I know many of us take a lot of different meds (and supplements), and since we've moved to our new place, I've been going back and forth trying to figure out where to keep them all.
I used to keep all the bottles in a box in the hutch of my computer desk. The hutch has a cubbyhole with a door that was just the perfect size. Then on the weekend, I would sit there and dole out the pills into my two weekly pillboxes (one for morning, one for evening). I kept the pillboxes in the kitchen, near our back door, where I'd remember to take them and have easy access to something to drink.
Unfortunately the computer desk didn't make the move (the movers couldn't angle it down the hallway to the spare bedroom, so I gave it to one of them) and it looks like its replacement won't have a hutch. In the meantime, all my meds have been sitting on the kitchen counter driving hubby crazy, so I purchased two inexpensive travel makeup totes to put them in, with the pillboxes sitting on top. Very stylish, but not convenient.
Anyway, I'm just wondering where everyone keeps their meds (and supplements), both the bottles and their daily pillboxes (if you use them, although I can't imagine trying to remember what to take when otherwise!).
Hi InnerGlow,
We keep all our medication bottles and supplement bottles on a shelf in a kitchen cupboard . Hubby and I each have a pill box, and on Sunday we fill it up for the next week.
I live in a two-story house, so I store my meds in an acrylic make-up case beside my bed. That way I can reach over and take my Levoxyl first thing in the morning, without needing to go downstairs. It's also convenient at night, as I take my evening meds right before I go to bed.
I keep pain meds both upstairs and downstairs, and my probiotics I store in the refrigerator.
As I have a alternative bowel program I follow, that takes up about one-quarter of the shelf :(
I found a great 7-day pill container at Walmart years ago which is big and deep to hold all the vitamins and herbs for each day, but I haven't seen anything like that in years. Wish I had bought two.
I keep all my meds in the linen closet in my bathroom. I put all my meds in a weekly pill box and keep that in the drawer where my toothbrush is so I can remember to take them when I brush my teeth.
It's all about habit I guess. It's just what I'm use to now. I have children in the house but their all older and I don't worry too much about anyone getting in them. None of the kids come in my room without being invited anyway. If you have small kids around that should be a big concern though.
Lovie, that's a good point. I don't have any children living with me, but my 14-year-old stepson comes to visit for the weekend every once in awhile (not often enough!). Hubby thinks I'm crazy, but I don't want to leave my Vicodin ES lying around because even really good, responsible teenagers (which my stepson is) can go astray...
I too have an entire shelf in one of the kitchen cupboards where I keep the lot. I keep all the boxes and bottles in a large tupperware rectangle and I have a weekly pill container that I fill each week and sit on top of the box. I just got 2 webster pacs made up for when we go on holidays and I must say that they are VERY tempting. They are 2 nice plastic sheets with all the pills doled out into whichever dose and even prn stuff. They are so tidy and there is no mess and no having to fill the weekly pill box. They cost a week to have done so I don't think I'll be doing it on a regular basis but for going away they are brilliant.I bought a high sided woven basket that's just big enough for my pill bottles to sit in, along with the weekly pill holder. It sits in the corner on the kitchen cabinet. Looks nice and it's always there where I can be reminded to take my pills. We take our vitamins with meals, so I have a matching basket that sits on the table with our vitamin bottles. Lindy Kitchen cupboard for my vitamins and MTX, because I take them with food. Upstairs bathroom cabinet for the ones I take at night. The refrigerator butter cubbyhole for my insulin. I finally asked the pharmacy to give me easy open tops, after years on medication, I was an idiot to have not asked sooner. And whoever is in charge of designing easy open OTC bottles for people with arthritis is a worse idiot.I've posted this before, I think. We purchased a metal locking medicine cupboard at Ikea that is bolted to the wall behind our bedroom door. It is the perfect size for all my meds and over the counter stuff as well. We have lots of teens who come to out house and I wanted to make sure there was no temptation. A couple of years ago, my dr jokingly said anyone of these would probably kill the average person. I completely trust my boys and their friends, but occasionally new kids come by and I would feel terrible if something happened.We use a heavy duty metal tool box with a lock. Each of us has our own box and we know the other's combination - hat way the keys are not lying around and we don't need to worry about losing the key. Kids' medicine goes in either one, depending on who has enough extra room. The tool boxes are kept in our rooms (we sleep separately due to snoring (him) and blanket theft (me).I keep mine in a plastic basket on the top shelf of my pantry and supplements in a different color basket on the same shelf.
When I sort them for a two or three week period, I put my dispensers in my headboard. I love having the dispensers with 7 cases, each with 4 places for meds: morn., noon, eve., bed. I use these for Rx meds.
I found a larger dispenser for vitamins that holds 7 kinds. I cut some file folder labels to fit the top, and wrote what is inside each compartment. Then I did the same thing for the inside of the top, so I know what each is without having to fold the top down & check. It stays on the kitchen counter where we eat, on a lazy susan. We take our vitamins with meals, so they are right there to remind us.
