Worried

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1

i have an irregular heartbeat that is what caursed my stoke in april am fine now i have to take heart tablet every morning and evening the doctor said make sure its twelve hours apart its for thining my blood i forgot this moring i try to have it at 9 in the morning and same in the evening we rushed out never got back till 12 so i took it but then worry it will happen again i fell like i worry all the time i feel fine sometime my words get mixed up

2

OK lynnjenny, you've been worrying all day, so time to stop now!  You can't change this morning, it's gone.  You're still here and in good shape - I'm sure the medication will have some residual effect, and you managed to take it as soon as you could - there's nothing more you can do, you're safe, the worst thing is to worry, your brain won't like that.  Take some deep breaths, tell yourself you are safe and well, power of positive suggestion.  You've said in the first line of your post "am fine now" there you are - all fine.  Well done, time to enjoy your weekend - ?

3

Thank you am just been daftx

4

Not at all - we've all been there, and there's only so much worrying you can do - take care now xx

5

Hi LynnJenny, 

As Nic says you will upset yourself more by stressing about this morning.  If you look up your tablets on the Internet you will find that each tablet has a half life.  It is still present in your body and working.  So not completely without your medication  even if you didn't take it this morning at the optimal time.  Your doctor and pharmacist will tell you the same.  Because sometimes you won't able to take your tablets as instructed by a Healthcare professional. 

Hope this helps. Just remember tomorrow a new day ?Kay 

6

Wise words, well put ?

7

Thanks you have been a big helpx

8

Thanks kay i try never to forget do it same time 9am and 9pm  but then confused myself took it at 12 But then do i count twelve hours after that i have took it at 11 so i can start tmmorow back to 9 sorry to go on

9

I would.  But if you prefer you could take the tablet half an hour early until you get back to your preferred 9 am and 9pm. Provided the medication doesn't require you to have certain blood levels of the drug there is information to suggest that with medication taken 12 hours apart you bring it forward by up to 3 hours.  If you'd feel better why not check with your pharmacy or even NHS direct.  Knowledge is power in my book. The more confident you are about your medication the better you will manage these hiccups. Have a good night. 

10

Hi lynnjenny,

I’m like you, I have an irregular heartbeat for which I’ve been prescribed special blood thinning tablets (Apixaban) little orange things to be taken twice a day. It was never mentioned to me by the Consultant or Pharmacist for that matter, that they had to be taken precisely twelve hours apart. I just pop one in first thing in the morning when I’m up and in the evening, my times do vary. Could be any time, as long as I take the two per day. I must admit there was a time when I ran out (I got grumbled at by most SS on here!), and I took what I thought was the next best thing, Asprin. Like others have already said, try not to worry too much, and if you ever need any advice there’s a lot of us on here to give you guidance.

Brugge

 

11

Thanks brugge yes am on the same one as you the doctor said it had to be 12 hours apart and my stroke nurse said between 10 and twelve hours apart but my husband said as long as i take it morning and night it will be fine i just panicked

12

Hi lynnjenny,

The thing that is frustrating for me is even though I’m taking this medication to help my irregular heartbeat, when I recently went up to the hospital for an ultrasound scan, the operator said she couldn’t detect it. I said “ is it because of the medication I’m taking”?  She just said we’re analysing the results, so I’m wondering if my irregular heartbeat is something that’s intermittent?

Brugge

Ps. I’m basically taking my tablets morning and night, just like your husband says.

13

Hi,

I have been on Apixaban for five months, with no side effects yet. I was concerned after reading the information sheet for Apixaban. I was kept in hospital for two days after taking the drug in case there were side effects. I was called by a nurse. They advised me what not to take with Apixaban. Since then I have stopped taking Tumeric and using Vortorol. It seems that several things do not mix well.

My sister advised me to take drugs at the same time every day. This balances the effect and is easier to remember, I can also use an alarm. Where possible I take drugs at 10:00am and 10:00pm. This has worked well for me, but I have not seen this suggested anywhere else.

I find it best to take drugs a few hours before going to bed. I have slept badly taking drugs too soon before sleeping.

14

Hi,

I have similar meds to take as you. I find it best to have a routine. The target times are 10:00 and 22:00, but I have to adjust sometimes. The morning doses are easiest to remember for me. The evenings less so. We have chats on Zoom some evenings, so it is possible to  forget or get distracted. If you are late on the morning dose, I suggest that you make the evening dose as late as you can.

You can buy containers that have one slot for each dose. You would need a box with 14 slots (2 rows of 7). This will act as a reminder. You can check that you have taken each dose required.

I use the alarm on my iPhone to wake me each morning. I use an extra alarm at 10:00pm to remind me for tablets. I have three to take every evening. I try to take them at least two hours before bed time, otherwise my sleep can be disrupted. Statins can do this.

It helps to get in a routine and take meds regularly. Please find something that works for you.

With Sotalol, you can take an extra half tablet if needed, but not with blood thinners.

Good luck,

 

Graham