POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: LiveWithIt on July 08, 2013, 10:39:52 pm
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I can't believe it, after not missing a dose in over two years I miss 2 in one week. I missed Thursday and Today. When I took the meds at night I never forgot, but I would get insomnia and not be able to get up early because I couldn't get to sleep until 4 am or later. Now that I"m getting to bed at a better time I'm getting up early with the intention to take them around 10AM but I forgot twice already.
Now I'm going to leave them out in a baggy at night so I don't miss them the next morning..
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Thanks for reminding me, to take my meds !!!!!!
After reading reading your previous topic regarding insomnia, I've decided to try taking them in the morning, and hope for a change.
I am up at 05:00, and have my first cup of coffee at 05:15 after walking the dog. But I can't seem to associate my pills yet with the coffee, as I did with dinner.
I have to say though that I've slept better the past 4 days, than I did before.
Reading your new topic, reminded me to take my meds ( 06:00 )....thanks ;)
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Thanks for reminding me, to take my meds !!!!!!
After reading reading your previous topic regarding insomnia, I've decided to try taking them in the morning, and hope for a change.
I am up at 05:00, and have my first cup of coffee at 05:15 after walking the dog. But I can't seem to associate my pills yet with the coffee, as I did with dinner.
I have to say though that I've slept better the past 4 days, than I did before.
Reading your new topic, reminded me to take my meds ( 06:00 )....thanks ;)
Cool I'm glad and you're welcome. I started taking them at night many years ago because if I ever got an upset stomach from them it wouldn't bother me while sleeping. Now it's better in the morning but my mind doesn't work right in the morning and I've had a lot on my mind to distract me, but seeing them out next to my bottle of water that is always next to me will certainly make me remember to take them.
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I am, and will be for the next couple of hours, feeling like throwing up. That's because I've taken them on an empty stomach. Way too early for me to eat anything. I never have breakfast....just can't.
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I am, and will be for the next couple of hours, feeling like throwing up. That's because I've taken them on an empty stomach. Way too early for me to eat anything. I never have breakfast....just can't.
I am a big breakfast eater, but sometimes when I wake up I have something small like a mini donut, take my meds and then have breakfast later.
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a few suggestions:
1) >=95 adherence will retain effective therapy
2) daily pill box
ask your doc, ASO, drug rep about these. They give all sorts/types of them away for free all the time ;)
3) make sure that if your meds require food, that you eat. The package insert will explain how much is needed with the dosage. This food helps obtain the proper absorption of the meds.
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I never have breakfast....just can't.
same here, so I take my meds with dinner because I do eat dinner every day and I basically eat dinner within the same 4 hr time range. that fits all the requirements ;)
for dinner, I suggest a pill fob along with a pill box
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad21/leathermanmikie/am_photos/pillfob.jpg)
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Thanks for reminding me, to take my meds !!!!!!
After reading reading your previous topic regarding insomnia, I've decided to try taking them in the morning, and hope for a change.
I am up at 05:00, and have my first cup of coffee at 05:15 after walking the dog. But I can't seem to associate my pills yet with the coffee, as I did with dinner.
I have to say though that I've slept better the past 4 days, than I did before.
Reading your new topic, reminded me to take my meds ( 06:00 )....thanks ;)
Oh and another benefit of taking it in the morning is you get daytime insomnia so you don't have to nap in the middle of the day. I used to need 8 hours of more and now on 6 or 7 I'm fine and can get to sleep at a decent time at night.
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same here, so I take my meds with dinner because I do eat dinner every day and I basically eat dinner within the same 4 hr time range. that fits all the requirements ;)
for dinner, I suggest a pill fob along with a pill box
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad21/leathermanmikie/am_photos/pillfob.jpg)
I have one of those, I keep my emergency pills in case I forget to take them at home and I carry them in my backpack hard to even fit 4 pills in mine. I also have the plastic daily pill thingy, but I prefer to put 7 of each med in an old bottle and refill it on Wednesday. I can always tell if I took a dose by how many are left until the next time I have to fill it.
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I have one of those....I prefer to put 7 of each med in an old bottle and refill it on Wednesday
as long as you have a plan that works for you, and it sounds like you do, that's all that matters ;)
now try not to miss any more doses for a while. ;) You gotta keep to that 95% and missing a couple more doses will screw that up. ;D
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as long as you have a plan that works for you, and it sounds like you do, that's all that matters ;)
now try not to miss any more doses for a while. ;) You gotta keep to that 95% and missing a couple more doses will screw that up. ;D
Yeah I am going to put the pills out at night to take the next morning. I don't like to keep them out all day, but I will leave an empty baggy on my nightstand next to my water to remind me to fill it. If I forget to fill it at night I will see the baggy and remember to take the meds.
