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Partner has diabetes but always forgetting tablets

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diabetespartner

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Hello - I've just signed up as my partner has diabetes type 2 and wanted to find out a bit more about this....

Am worried as he often forgets to take his tablets and while I always carry some with me and remind him when we're together obviously because of work etc I can't remind him after every meal.

Right now he's supposed to take one Gliclazide before every meal and two metabet/metformin afterwards....he's notoriously forgetful about taking the Gliclazide and has been known to miss a meal plus tablets during the day at work....

I don't know what each tablet does or how not taking certain ones can affect your health but I do notice he gets very ansty and snappy at times (usually when he's hungry).

Would really appreciate any advice/thoughts or support as while he's the one with Diabetes I do find it a hard at times and worried about the long term effects of all this non tablet taking..... Big thanks in advance
 
Hi, and welcome!

I can't really help you much on this one 'cos I'm not working really and I only have myself to worry about.

There's just been a thread on this very topic which had lots of tricks other people use for themselves, but I don't think any for helping other people. I'm not computer savvy enough to give you the link, but I hope someone will be along soon who can.

Keep asking questions - everyone is only too pleased to help!

Viv 8)
 
Hi.
You will find that most of his blood sugar control will be by diet, at a guess about 80%, the remaining 20% by tablets. So concentrate of getting his carbohydrate intake down. That's assuming he's not already doing that.

With regards to the metformin. Ask your doctor if he can change to extended release form , which is taken in the evening or morning only, so he won't have to take tablets with him.
Not sure about the gliclicide. I take mine in the morning only. so similar to above.

The bottom line he has to be able to control his bllod sugar levels

You don't say what affect it's having on his blood sugar levels. Does he monitor at regular intervals i.e after meals
 
Sounds like he's a bit in denial. Does he eat at regular times? If he does, and he has a mobile phone you can probably set it to go off about 20mins before he eats. I expect there is probably a gadget out there somewhere which will do something similar if he doesn't have a mobile. I know it's a worry but he has got to realise that forgetting his meds won't make it all go away, and you will probably be cast as the big bad wolf if you go on at him. Good luck
 
thank you so much for all the replies and advice......

he's very bad about eating at regular times (no excuse as lots of people have busy jobs) but think problem is that he leaves it too late and then gets a bit aggy when he's really 'starving' and grabs the nearest burger/sandwich etc that's on offer....

Have started making him sandwiches to eat on way to work so at least he has some breakfast so can take tabs (though now reading about low carb diet am thinking the 'bread' element is probably not too good).

Thanks for the idea of 'extended release form' as this would at least keep his tablet taking on a more even keel. Wasn't sure of the effect of you forget the Gliclazide but take the metformin (as this is what sometimes happens) and whether this is worse...

thank you!
 
The link to the other thread is viewtopic.php?f=15&t=30155 but no-one has yet come up with a foolproof method.

Unbeliever says that a distraction at the wrong moment will sometimes cause her to forget to take a pill.

Most suggest an alarm of some sort. My particular problem with that idea is that the alarm goes off at the same time every day but my mealtimes vary a little. I have the same problem with the program issued by Abbott for recording my BG. It will automatically input that this is a before/after meal reading according to the time you make the entry. If the mealtime moved it is sometimes wrong. But I digress.

The thoughts that have occurred to me is to have an annoying buzzer that I can't turn off until after I have taken the pill but I would probably break that "accidentally" before long. I modified it to having a light that I can't turn off until after I have taken the pill but maybe a pill box that chimed every couple of minutes until it was opened.

I have no complete answer to the problem yet.
 
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