Medicine Tips
The Importance of Taking Your Blood Pressure Medicine
You feel fine. So, you may wonder why you need to take your medicine. Remember that people with high blood pressure usually have no noticeable symptoms. While there is no cure for high blood pressure, eating right and being active can help. But sometimes that's not enough. Medicine is an important tool to help you control your blood pressure. Even if you don't feel any symptoms, you need to stay on your medicine. This will help prevent other serious conditions, like heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and heart failure.
At first, changes in your medicine dose may be needed, or different drugs may need to be tried. Your doctor will work with you to help you get to your target blood pressure numbers. Your blood pressure numbers are important because they tell the story of your health.
Remember: If you are taking any other medicines or vitamins, supplements/herbals, diet pills or home remedies, be sure to tell your doctor. Sometimes these can affect how your blood pressure medicine works.
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Know Your Medicine
It's important to know what medicine you are taking and to understand how it works to lower your blood pressure. Learn as much as you can about your medicine so that you know how to take it properly. This way, you will be able to work better with your doctor to control your blood pressure. Write down the instructions on how to take your medicine before leaving the doctor's office.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Here are some questions you can ask your doctor if a medicine is prescribed to control your blood pressure:
- what's the medicine's name and how does it work?
- what are the instructions for taking the medicine?
- is there anything I should avoid, like certain foods or alcohol, dietary supplements, other medicines, or over-the-counter pills?
- what should I do if I miss a dose?
- are there any side effects?
Tips for Taking Medicines
Always take your pills as prescribed. The directions will be on the pill bottle label. Be sure to learn if your medicine should be taken before or after meals, or in the morning or evening. Then, get in the habit of taking your medicine at the same time every day.
Keep your medicine where you see it as a reminder, but keep it out of reach of children and pets. To help you remember, combine taking your pill with an activity you do every day at the same time, like brushing your teeth or going to bed.
Never take pills that have expired. The expiration date will be on the pill bottle label. And, store your pills in a cool, dry place or as instructed. Things like light, humidity and heat can affect how your pill works.
Reminder Aids
There are some aids that can help you to remember when to take your medicine. These can be purchased at a pharmacy and include:
- a medicine container that beeps when it's time to take your dose
- pill containers with a compartment for each day of the week. Some are even labeled for meals and bedtime
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