Does the Time of Day Matter for Medication?
To ensure that your medicines are as effective as possible, you may need to double your efforts. Sometimes, this may entail looking for ways to overcome anxiety when taking medications or using a Smart Pill Box to record medications and treatments.
You may need to avoid taking pills with a particular food or drink. In some cases, it may also be necessary to take medicines at a specific time of day.
The CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that not taking medications as prescribed accounted for up to 50% of chronic disease treatment failures.
If you often forget to take your medication as prescribed, cloud management devices can streamline your records and even assist healthcare providers in identifying the best medicines for you.
However, if you’re unsure when to take your medicines, it’s always best to ask your doctor.
Tips to Help You Take Your Medication on Time
Medication adherence is essential for your long-term health and well-being. Aside from using cloud management devices and consulting your doctor, below are some simple tips to help you with medication adherence:
- Set the alarm so you can take your medicine at the same time each day.
- Associate taking your medicine with your daily routine, like getting ready for bed. Before selecting mealtime for your medication, you should first verify if you should take your medication on either a full or empty stomach.
- Keep a medicine calendar and make sure to note each time you take a dose.
- When using a pill container, ensure to refill it at the same time every week constantly. For example, you may supply your pill container every Sunday morning before breakfast.
- When traveling, ensure to bring sufficient medication. You may also add a few days extra if your return is delayed.
- If you’re flying, make sure to keep your medicine in your carry-on bag. Note that temperatures inside the cargo may damage your medication. So it’s best to bring it with you.
Is It Better to Take Medicines in the Morning or at Night?
Some medications are best used in the morning, while others should be taken before bedtime. Remember that the time varies depending on the type of drug and its effect on the body.
A study from the European Heart Journal stated that taking blood pressure medicines at bedtime is better than taking them in the morning.
The researchers suggested that bedtime hypertension treatment could reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and occurrences such as stroke.
They came up with these conclusions after analyzing data from the Hygia Chronotherapy Trial, the largest clinical trial that examined the effects of antihypertensive medication timing on the risk of cardiovascular occurrences.
If you have asthma, the type of medication and dosage you need usually depends on your symptoms, age, and the severity of your condition.
Since asthma can change over time, you should work closely with your healthcare provider to track your symptoms and adjust your medications whenever necessary.
For instance, you may take theophylline daily in pill form to treat mild cases of asthma. This medicine relaxes your airways and decreases your lungs’ responses to irritants.
Theophylline can be beneficial in managing nighttime asthma symptoms. However, you may need several blood tests to ensure you’re getting the proper dosage.
Research from the American Journal of Medicine noted that chest tightness, shortness of breath, and morning severity of wheezing were reduced significantly after evening dosing of theophylline.
What to Do if You Miss Taking Your Medicine
If you miss a dose of medicine, you may need to reread the instructions that came with your prescription. These instructions may include a detailed outline of what to do if you miss a dose.
In addition, make sure not to double up your next dosage without consulting your doctor. Doing so may cause side effects. Hence, make sure to call your physician whenever you have questions.
Three Essential Medication Rules to Follow
- Don’t take someone else’s medication. The medicine prescribed for someone else may interact with the current medication you are taking. In addition, it may not be the correct dose for you.
- Ensure to finish all medications or until your physician says it’s okay to stop. You might be feeling better after taking a prescription drug for some time. Still, you need to consult your doctor first before deciding to stop taking it. Your physician may prescribe another medication for maintenance or increase or reduce your dosage.
- Ask your pharmacist about medication interactions. Some medicines may be less effective with certain foods or other medications.
Thus, make sure to ask your pharmacist to discuss the possible interactions. If you are well-informed, you can maximize the benefits of the prescription drug you’re taking.
Conclusion
Like other factors of medication management, the doctor’s instructions are essential. Hence, you should stick to them.
Taking medicines at the right time and as prescribed can keep you healthy. If you have any questions regarding your medication, don’t hesitate to ask your clinician to ensure optimal effectiveness.
References
- Why You Need to Take Your Medications as Prescribed or Instructed
- CDC Grand Rounds: Improving Medication Adherence for Chronic Disease Management — Innovations and Opportunities
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6645a2.htm
- Bedtime hypertension treatment improves cardiovascular risk reduction: the Hygia Chronotherapy Trial
https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/48/4565/5602478
- Asthma medications: Know your options
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/in-depth/asthma-medications/art-20045557
- Comparison of morning versus evening dosing with a new once-daily oral theophylline formulation
https://www.amjmed.com/article/0002-9343(85)90092-0/pdf#relatedArticles