12 Steps to Mastering Your Medication

There's no doubt about it - Medication is one of the few methods of treatment available for Epilepsy patients. And sadly, only 1/3 of our population who has Epilepsy is fully controlled by medication. How can we make that sad little fraction of 1/3 larger? How can more of us become fully controlled?



People who have controlled seizures are very careful about how and when they take their medication. There are certain DO's and DON'Ts that one should always be mindful of. The more mindful you are, the better your AED's will work for you. Therefore, I've decided to write this blog post teaching you how to master your medication!

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1. Plan Ahead - You may laugh at the sight of a S, M, T, W, T, F, S pill box, but they are actually very helpful in the long run.

• They can help you remember if you took your medication or not. Often I will forget if I took one of my pills or not. It's hard to keep track when you take 3 pills! How can I tell? Well, I grab my pill box and see if Monday's pills are still in the box or not. If they are, I know I've forgotten. If Monday's section is empty, I know I remembered!
• They can remind you to take your pills. Unfortunately, most of these are big and bulky, as they hold medication from Sunday to Saturday. But leaving them on the bathroom counter can remind you in the morning while you brush your teeth or before bed when you've hopped out of the bath. Seeing those big black letters is sure to remind you!
• It can help with both AM and PM schedules... As a matter of fact, they are made for more than twice a day. So if you take medication 3 or even 4 times a day, your local pharmacist can  help you find the right pill box for you. And I've never seen them exceed $20. A good investment if you ask me!

TIP: You want to be sure to get a pill box with multiple sections if you find that some of your pills are coated while others are uncoated. Pills can react to one another of they are not coated. This isn't always a usual happening, but it can happen. If this is a concern please ASK YOUR PHARMACIST before storing them all together.

2. Don't take more than one medication at a time. Taking your medication together can cause everything from extreme nausea to ulcers to dizziness and temporary blindness. It depends on the combination, and the medication, but medications should NEVER be taken less than 30 minutes apart. Actually, most doctors and pharmacists recommend an hour in between each dose. Using a timer can help you avoid this mistake.

Ex:

10:00am - Take Trileptal

11:00am - Take Felbatol

Ask your doctor if you should wait longer than 30 minutes or an hour, as medications differ. But please, never take medications TOGETHER! Many people do this not knowing that they can alleviate so many side effects by discontinuing this bad habit. Some drugs even react and can cause a deadly or harmful overdose.

3. Follow the directions! Many people fail to follow the directions on the side of the pill bottle or package. For example, a drug called Xanax asks patients taking the drug NOT to eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. Why? Grapefruit slows the body's normal breakdown of several drugs, including some Benzodiazepines, allowing them to build up to potentially dangerous levels in the blood. A recent study indicates this effect can last for 3 days or more following the last glass of juice.


There are also other directions, such as avoiding driving after taking medication. Many meds inhibit your ability to drive safely, which can result in accidents, injuries, and death of yourself, ones you love, and others around you. So please follow the directions - they're there for a reason.


Don't forget your doctor's directions as well. If your doctor suggests more sleep with your new medication, or more exercise to avoid weight gain, be mindful of his/her suggestions and directions. Remember that your doctor knows best and is there to help you make your transition to your new medication as easy as possible!

4. Make sure you don't take your medication on an empty stomach... Unless the bottle, your doctor, or your pharmacist tells you otherwise.

• Water is not only a swallowing aid, but it is also important to help your body absorb medication. If you are dehydrated, your are more likely to suffer from stomach aches, nausea, and most of all - dizziness.  I have even found that if I fail to drink my 8 oz. of water with my Felbatol, I temporarily get doubled and tripled vision for up to an hour and I lose balance. Not to mention that a person taking medication needs almost twice as much water as a person who is not taking medication! (6-8, 8oz. glasses a day for a person not on medication)
• Meals help reduce your chances of nausea. Especially in the morning. Many people report nausea in the morning after taking their first dose, but do not report this in the evening. Why? They took their medication on an empty stomach, as soon as they woke up. But their dose in the evening was after lunch, or after dinner, with a full stomach.

5. Give your medication time. Many people are quick to say "Doctor, this medication is NOT working. I want to try a new one." But I found out over a year ago from my Epileptologist that you should really give a medication 3 months to see whether it works or not, and if you have the patience, 5 months. (Of course this must be decided by your and your doctor. Medications differ.)

Your body has to readjust, almost like you're being born all over again, each time you try a new medication. Your brain relies on that dose of medication two or three times a day, and when it has to rely on a new medication, don't expect it to be too happy about that change. Give your medication some time to "fit in". However, if you notice a serious increase in seizures or troublesome side effects, consult your doctor right away.

