Previously, we had discussed the importance of elders taking their medications at the proper time to get the optimal effect. It will it help to subdue symptoms of pain (see arthritis), level high blood pressure, and decrease the chances of an asthma attack at night.
In addition to all these, there are numerous other prescription drugs for seniors that have specific time frames for efficiency as well. Experts have proven that senior medications are more or less effective based upon when they’re taken. The body is constantly changing, healing, and growing, so it’s only natural that some prescription drugs would be hindered or encouraged by our natural processes.
Here are some more examples.
Heartburn
This is one condition that’s no picnic during the day, but is far worse at night. It causes the bile and stomach acids to buildup, resulting in a severe burning sensation in the chest.
Of course, it doesn’t help that this condition is three times more active during the sleeping hours of 10:00PM to 2:00AM.
To prevent this from happening, take the senior medications about half an hour before you eat your final meal for the day. This way, the side effects of the pill should ward off the acid buildup for the rest of the night.
High Cholesterol
High cholesterol can be devastating for seniors and, as doctors have discovered, it might be more than simply changing the diet to avoid bad cholesterol. Much of the cholesterol produced by the body occurs in the liver and the liver creates copious amounts of cholesterol during the night.
So, the best time to take your high cholesterol medication is when you go to bed because that will curb the production en masse.
Hay Fever
This one is a bit more complicated since there are so many different prescription drugs seniors can take to prevent the histamines.
(Note, that hay fever is the result of peoples’ close-contact with pollen, which gives off histamines that cause all those allergic reactions we’re so brutally familiar with: itchy eyes, congestion, dry throat, etc.) Hay fever, if left untreated, progresses throughout the night, causing a great deal of distress in the morning.
However, the best time to take the senior medications (antihistamines) is largely dependent on the type of drug prescribed. If, for instance, your elder is prescribed a pill that’s to be taken twice daily, then, the best time to take the medication would be morning and evening; this way, seniors can ward off the allergic reaction during its progression in the night and when it’s most severe (the morning).
Some senior medications however, only need to be taken once daily. These are a bit more complicated to plan out since they often don’t reach their maximum potency until 12 hours into the day. For these, experts recommend taking them once in the evening to combat the severe morning symptoms.
It may not seem like that much of a hassle, but because most elders are in Assisted Living due to the fact that they need help organizing their medications, it’s a small step that can go a long way. Senior medications are more than organizing what day to take them, but when (during the day) to take them. Always makes sure that if you’re living in an elderly housing community, that your caregiver knows when the medicine works best for you.
