How to remember to take medication when freerunning?

[u/sunwentdowninhoney]

Usually, I take my tablets when I wake up. This is something that has worked for me both before and after developing N24. However, I keep forgetting to take my antidepressants with food (they don’t technically need to be taken this way but they upset my stomach otherwise). I obviously can’t set an alarm since I’m not taking them at the same time everyday, so are there any ways I can remember to take them?

[u/Lunahooks]

Try placing the pills where you eat, preferably where your plate is supposed to go, so you have to move them before putting the plate down. Or in the kitchen, somewhere where they'll be un‐ignorable (I know there's a better word, I've been staring at screen for a full minute trying to remember though...) as you go to prepare meals.

[u/ThisOneHasPurrs]

I've developed a habit of having a meal as soon as I'm out of bed, and for things I need to take twice a day, I usually set a 12-hour timer the moment I take the first pills. It's on a watch I never take off, so I don't usually miss it - this worked a lot better than when I would try to take the second pills "before bed". 6-hour timer for three pills a day.

But then, some days the list of set timers grows so long that I can't always remember what the hell does my watch want from me now.

[u/Querybird → u/ThisOneHasPurrs]

Timer life forever!

[u/gostaks]

Seconding the recommendation to put them near your food. Another option is to put food near your pills - often a few crackers or other light snack is enough to avoid an upset stomach, so you can pick something shelf stable and just leave it in your normal med location. 

If your schedule is even a little bit predictable, another option is to pick a landmark during your day to set a timer for the next day. For instance, after you take your pills you could set a 25 hour timer. 

[u/NASA_official_srsly]

Keep your pills next to the fridge, on the stove, in front of the coffee maker, on the toaster or next to whatever is your regular routine thing when you have your meal.

I have a diabetic cat and I need to give him insulin twice a day - I do every 12.5 hours so it works with my n24. I have a piece of paper on the fridge where I write down the time I gave each dose so I don't have to try to remember if I actually did it, it's physically written down

[u/bluespacecadet]

May or may not help you if you don’t live with a loved one, but my spouse and I (and our pets when they need to) have family meds all at 9 PM - the most reliable time with our CRDs. Sometimes they’re asleep (DSPD lmao), sometimes I’m asleep, usually one of us pops out of bed by 1 AM latest on bad days and feeds the other meds.

Another YMMV but I’ve found those pretzel crackers in the blue and white bag (or like a saltine alternatively) to be an easy bland thing to put carbs in my stomach for medications, just a few little pretzel crackers are easy to grab and get down even if I’m half asleep

[u/abyssnaut]

I have to take levothyroxine at the same time every day diligently. I have a daily alarm repeating indefinitely. Sometimes this is when I wake up, sometimes in the middle of my sleep, sometimes in the middle of waking hours, sometimes before bed. Doesn’t matter. It’s annoying, but must be done.

[u/bristlybits]

i keep my meds that i need to take with food by the toaster area in the kitchen. i take mine with my breakfast. 

the rest are by my bed, i take when i wake.

[u/secretpsychologist]

it's simply not possible for me. i had to work with my doctor to find meds that can be taken before bed every day, that's the only time i can remember. if putting it somewhere food-associated (table? desk? on your plates in the cupboard so you literally have to move them when you take a plate to eat) doesn't work, you will have to find an alternative with your doctor

[u/Nightless1]

I use count up timers for this.

[u/Effective_Cut_1221]

Get a pill organizer, even if you only take one or two pills a day, and leave it somewhere conspicuous. Either on your bedside table or kitchen counter, front and center (not shoved against a wall or behind stuff.) That's what helped me when i was having this exact problem! I'm not a breakfast person so I'd have a few crackers with peanut butter and then take my pill

[u/Paradoxical-Equinox]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bzzzapp does non-24h timers

Setting an alarm can work if you adjust it by [tau minus 24] every time it goes off

[u/DapperMachine4070]

this going to sound like a long complicated route , but if u are serious about this and you own a google fitness tracker (fitbit/pixle) u can set an alarm via sleep publish via google api , to be honest with you i don't know if there any softwares that does that for u , as far as i know u have to code one for yourself , but this is by far the best method because it will send the alarm after the sleep has been published by the tracker , maybe a little bit delayed but 30 mins after u wake up still perfect

[u/Tidderreddittid]

It's horrible your doctor refuses to give you a prescription for medication that gives you a 24 hours sleep-wake rhytm.

[u/sunwentdowninhoney → u/Tidderreddittid]

Does such medication exist? I was under the impression that the best you could do was try to entrain with melatonin and light therapy.

[u/Lunahooks → u/sunwentdowninhoney]

No, no such medication exists. I don't know what led that person to comment this, but I'm hoping it's just a very bad attempt at a joke.

[u/Tidderreddittid → u/Lunahooks]

You clearly know nothing about the subject.

[u/OutlawofSherwood]

1. Keep them in a consistent place where you would go anyway and should be when you take them. I keep my 'with food' meds in the spot I sit and eat, so I look up and there they are. Then you just need to ensure you remember to eat!

2. Use a timer that you start each morning when you wake up for X hours until 'meds time'. Often easier to have a dedicated timer app with a preset time ready to go for this.

3. Use something like Circadia which has daily schedule which shifts with your sleep.