Tips to Help You Remember to Take Your Blood Pressure Drugs

• Take your drugs at the same time every day. Try to link it with something else that you do regularly, like brushing your teeth. If your doctor told you to take your pills with food, try taking them at the same time as you have your meal every day.
• Write it down. Put a reminder note on the refrigerator, by the phone, on the medicine cabinet, or even on the bathroom mirror. Try changing the message frequently, using different colors to get your attention, or moving the notes to a different spot.
• Try keeping a chart or calendar to write down when you take your drugs. Keep this calendar posted so you can quickly see if you’ve taken your drugs. Use colored pens to help you keep track of more than one type of medication.
• Try using a special pillbox that helps keep your pills organized. You can buy these containers at most drugstores or pharmacies.
• Ask for help. Family or friends can be a great support system. Put together a team. If you have friends who also take medication, help remind each other.
• Put a favorite picture of yourself or a loved one on the refrigerator with a note that says, "Remember to Take Your High Blood Pressure Medicine."
• Take your high blood pressure drugs right after you brush your teeth and keep them with your toothbrush as a reminder.
• Ask a friend or relative to call your telephone answering machine to remind you to take your high blood pressure drugs and DO NOT erase the message.
• If you use the telephone company's voice mail service, record a reminder for yourself and the service can automatically call you every day at the same time.
• Establish a buddy system with a friend who also is on daily medication and arrange to call each other every day with a reminder to "take your medicine."
• Ask one or more of your children or grandchildren to call you every day with a quick reminder. It's a great way to stay in touch and little ones love to help the grown-ups.
• If you have a personal computer, program a start-up reminder to take your high blood pressure drugs or sign up with one of the free services that will send you reminder email every day.
• Remember to refill your prescription. Each time you pick up a refill, make a note on your calendar to order and pick up the next refill one week before the medicine is due to run out.