What should I do if I forgot to take my medicine?
2022-09-04
With the continuous growth of age, many elderly people will have some problems such as three highs and cardiovascular diseases. For these chronic diseases, it is usually difficult to completely cure them. In many cases, long-term supplementation is required. drugs to enhance disease control. In the process of long-term medication for the elderly, some elderly people often have such a problem. The medication that should be taken every day or after every meal, due to busy other things or poor memory, results in forgetting to take the medication and missing it drug. Faced with this situation, many elderly people will feel overwhelmed: should they make up for it when they find it? Or should I take twice the amount the next time I take the medicine? In fact, for different drugs and different situations, the remedial measures that should be taken should also be different. Today, let’s talk to you about what to do if the elderly miss taking medicines?
First of all, it needs to be clear that for some drugs that the elderly take for a long time, such as antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, hypoglycemic drugs, cardiovascular disease control and risk prevention drugs, etc., if you find that you miss a drug, you can make up for it immediately. Take the medicine at the next medication time point, generally do not need to double the dose to make up. If the dose of is doubled, may bring the risk of being too strong and the incidence of adverse reactions will increase.
The following is a breakdown of some common elderly medication categories.
1. Antihypertensive drugs
Hypertensive patients take antihypertensive drugs, and the goal of the drug is to control the blood pressure to be stable and reach the standard. If the elderly are taking long-acting antihypertensive drugs once a day, if they are found to have missed a dose on the same day, they can make up for it immediately. 111111111] Do not double your dose just because you missed a dose. If the elderly take 2 to 3 a day If it is found that the drug is missed, if it is still far from the next dose, such as more than 4 to 6 In the case of hours, you can consider taking a supplementary dose, The next time you take the medicine is to take the medicine normally; if you find that you have missed the dose, it is very short before the next dose, and you can take the medicine normally at the next time.
Second, statin lipid-lowering drugs
Statins are commonly used blood lipid-lowering drugs. In order to exert the strongest lipid-lowering effect of statins, short-acting statins are generally recommended to be taken at night, such as before going to bed, so that the drugs can be taken at night when the liver is most active in synthesizing cholesterol. for better lipid-lowering effect. For long-acting statins, which have a long time to function in the body, does not require that they be taken at night, but can be taken at a fixed time every day. If the elderly take short-acting statins and find that they have forgotten to take them before going to bed the night before, there is no need to make up for them after getting up in the morning. Statins control cholesterol synthesis. Occasionally missed doses will not cause A sudden increase in cholesterol brings risks. Just remember to take the medicine before going to bed the next day. If it is a long-acting statin, if you find that you have missed the medicine, you might as well make it up when you find it Take it once, and the medication time after can be the same as the time of supplementary medication, and you can still insist on taking medication at a fixed time every day.
Third, hypoglycemic drugs
For missed doses of oral hypoglycemic drugs, Ultra-short-acting drugs such as repaglinide for controlling postprandial blood sugar need to be taken before meals to achieve the effect of suppressing postprandial blood sugar. If you miss a dose, there is no need to make up after meals. It is enough to take the medicine before the next main meal. This kind of medicine belongs to the situation that the medicine is taken only with a meal, and the medicine is not taken without a meal. Take supplements later to avoid the risk of hypoglycemia. In addition to repaglinide, drugs taken before meals such as acarbose are also similar. If you find that you have forgotten to take the medicine after meals, do not take it again.
For some long-acting, once-a-day hypoglycemic drugs, such as metformin extended-release tablets, glimepiride and other drugs, if finds that they have missed the dose on the same day, can be made up on the same day, [ 22222222] And if found the next day, do not double the dose. For Dapagliflozin, etc. SGLT2 Depressant drugs have a certain diuretic effect. If you forget to take it during the day, It is not recommended to take it before going to bed. To avoid increasing nighttime and affecting sleep, it is good to continue taking it at a fixed time the next day.
IV. Medication of cardiovascular system
Many elderly people take drugs for a long time to control the risk of cardiovascular disease. Common drugs include beta-blockers, nitrates, and antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs. It should be noted that if the beta-blocker drugs used to relieve angina and control heart rate are found to be missed, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of the drug and the time interval between the next doses. short, resulting in the risk of bradycardia due to drug stacking. For example, a long-acting drug such as bisoprolol, if it is found that the interval between the missed dose and the next dose exceeds 16 hours, can make up, but if the time is less than 16 hours, you can take the medicine at the next time, no need to make up.
Nitrates, such as isosorbide mononitrate, are drugs that dilate blood vessels, improve blood flow, and relieve symptoms such as angina by binding to nitrate receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells. If the interval between two doses is too short, Because of the excessive consumption of nitrate receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells during the previous dose , the efficacy of the second dose will be affected. For some friends who need to take nitrates for a long time, if they find that they have missed taking the medicine, the interval between the next time of taking the medicine When more than 6 hours, can consider making up, but if the interval is 6 Within an hour, generally do not make up. For antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, attention should also be paid to the timing of refilling. Generally speaking, if a missed dose is found on the same day, it can be made up according to the dose, and if a missed dose is found on the next day, there is no need to double the dose. .
this 4 Commonly used drugs are just examples. There are many commonly used drugs for the elderly, which cannot be covered here. For the elderly who need to take drugs for a long time, how to make up for missed drugs should be combined with the characteristics of the drugs and the characteristics of the drugs. , to be determined after a comprehensive evaluation.