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I have one of those, I keep my emergency pills in case I forget to take them at home and I carry them in my backpack hard to even fit 4 pills in mine. I also have the plastic daily pill thingy, but I prefer to put 7 of each med in an old bottle and refill it on Wednesday. I can always tell if I took a dose by how many are left until the next time I have to fill it.
I've tried several methods too and finally settled on simply having two of everything on me at any given time, plus an emergency pill for the important ones. Mostly I use the blue one for day to day, so it's easy to tell if I've taken it, and the white fob for emergencies. I feel like Imelda Marcos, the poor and addled version anyway. I have terrible taste in shoes.
A lot of failed experiments here, though, if anyone needs to borrow a pill solution. ;)
(http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b632/oksikoko/IMG_1059_zpsa9cf7581.png)
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Ugh almost forgot them again today. Luckily I got them within the 4 hour window of when I normally take them. The system I have of leaving them in a baggy worked, but late when I just happened to notice it. I have to come up with a better system of putty a sticky note on my TV or something else. The container won't help if I don't remember to take them,
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Maybe it's been covered, but do you have a watch or phone with an alarm or, even better, a reminder app? I used the default reminders app of iOS in the beginning. There are a million specialized apps for pill reminders now too.
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Maybe it's been covered, but do you have a watch or phone with an alarm or, even better, a reminder app? I used the default reminders app of iOS in the beginning. There are a million specialized apps for pill reminders now too.
I have a clock with a double alarm. I set that. I also do the same on the computer. Lately I've been waking up before the alarm and shutting them off. The computer one I leave on and I still forget to take my pills because I haven't associated them together, or I will make breakfast and then forget the meds.
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after about pg 3, I got tired of looking thru your posting history to find out what meds you are taking. So, not to be nosey, but what are you taking? can you take your meds with a meal? if so, maybe that would solve your problem - unless of course you have a problem with forgetting to eat LOL
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after about pg 3, I got tired of looking thru your posting history to find out what meds you are taking. So, not to be nosey, but what are you taking? can you take your meds with a meal? if so, maybe that would solve your problem - unless of course you have a problem with forgetting to eat LOL
Prezista, Norvir and Truvada. I do take it with breakfast, but sometimes I forget. If not I will eat a graham cracker with the meds. It's funny how I never forgot at night, but I'm not a morning person so I'm not that focused I guess.
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according to the package insert for Prezista, 12 gms fat as the low range for food intake resulted in a 40% higher level of drug metabolization than when fasting.
Is there a reason you're not still taking the meds with dinner?
I'm not a morning person at all and never eat breakfast, so I've always taken my reyetaz, norvir, truvada with dinner. Which is a great deal considering the azt i took yrs ago was 4 pills every 4 hrs night and day, and then for a while I was taking 32 pills and tablespoons of liquid meds at all sorts of hours of the day. 3 pills once a day was a godsend.
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according to the package insert for Prezista, 12 gms fat as the low range for food intake resulted in a 40% higher level of drug metabolization than when fasting.
Is there a reason you're not still taking the meds with dinner?
I'm not a morning person at all and never eat breakfast, so I've always taken my reyetaz, norvir, truvada with dinner. Which is a great deal considering the azt i took yrs ago was 4 pills every 4 hrs night and day, and then for a while I was taking 32 pills and tablespoons of liquid meds at all sorts of hours of the day. 3 pills once a day was a godsend.
I used to take them late at night and when I was taking Lexiva instead of Prezista I was fine. But when I started on Prezista it started giving me insomnia so now I try to take it in the morning and I don't need a nap from not sleeping well, although I'm up really late today. :(
and I do have a large breakfast. Bagel, english muffin, 2 eggs, 2 small sausage links, potato (like McD hashborws) and coffee.
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Perhaps it would help if you left your pills next to your coffee - next to the jar if you use instant, next to the machine if you're all fancy and mechanised like that. ;)
I'm wondering why you don't use a pill tray. I use one that I can fill for the month. I don't leave it out on the kitchen counter (the kitchen being the obvious place - I'm on the same combo and need to eat something when I take them) only because no matter what part of the counter I put the tray on, at some point in the day the sun will hit it.
Or one of my cats will toss it onto the floor. No, they're not supposed to be on the kitchen counter, but it's their house, their rules. My rules don't count. They only let me live here because they don't have pockets to take money with them to the shop to buy food.
