication. G*damn hormones and small children they have sucked the memory right out of me.

  168. Is it weird that I think the bathroom with stairs to get to the toilet is kind of cool? Because if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

  171. i work in the medical field now, I am losing my job (after 15 years) because of the new obamacare. so heres my resume I am also a certified mixologist (aka bartender) so i can make your water fancy like a real drink (or hand you a real drink if its needed) im OCD, which means not only will your pills be filled everytime on the same day, but they will be labeled clearly alphabetized and color coordinated. I also bake like pioneer woman and decorate like martha..oh and my name is after the blonde on 3’s company.. so you can sing.. “COMMME on KNOCK On my dooooooor” whenever you need me and i come with blonde pigtails and skates.. win win for both of us i say.. oh and i come with a adorable smushy faced little boy thats turning 1 year old in 2 days… so did i get the job?

  172. I’m really lucky in that my ADD is fairly well controlled by fear of losing my job, so I don’t have to take any medication, unless beer after work counts.

    I think the suggestion about putting reminders in your phone might work. I hope you get it figured out!

  173. My local grocery store pharmacy will set up an auto-fill for patients, with a phone call reminder when it’s ready to pick-up. You can even do it all online! Maybe you have something like that near you? Write it down. 🙂

  175. So apparently there are pill bottles with caps that remind you to take them and shit. I would suggest a mail order pharmacy that sends you drugs automatically. i have my important stuff on auto-refill at my pharmacy and I set an alarm on my phone to go off when I need to take them. Just some suggestions. Take care. 🙂

  176. my partner and i applied for a house in a 55+ community, not realizing that was what it was. it just sounded amazing to us, the ideal place to live. our real estate agent had to call us and tell us we weren’t old enough yet. some day, though! we’re holding on to the dream.

  177. I use my cell phone to remind me of everything. INCLUDING to be at home when the kids get home.
    I need an alarm for that.
    Please send all “Mother of the year awards” to my PO Box.

  178. Yup, I’m the same way. I have a BIG sticky on my computer that looks almost exactly like this: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/30751209929013411/ and I won’t allow myself to get on unless there is an X in the space where I needed to take my meds. Becuase I am such a hermit, and never go on vacation without my computer and all its glory, I never really forget.

  179. I was just thinking about this while sorting out my vitamins today – I wish someone would just stop by and hand them to me prepared, with food and drink on the side to help with swallowing. Hmm. Maybe there’s a resort somewhere in Mexico where they spoil you rotten and keep you pumped full of vitamins and/or drugs?

  180. I hate taking my ADD meds because they make my anxiety 100 times worse. and then I have anxiety because I can’t remember to do anything because I avoid my ADD meds.

  181. You had me at Moscow mule. thank God I only have to take my ADD meds twice a day so I only forget to take it once

  183. OMG, http://www.liquor.com, how am I only learning about you now?
    And has anyone ever tried this stuff called Kick-ass Margarita mix? It’s got a kick of jalapeno to it. I bought it once and then my store stopped carrying it. I came back to read more comments and its just so nice to know I am in good company with the whole forgetting my brain pills stuff.

  184. I TOO want to live in a retirement home sans old people! So basically I want to A) go back to college or B) Go back into residential treatment again…. hahah

    ALSO For anyone who cares AT ALL: I have really bad OCD and this week is OCD Awareness Week and there was a contest for creative expression and I actually submitted something I had written in college. It was something that was REALLY scary for me to write and EVEN SCARIER to submit to complete strangers, but I JUST FOUND OUT I’m a finalist, and I would REALLY appreciate anyone’s support if they want to vote. I had a terrible day, but now I can’t stop smiling, I’m just so honored to be recognized as a finalist. SO ANYWAY the link to vote is on my blog, my piece is “A Search for A Self and Myself” by meeee (Kelly) and it would be really cool if y’all could help me out with this… it would mean so much to me. Thank you!!!