In daily life, I also hope that the younger generation in the family can give more care to the elderly and reduce the chance of the elderly missing medicines. Some of the small means, such as setting a regular reminder on the mobile phone, or using a daily medicine box every week, and packing the medicines in advance, are all effective to prevent the elderly from missing medicines and forgetting to take medicines. A great way to take medicine.
First of all, it needs to be clear that for some drugs that the elderly take for a long time, such as antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, hypoglycemic drugs, cardiovascular disease control and risk prevention drugs, etc., if you find that you miss a drug, you can make up for it immediately. Take the medicine at the next medication time point, generally do not need to double the dose to make up. If the dose of is doubled, may bring the risk of being too strong and the incidence of adverse reactions will increase.
The following is a breakdown of some common elderly medication categories.
1. Antihypertensive drugs
Hypertensive patients take antihypertensive drugs, and the goal of the drug is to control the blood pressure to be stable and reach the standard. If the elderly are taking long-acting antihypertensive drugs once a day, if they are found to have missed a dose on the same day, they can make up for it immediately. 111111111] Do not double your dose just because you missed a dose. If the elderly take 2 to 3 a day If it is found that the drug is missed, if it is still far from the next dose, such as more than 4 to 6 In the case of hours, you can consider taking a supplementary dose, The next time you take the medicine is to take the medicine normally; if you find that you have missed the dose, it is very short before the next dose, and you can take the medicine normally at the next time.
Second, statin lipid-lowering drugs
Statins are commonly used blood lipid-lowering drugs. In order to exert the strongest lipid-lowering effect of statins, short-acting statins are generally recommended to be taken at night, such as before going to bed, so that the drugs can be taken at night when the liver is most active in synthesizing cholesterol. for better lipid-lowering effect. For long-acting statins, which have a long time to function in the body, does not require that they be taken at night, but can be taken at a fixed time every day. If the elderly take short-acting statins and find that they have forgotten to take them before going to bed the night before, there is no need to make up for them after getting up in the morning. Statins control cholesterol synthesis. Occasionally missed doses will not cause A sudden increase in cholesterol brings risks. Just remember to take the medicine before going to bed the next day. If it is a long-acting statin, if you find that you have missed the medicine, you might as well make it up when you find it Take it once, and the medication time after can be the same as the time of supplementary medication, and you can still insist on taking medication at a fixed time every day.
Third, hypoglycemic drugs
For missed doses of oral hypoglycemic drugs, Ultra-short-acting drugs such as repaglinide for controlling postprandial blood sugar need to be taken before meals to achieve the effect of suppressing postprandial blood sugar. If you miss a dose, there is no need to make up after meals. It is enough to take the medicine before the next main meal. This kind of medicine belongs to the situation that the medicine is taken only with a meal, and the medicine is not taken without a meal. Take supplements later to avoid the risk of hypoglycemia. In addition to repaglinide, drugs taken before meals such as acarbose are also similar. If you find that you have forgotten to take the medicine after meals, do not take it again.
For some long-acting, once-a-day hypoglycemic drugs, such as metformin extended-release tablets, glimepiride and other drugs, if finds that they have missed the dose on the same day, can be made up on the same day, [ 22222222] And if found the next day, do not double the dose. For Dapagliflozin, etc. SGLT2 Depressant drugs have a certain diuretic effect. If you forget to take it during the day, It is not recommended to take it before going to bed. To avoid increasing nighttime and affecting sleep, it is good to continue taking it at a fixed time the next day.
IV. Medication of cardiovascular system
Many elderly people take drugs for a long time to control the risk of cardiovascular disease. Common drugs include beta-blockers, nitrates, and antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs. It should be noted that if the beta-blocker drugs used to relieve angina and control heart rate are found to be missed, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of the drug and the time interval between the next doses. short, resulting in the risk of bradycardia due to drug stacking. For example, a long-acting drug such as bisoprolol, if it is found that the interval between the missed dose and the next dose exceeds 16 hours, can make up, but if the time is less than 16 hours, you can take the medicine at the next time, no need to make up.
Nitrates, such as isosorbide mononitrate, are drugs that dilate blood vessels, improve blood flow, and relieve symptoms such as angina by binding to nitrate receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells. If the interval between two doses is too short, Because of the excessive consumption of nitrate receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells during the previous dose , the efficacy of the second dose will be affected. For some friends who need to take nitrates for a long time, if they find that they have missed taking the medicine, the interval between the next time of taking the medicine When more than 6 hours, can consider making up, but if the interval is 6 Within an hour, generally do not make up. For antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, attention should also be paid to the timing of refilling. Generally speaking, if a missed dose is found on the same day, it can be made up according to the dose, and if a missed dose is found on the next day, there is no need to double the dose. .
this 4 Commonly used drugs are just examples. There are many commonly used drugs for the elderly, which cannot be covered here. For the elderly who need to take drugs for a long time, how to make up for missed drugs should be combined with the characteristics of the drugs and the characteristics of the drugs. , to be determined after a comprehensive evaluation.
In daily life, I also hope that the younger generation in the family can give more care to the elderly and reduce the chance of the elderly missing medicines. Some of the small means, such as setting a regular reminder on the mobile phone, or using a daily medicine box every week, and packing the medicines in advance, are all effective to prevent the elderly from missing medicines and forgetting to take medicines. A great way to take medicine.
