I'm at home for most meals, which I find makes life a little easier.
I pop out all my meds for the day, and my supplements, first thing in the morning, into a small bowl which sits between the kettle and the draining board. This is not a huge space, so when at either I can see the bowl. This reminds me to check what I've taken.
First thing, I take Levothyroxine. You are supposed to take this on an empty stomach, so I down that and sit with a cup of coffee for 30mins or so, partly to give my eyes a chance to breathe before I put my (gas permeable) contact lenses in. Then I shower, dress and cook my omelette, taking my Metformin before I put the eggs in the pan. If I forget I take it after breakfast.
I do the same with the second Metformin at lunch-time, and with the third with my evening meal. I take 2 opiod painkillers/anti-inflammatories just before bed.
The supplements I take mainly with breakfast, though I space the 3 magnesium tablets through the day.
If I'm out over lunch-time I take the metformin when I get back in; if that's about tea-time, I take the final Metformin at bed-time, to try to keep them spaced.
If I'm going to be away overnight, I take my morning pills and put the rest in an empty test-strip container, writing the date they are for on the lid with a fine marker. I do the same if I'm going to be away for a few days, one container per day. Fortunately all my pills look quite distinct, so there's little risk of getting confused. If I'm working on site the test-strip container goes in my lunch box so I can't help but see it.
Because Metformin doesn't bother me whenever I take it (ie, with or without food) I can usually get 3 in in a day even if I forget to take one at the right time. The only ones that timing does matter with are the Levothyroxine and the Nortripytlene (opiod), and they are a matter of routine now.
I also take Volsaid slow-release (another anti-inflammatory) if necessary. If I think I'll need them (usually if I'm being unusually active), I put one or two out in the morning with the others. I try to keep those at least 8 hours apart, preferably 12, depending on bed-time.
If I'm taking anything in addition to my normal pills (eg Tramadol occasionally, and/or antibiotics which was once 2 different ones, 1 @ 4 per day, 1 @ 3 per day :shock: ) I leave them in their plastic but cut off the correct number for the day and put them in the bowl too. I do try to be very strict with the intervals between those.
As you can see, my method is certainly not fool-proof and is pretty well dependent on me being home-based, but it works for me. With metformin, there are many suggestions on how to take them - one GP said "space them out" another said "with food". Some GPs recommend taking them all at once, either morning of evening. So it seems there is plenty of flexibility with those - if your system can take it.
This has probably not been much help, but I offer it for what it's worth! :wink:
Viv 8)