  185. I just spent about an hour CRYING with laughter at the bad real estate photos. We’re house-hunting and have seen so many similar photos! What a great site!!! Thank you for leading me to a place that made me laugh so hard it hurt. #bestlaughterever

  186. So, I just read this, and it’s really timely. You just reminded me that I forgot to take my medicine and I got up and went and took it. Win-Win!

  188. My husband’s dillweed doc has him on some self determined dosage of adderall, which is fun. Usually I have to remind him he’s probably needing some medicine because running around like a cat with the night crazies is not the desired effect. He keeps meaning to ask for time release, but uh… he forgets. *head desk*

  189. If you have an iPhone, I LOVE RxmindMe app. It tells me to take my damn meds…I still forget sometimes, but it at least gives me a stare. It can also alert you when your pills are running low so you can call for your refills. I dunno what the android equivalent is, but there’s one somewhere.

  190. I just finished reading your book. If my blog writing is 1/8th as hilarious as yours is I’ll consider myself a success. I love you, Jenny. I’m going to go follow you on Pinterest because I can’t follow you in real life. (Or can I?)

  193. Clearly what you need is a wife. I know, I manage all my husband’s meds and frequently worry about what would happen to him if I lost my memory. Or feel under a bus. At least I have the comfort of knowing that I wouldn’t be worrying about it. 🙂

  194. Your psych makes you have to remember to take ADD meds 3x a day.
    My psych keeps prescribing 200 page texts on ADD for me to read.
    I can’t decide which is more sadistic.

    I think someone’s mentioned this already, but I set alarms on my phone to remind me to take my meds. The trick is finding something to drink & taking the pill before I turn off the alarm & forget again.

  196. I’d say the best answer to “Do the new pills work?” would be “No. They don’t. The drugs in them are probably fine, though!”
    (I’m now imagining if I had to take antidepressants with “Why bother? Loser.” stamped all over the foil.)

  197. Just commiserating. I only have 1 pill to remember (and it has a terrible half life, so I only remember I forgot once I am feeling the “discontinuation effects”). For one pill I have to use one of those days of the week pill thingers.

    For one pill! I fear for my future self.

  198. As a writer, I was amused to observe that recently there was a whole book written (whose title, of course, I can’t recall) about how hospitals would save lives if only they had “check-off lists” of protocols. Such as, for surgeons before surgery: “1. Wash your hands.”

    If it works for surgeons, then why not for you?

    And then, there’s always the joy of putting little checks by the completed ones: justification of life.

  201. I’ve been threatening to run away and join the circus, and I’d bet your place is pretty circus-like. I’d be happy to come and be your drug wrangler! I’m also pretty good at typing and I have a skull collection that might compliment your fancy critter collection. Will work for food!

  203. I think you realize by now that you have like, 150 interviews to conduct for the position you advertised. (Including me). Seems like this is exactly the type of thing that would set your ADD and anxiety fucking flying. I believe you need a secretary to keep all your shit straight and keep track of your rabid fans. You should probably contact me asap. You *need* me.

  205. Side bar:
    Does Victor ever loose his cool, get upset, and/or blow his top at your purchasing habits?
    Yes, I think I worded that -ok-
    If not, does he medicate and on what?
    It’s OK if he is just THAT well adjusted & laid back. I guess. Humm.

  206. I heard something on NPR about mechanical pharmacybots that package up prescriptions for human beings in little blisterpacks labeled by day and time. It’s in the works!

  207. You know, I’m a psych nurse. I’m looking for work….just sayin.
    I’m good at remembering to give people things.

  208. Melly beat me to it. I was an emergency department nurse and I too am looking for work. I’m good at remembering to set the alarms to remind me to remember things. I also have Eustice.

  209. I set alarms on my phone — I’m bad at 3x/day medications (morning/evening is easier, because I go into the bathroom to wash my face, and all my pills are there, but there’s nothing to remind me at midday), but the alarm helps.

    (Also, has your doctor considered giving you an XR/extended-release version of the medication instead, so that you could take it once a day? Or is it something that wouldn’t work in that formulation?)

