Take your meds!

I recently saw a (web) presentation on medication adherence. According the presenter, about 50% of patients living in developed countries do not follow treatment recommendations. I was very surprised to hear this statistic (So surprised, that I even confirmed it via wikipedia). Fifty percent is a huge number, and I think that taking your meds the way your doctor has prescribed them is critical to improving your health, especially during one’s recovery from surgery.

Bracelet to remind me of my binders

As an example, when I was getting dialysis treatments, the dietician and the charge nurse always reminded me to take my binders to keep my phosphorus levels low. I hated those pills – they were horse pills (See my previous post – Got pills?). I could not count how many times I almost choked on those things. Regardless, I took them with every meal and snack. I was determined to keep my phosphorus low, even if there were times when my phosphorus levels were going the opposite way and I did not think the binders were working.

After my transplant, taking my medication is even more important, specifically the anti-rejection or immunosuppressants. To ensure that I have adequate levels in my blood stream, I need to take my medication every 12 hours, like clockwork. It is very important. I have an alarm in the morning and in the evening as a reminder and a prescription diary to keep track of what I take daily.  The transplant pharmacist once told me that a transplant recipient lost the kidney because that patient kept forgetting to take his/her medication on time. Since I am determined to keep this kidney for a long time, it is very important to me to take my meds at the specified time. 

I have an alarm for meds!

Don’t get me wrong. I do forget my medication sometimes. I can think of more than a handful of times when I forgot to take my blood pressure pills or even my phosphate binders. The key is to make it the exception, not the rule. For blood pressure pills, take them as soon as you remember. Also, make a note on what occasions make you forget to take them (mine is usually when I am in a hurry or distracted) and try to correct it.

In that presentation, I learned that many people never order their prescriptions. Some order them, but never pick up their filled prescriptions from the pharmacy. Other people pick up their medication, but don’t follow their physician’s instructions.  Although I have had a history of researching every medication that has been prescribed to me and sometimes questioning why I take them, I usually work with my physician to get a win-win situation. As an example, I have not been a big fan of taking statins for cholesterol. I’ve read of the side effects, have seen those side effects first-hand, and would prefer an alternative drug. However, I worked with my then primary care physician to lower my cholesterol (specifically triglycerides) without taking statins. We found an alternate drug. Ironically, I am taking statins now for maintenance (I may have a conversation with my transplant nephrologist after a few months).

That presentation inspired me to be more mindful of taking my medication regularly, and I am hoping this post will inspire you to do the same. Do whatever it takes to take them on time and at the correct dosage, whether you need to set an alarm or keep a diary. “Not taking your medicine as directed can also lead to other health problems, especially if you already have asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure” (From ScriptYourFuture.com). And remember, diabetes and hypertension can lead to kidney disease.