Practical Tips for Remembering Your Asthma Medication

Remembering to take medication can be tricky, especially if you are new to a chronic illness like asthma. Furthermore, the more treatment that is added to your regimen, the more overwhelming it can seem. I thought I would share my tips and tricks for storing and remembering to take asthma medications.

I am by no means a perfect medication taker. In fact, I struggle most with taking my maintenance inhaler. I do not know why I cannot seem to be consistent, but just know that you are not alone if you struggle to remember to take your meds.

Store your medication where you use it for easy access

When I was first diagnosed with health problems, I thought that all prescriptions needed to be stored in one specific place in my house. I have seen many people who keep their meds in a box in the coat closet or in a drawer in the bathroom. But that is not always practical, and it certainly does not make it easy to remember to take your meds.

So, my first piece of advice is to store your asthma treatment where you use it.

I keep my maintenance inhaler in the bathroom because that is where I always go to take it. It is convenient because I can quickly rinse out my mouth after using it. I have a friend who stores and takes her maintenance inhaler in the kitchen for the same reason.

To me, it does not make sense to store your medication in one place but use it in another. I am much more likely to remember to take my meds if I do not have to go looking for them every time.

Make medication a part of your normal routine

Many people are creatures of habit and thrive with routines. You probably have a routine for getting ready for work in the morning. You do the same thing in the same order every morning, so you don't forget anything you need before heading to the office. The same principle can be used to remember to take asthma medications. If you always take your meds at the same time and place every day, you are more likely to stay on track.

I mentioned earlier that I struggle to remember my maintenance inhaler. I even have a routine for it: put in contacts, take inhaler. And somehow, I still forget to take it. I do not know how or why, but I do. Nevertheless, I do my best to remember by thinking, "contacts, inhaler."

Use a tool or app for days when you need a reminder

There are so many tools available today to help you remember to take your asthma medications. One of the more common tools to use is a pillbox. They can be filled at the beginning of the week and then emptied each day. They make it easy to stay on track and help you verify whether you have taken your meds that day.

There are also lots of apps available on your phone or computer that can help you remember to take your meds. Some apps let you track how many pills you have left and set different reminders for each treatment.

About 2 years ago, I invested in an automatic pill dispenser, and it has been one of the best things I have done for myself. Not only does it store my medications, but it reminds me relentlessly to take each dose and even tells me when I need to get different meds refilled. It has been a game-changer for me. I know that an electronic pill dispenser is not in everyone’s budget, but it is just another tool to help with prescription management..

How do you remember to take your asthma medications?

There are numerous other ways to stay on track with meds; you just have to find the right tips and tools that work for you. It can take some trial and error to figure out a good routine, but perhaps I have given you a couple of ideas to help you remember.

How do you remember to take asthma medications? I would love to hear your tips in the comments!