I put the pill tray in my silverware* drawer, on top of the sliverware tray, so I have to shove them out of the way to get a fork or whatever - which is a great reminder in itself.
I take the little anti-moisture thingy out of my Truvada bottle each month and toss it in the drawer for good measure. I've got twelve rolling around in there now, divided between the forks, spoons and knives.
The pill tray I use looks like this:
(http://www.chinatraderonline.com/files3/2011-1/21/monthly-pill-box-11112268695.jpg)
I go from left to right across the tray, dropping down a row as the weeks go by.
I also found this nifty little pill tray that is designed specifically as a monthly holder - and it looks like the compartments are big enough to hold three or four pills. Ezy-Dose Pill Dispenser (http://www.amazon.com/Ezy-Dose-67772-Pill-Dispenser/dp/B00078ZJQA). It would be perfect for folks on a one pill combo.
(Have your Prezista pills started coming as one 800mg pill yet? Mine have. The new ones are a dark red, so my pills look kinda patriotic - red, white and blue.)
*heh. I grew up in the States calling eating utensils "silverware", but after being in the British Isles for 22 years, I've gotten into the British habit of calling it "cutlery". People think you're trying to be posh here when you call your fork silverware, so it felt funny calling it silverware - but you're a Yank so I used Yank terminology. ;D
edited anaconda ah cunt spill
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I never liked those pill cases. I have a system where I put my weekly pills in a bottle and refill them on Wednesday. I don't like leaving pills out where someone could possibly find them, but now I have been leaving the next mornings pills out in a sandwich bag. But I'm reading and taking in all suggestions. Actually leaving them overnight in my coffee cup so when I fill it I have to take them out would be a good idea.
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Actually leaving them overnight in my coffee cup so when I fill it I have to take them out would be a good idea.
until bleary-eyed and half-asleep, you pour your coffee into the cup first and then have to drink the nasty tasting coffee - along with getting a jolt as the already-dissolved meds race into your bloodstream. LOL
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until bleary-eyed and half-asleep, you pour your coffee into the cup first and then have to drink the nasty tasting coffee - along with getting a jolt as the already-dissolved meds race into your bloodstream. LOL
Nah I would leave them in a sandwich bag that would take up enough room where I couldn't pour anything into it by mistake.
Actually I drink my coffee in a large plastic tumbler and use the coffee mug to heat up the half and half in the microwave.
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I don't like leaving pills out where someone could possibly find them
Don't you live alone ?
So far no problems here switching to mornings. No pill cases, alarm clocks or sandwich bags needed. Take them straight from their containers. Also no more nausea....take them "bare" on an empty stomach ;)
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Don't you live alone ?
I don't like leaving pills out where someone could possibly find them, but now I have been leaving the next mornings pills out in a sandwich bag.
so you'll not leave them out in a pill box, but you will leave them out in a sandwich baggie.
he he he ::)
I'm just pickin' on ya cause we luv ya! ;)
Also no more nausea....take them "bare" on an empty stomach ;)
the meds livewith are taking require food for the proper absorption rate. Taking Prezista/norvir on an empty stomach could reduce the medication absorbed by 40%
according to the package insert for Prezista, 12 gms fat as the low range for food intake resulted in a 40% higher level of drug metabolization than when fasting
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the meds livewith are taking require food for the proper absorption rate.
I'm on the same combo, with identical sleeping issues. That's why I decided to also switch time as liveWithIt did, to see if it made any difference.
This current combo, was the only one I was able to take with food. All my previous ones made me throw up.
In the past I basically took my meds on an empty stomach, despite the recommendations.
Despite not adhering to the "recommended" food intake, I reached a current CD4 count of 1300+ and maintained an undetectable VL for almost 12 years (my nadir was 0 = zero in 2001).
( I would NOT recommend anyone with a low CD4 count and measurable VL to deviate from the "food intake" recommendations !)
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Don't you live alone ?
So far no problems here switching to mornings. No pill cases, alarm clocks or sandwich bags needed. Take them straight from their containers. Also no more nausea....take them "bare" on an empty stomach ;)
I do, but I may have my nosy landlord come in when I'm not home and snoop around. I may have a relative visit and I don't want to get used to leaving meds around. I actually only leave it out the night before so I can take it the next morning, that way I know no one will see it.
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despite the recommendations.
not really "recommendations" as those are the exact dosage instructions based on scientific testing.
You've done very well then, and been very lucky, to probably be only intaking half of the amount of the med that you should be getting following the dosing directions.
I was just talking with another member the other day about much often HIV (and the meds) play out very different with everyone. sometimes it's almost like we don't even have the same disease because the reactions are so individual/unique.