    Good luck, sugar — and, oh man, I feel your pain!!

  210. So, I totally want to be your nurse! I am SUPER qualified to do all of that because I work in a hospital (as a social worker)! Also because I make a mean Moscow Mule (By “make” I mean I have no idea what that is but could totally learn)!

  212. OK. Hopefully to the rescue. I am a RN and work in Home Care and Hospice (which of course has nothing to do with your many problems). I have several patients who have the same problem as you and we have come up with a solution that works for many. 1. Talk with your pharmacist. S(he) will be able to make up a “bubble pack” containing a weeks’ worth of med separated by day and time. S(he) will also send or call you when a refill is due.
    2. Invest in a small timer…can be used as a wrist watch and will automatically beep at the times for which you pre-set. Now, how do you remember what all the beeping is about? Easy. On a hidden part of your body in a place where nobody sees, write a short schedule of your meds. When the beep goes off, check your whatever and voila! you will see your schedule. Actually, I don’t know if that last part works but, unless you hire a permanent caretaker who will follow you around to remind you of what the beep means, I can’t think of anything else. Unless you tape the bubble pack to whatever part of your body is easily accessible and you can check for yourself. Oh, well. At least I tried. (But the first part will definitely work.) At least it works for my elderly patients who use it. Maybe Haley can help you figure it out. After all, you gave her birth and she owes you.

  213. I know it’s horses for courses, and meds can be the answer for some, but if you’re having difficulty and the meds are part of it, it may be time to consider other options.
    In my case, almost every time I have to take meds for depression or the like it makes me worse rather than better, and it’s only since having been medicated that my depression got to the point of contemplating suicide.

    There’s no easy solution, and what works for some may not work for others, however the solution I have seems to be working, granted it’s hard work, and sometimes feels like it’s three steps forward two back, but worth thinking about.

    I watch what I eat really carefully, sure I still binge a little, but not too often, and not often at all on sugary things (which are known to throw your dopamine and other body chemicals out of whack).
    I still love beer, and brew my own, but strictly only drink on weekends, public holidays or if my wife is taking holidays from work. Even then, generally two glasses, and at most four – other than when I have lost the will to self regulate, which is not often at all. (Maybe half a dozen times this year).
    I have also built up an exercise routine, slowly at first (starting with just 10 mins on an exercise bike), which over a year or so has extended to 200 bicep curls, 200 tricep curls, 200 squats, 100 crunches, and 20 mins on an exercise bike (at a speed of about 15 – 20kph).
    I do this routine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and also swim 40 laps of a 25 metre pool, as well as doing 300 aquatic squats every weekend.
    I have built up my routine incrementally; I tried adding the squats a bunch at a time at first, but found this just made me too sore to continue, so you need to be consistent and rational in your routine.

    I’m not saying it’s magic, and I still have to fight off my compulsions, obsessive thoughts, and anxiety, as well as get outside for fresh air sunshine, and change of scenery at least every other day, but every bit helps, and I find the side effects (muscle pain, occasional cramping, and tiredness) much more tolerable than the side effects of any meds.
    I still have to cope with the fact that I have an ASD brain, and that I need to focus, and avoid overstimulation (much as you must with your ADD), but I find my baseline tolerance, anxiety, and coping mechanisms are improving over time as I keep my routine. But I really notice if I try to skip, and may waste hours or days distracted or doing pointless things if I veer too far from my routine.

    A hell of a lot of the time I dread doing my workout, and postpone it for as long as I can, but sure as eggs if I don’t do it on my assigned day I won’t sleep, will be restless, irritable, and just bad company for days until I do it.

    Admittedly when all else fails I reach for a Phenergan or Mersyndol, as I suffer from Hay Fever (it’s spring here in Australia), and this type of drug alleviates the Hay Fever whilst also helping with sleep if taken near bed time.
    It’s not as good quality sleep as without meds, but when the alternative is staring at the ceiling for 7 hours, it’s the better choice.