My kids are grown, but I have 2 grandkids that come over quite a bit. The 17-year-old is extremely anti-drug (Yeah). She's my little Vegan. And the 2-year old can't reach things yet. But the top of the pantry is a place she will never get into anyway.
This was a good idea. It's interesting to see all the ideas. Since many of us have multiple prescriptions, it is necessary to have a safe place for them.
Hope everyone has had a good and comfortable week-end!
Be well, Nini
I like the idea of the toolbox! The acrylic make-up case that I'm using (one of the big Caboodles) works pretty well, but a tool box sounds like it might work even better. *thinking mulit-level for storing different shaped bottles and containers*
I'm definitely going to put that on my list of things to look into!
All of ours are on the top shelf of our little kitchen caddy. I dunno exactly what that thing is called. They just kinda all get pilled up there.....it's not a big deal to us, as we don't have kids. We both use a 7-day pill box as well, and I keep a little old lady pill case in my purse for extra pills too. LOLI bought a large makeup kit and put all of my pill bottles in it. Once a week I put a day's worth of pills in a ziplock baggie. Each bag is labeled, Monday, Tues, etc. on Thursday's i take my MTX and 8 hours later my leukovorin. Inside Thursday's bag is another baggie with those pills in it.
I tried using the Mon, Tues, Wed., etc. little pill boxes but my pills couldn't fit in them.....
This is a great thread!!!
Currently, mine are on my kitchen counter. However, I just purchased a locked toolbox that I will be keeping all meds in.
Phats
This so too weird! I just bought a new cabinet for meds last week
I confess to letting them sit on my end table in the living room - but they are supposed to be in a little cute handmade basket with a lid.
Hi! I store my meds in the kitchen cabnet right beside my vitamins and cooking spices..Lo!! Also I store my extra meds in the bedroom walk in closit...I bought a cool little "treasure chest looking box" that has a latch.I bought it at a yard sale for 75cents. LOL It sits on my table next to my recliner. My kids are older and I don't have to worry about that. It fits in great with my decor. My front room is decorated with things from the sea, lighthouses, boats, etc., so it looks like a decoration. I also have a weekly pill container in it so I can set my meds up for the week in it. My meds are all in a box in the kitchen sideboard. I find it too difficult with my hands to be handling individual bottles so if they are in a box I can get the whole box out, put it on the kitchen bench and get what I want. This holds all medications for the household...Neve's panadol and cough medicine too, bandages etc.right now we keep our prescriptions in a rubbermaid sweater box on a shelf in the kitchen. Between the 2 of us we take a grand total of 19 medications daily.
We get them by mail in a 3 month supply so man the bottles add up. we keep one bottle of each med in the box, the rest are in a Hoosier cabinet in the kitchen.
I keep my daily meds in a 7 day box, with slots for 4 times per day.
Mark puts his in a pill box that he carries with him.
OTC med, ointments and bandaids etc are in another sweater box stored under the med box.
I can see we need another way to do this but I'm out of ideas
I just wanted to add something here. Now PLEASE dont be offended or feel like i thin yal are stupid
When you guys go on vacation or are at a house where there are children, as easily as it is to forget to put your meds up if you are not used to having little ones around find a good place to hide them...2 Easters ago now we were out in Ohio and my dad who is usually really good about keeping his meds up forgot one morning (the morning we left) he had taken out his 2 blood pressure pills and sat them on the desk cause he was going to take them but somehing happend where he was pulled away and forgot to grab the meds. Well Kelsay ended up taking them (thank God my little brother was there and told us) and we ended up having to take her to the ER to have her monitered. She was alright really but her BP was a little high but nothing they were concerned about. But just a reminder...
One time when the kids came to the hotel and we used the pool, they were all in our room changing, etc., and little Chesni saw the baggie of bright blue pills on the low hotel bathroom counter, grabbed it up and yelled CANDY! I about died.
In my wine cabinet. Temp is stable & darkDon't forget the pets!!! After that incident the other week, I can't even leave my 7-day pill case anywhere but WAY UP HIGH. I don't know if everyone saw that, but my crazy ass kitten got into the case and ate a Mobic pill. She was alright of course, as she hacked it up shortly after. But SHEESH if had been anything else, can you imagine??? [QUOTE=justsaynoemore]We went up to see the children and grandchildren a few years ago, and I took a baggie of Excedrin (maybe its Tylonel) PMs, which was at that point the only pain reliever I was taking, and its for sleep. I didn't want to pack the huge bottle, just enough for this trip.
One time when the kids came to the hotel and we used the pool, they were all in our room changing, etc., and little Chesni saw the baggie of bright blue pills on the low hotel bathroom counter, grabbed it up and yelled CANDY! I about died.
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