6. If it isn't working, it isn't working. I remember being an unhappy teenager on Keppra for over two years. Having tonic clonic (grand mal) seizures up to five times a week, and gaining weight at a rate that seemed to be by the second. I asked myself one day "Why am I on this crap if it isn't even working and is causing me so much pain?". Then it hit me - if it isn't working, stop wasting time.

If your medication just isn't working, ask your doctor about it. Tell him/her your concerns and let your doctor help you find a medication that may work better for you, or other treatment options.

7. Take your medication ON TIME. Did you know that if you simply take your medications at the same time intervals each day for the next month or so, you have the potential to find that your medication works much better? With Epilepsy it is never a guarantee, but you truly may be able to be controlled if you would simply take your medication correctly. Thankfully, living in 2012 and having so much technology, there are plenty of ways to ensure you take your medication at the same time.

• Cell phone - Set your alarm for each dose. Pick the most annoying ringtone you can find to ensure that you hear it, even if you're asleep! Remember to keep your cell phone charged so you don't miss a dose due to it being dead!
• Watch - It's an oldie but a goodie. Use your watch to help you time your medication. Most watches can only go off once a day, so you can either set it for one dose (the dose you are usually late on) or time it each time you take your medication. Ex: Once you take your morning medication dose, time it to go off for your evening dose. For your evening dose, time it to go off for your morning dose.
• Computer - If you work on the computer a lot (which isn't all too great for Epilepsy, by the way) use a timer app and remind yourself to take your medicine. 
• Alarm clock - This one is just obvious. Perfect for mornings!

You can also set up reminders in obvious places using sticky notes. I try to stick them on my bathroom mirror, bedroom mirror, refrigerator, closet door... EVERYWHERE. That way I am always reminded "Oh crap! I forgot to take it again!". My friend Jessica even keeps her stickies in her car!

8. Keep your side effects under control. If you're having intense nausea that wont go away, or insomnia that wont let up, don't fail to let your doctor know and don't let him/her shrug it off either. There's no reason one should put up with these side effects, and there are ways to lessen and even rid yourself of them. Often you may find your are on too high or maybe even too low of a dosage. Something as simple as a dosage change of 50mg or so can get rid of a certain side effect. With insomnia I have commonly found that changing my medication schedule is key to reducing this seizure-causing side effect.

Side effects can also be controlled by doing other things, and your doctor can confirm this for you. Don't try anything funky without asking him/her first. But to give you examples, some medications react funny with certain foods or drinks. Others work best when you've taken a good afternoon nap. Some can make you dehydrated, and drinking more water is needed. So ask your doctor - they're there to help!

9. Emergency medication - make sure people can find it! One common issue is loved ones and friends not being able to find emergency medication. This is dangerous in case of a seizure, so you always need to let people know where you keep it. Whether it's in a medical ID necklace around your neck, or in a pill box inside of your purse. Tell your friends "Hey, just in case you ever need it, I always keep my emergency seizure medication with me." and then show them where it usually is. If you use a pill box, writing "EMERGENCY" on the top can be a good indicator. If you don't have a pill box, check these ones out!

Check these fashionable pill/trinket boxes out, made by my Sponsor, Cindy!!!

10. Ask your doctor if other medications are conflicting with your AEDs. Sometimes other medications we are taking for other health problems can conflict with our AEDs, causing them not to work properly. DO NOT, by any means, stop taking your medications until you have spoken with your doctor. But it's always best to check! Often there are other medication options and drugs that will work better with your AEDs, so no fear! 

11. Call in your medication early. Pharmacies are famous for screwing up prescription orders. My pharmacy is a grand example. (I wont disclose which pharmacy I use, simply because that's rude!) Calling in a day or two before you run out is a good idea, that way you can have the confidence of knowing that your medication is reserved for you. If your pharmacy runs out of your medication, they will still have a day or two to get it, which means you'll still have it on time. 

Setting up an e-mail reminder, or a cell phone alert a few days before your 60th day (or 120th, depending on how many days of supply you get from your doctor) can help you remember to call your medication in. But if you're like me, and you call as soon as you feel your bottle become low, you'll do just fine. 

You can even sign up for a medication delivery service, and have your medication dropped off or shipped to your home. Ask your pharmacy if they offer this service - it can be very helpful, and usually doesn't cost more than $10 a month!


12. Practice makes perfect. All the steps above will not be easy to complete. I wish I could tell you otherwise. There will be days when you "mess up" and forget to take your medication, and there will be times when your pharmacy runs out of your medication when you forgot to call it in. Don't be discouraged. Your effort and perseverance will bring you to victory! But believe me, the steps above will make medication a million times more easy to manage. Just keep on truckin'!


I hope the information above will help you make the best out of taking medication. Let's all be honest - it isn't pleasant. But there are ways to overcome the hard parts by following these simple steps, and after a while it all becomes routine. You can be closer to controlling your seizures by finding the medication that works for you, taking it on time, and taking it right! Good luck and God bless!