    We don’t have a choice in the baseline physical or mental condition we are born with, but we can choose our approach to it, and accept that we need to find the normal for us that makes life tolerable; whilst accepting that our normal may not be the same as someone else’s.

    Good luck with the meds, and remember, no matter how shitty it gets, others have been there, and there’s always someone else doing it worse; just they usually don’t write a blog about it!

  214. Oh, forgot to mention; I don’t take any prescription drugs, but I take a shitload of vitamin and mineral supplements, including some St John’s wort based stuff, and probiotics for irritable bowel.
    My wife and I call these our rattlies, as we feel like we are rattling around with so many OTC medicines inside us.
    I’d still prefer OTC to meds if I have any choice though.
    Perhaps speak to your doctor and see if the drugs are actually doing you good or just masking other problems that need addressing?
    You know ADD medication is metabolized to something very similar to cocaine in your system don’t you?

  215. I will seriously be your pill pushing, drink making, water carrying bitch. Plus I’m an RN!!

  216. I feel this way, too, and I had someone comment to me about how difficult it is to manage drugs and health problems and drinking. I told them that it isn’t that hard once you get used to it.

  217. There is a big drop off when people are prescribed 3x/day meds vs. 2x/day meds. I’m sorry you have to manage that.
    I take anti-rejection meds twice a day. I have to take them. At first I had the box but I got it down now. All the vitamins and lesser meds are more difficult to be compliant.

    I also make a mean Moscow Mule. I was trained in 1976 by my friends father for his annual summer party. The secret is the copper mugs.

  219. You probably don’t remember that you owe me twenty bucks from that time at Blogher many years ago, but we can let that go because I am not sure if I really remember it or if the damn Rogaine/Viagra cocktail is messing with my head.

  222. Well, I work for a company that is affiliated with Glow Caps – http://www.glowcaps.com/

    You do have to get a mobile broadband account from AT&T if I understand correctly. I have never used them, and am not directly involved in their manufacture or distribution. But the concept is cool. It flashes special lights to let you know you need to take your meds. You get reports about your medicine adherence, and you can set it to notify someone if you miss a dose, so they can remind you and/or check on you. Also, you push a button in the cap and it sends a refill request to the pharmacy (although it still needs to be picked up.)

    Like I said though, I have no personal experience. Just something that made me say, “Cool” when I heard about it.

  223. I have so. fucking. been. there. I would love to be your nurse except I can barely take care of myself. Though I do take care of my kids, just not myself, so maybe I could take care of you. But, i wouldn’t trust me to do it, so don’t hire me, ok?

  224. See if the new healthcare Navigators will help you. I’m unclear on what they do, but I think they want to help!

    (I called them “Voyagers” in my head which I think I like better.)

  225. There is an app for your phone called “Dosecast” which helps with remembering to take your pills and get refills, etc.

    A message from your friendly neighborhood pharmacist. 🙂

  226. You don’t need to live in an old folks’ home – you simply need a housewife! Perhaps you and Victor can add one similar to Big Love…

  228. Well, I don’t know about you but the video of the Voguing was ALL about the dips for me. THE. DIPS.

    Also, those real estate pictures might give me nightmares. That one bathroom. *shudders*

  229. That’s why I have a cell phone alarm, and I’ve set it up so that my meds are automatically refilled. And they call when they are ready. I kind of thought all pharmacies did that.

  230. Thank you for passing on the bad real estate agent photographs, they had me shaking with silent laughter until I was crying while my boyfriend was sleeping. The. Best.

  232. I see lots of people suggested what I do. I bought a monthly pill box from China town it costs next to nothing and now I can actually see how many days I missed and wonder if I should take them all in one go or leave them to take later.

  233. Here’s a site that might be some help for this: https://pillpack.com/
    I read about it on a recent Slate article on why “medical hackathons” are apparently overrated. But they did come up with this concept. Which sounds like it could actually be really useful.

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