Timely Medications

How many times have you been snuggled in your bed—or your child is sound asleep—before you realize that you forgot about taking the nightly meds? Well, it’s okay to skip a dose, right?

Wrong.

I’ll just double-up in the morning, okay?

Not okay.

Maintenance medications, like Flovent™, which are used to control the underlying inflammation associated with asthma, need time to build up in your system before they are fully effective. It could take as long as two weeks. While missing one dose may not throw your entire system out of balance, it could create problems is missing dosing becomes a habit.

Furthermore, doubling-up on missed doses is not the answer, either. You may just end up doubling-up the side effects. It is critical to check with your doctor or pharmacist on what to do about those occasional misses. Depending on which medication you missed and the dose, you may just continue as if nothing has happened. If, however, you miss TWO in a row or within a two-day period, NEVER triple a dose. Call your doctor immediately for the best course of action.

It may sound a little crazy to be so concerned about missing just one little dose, but my son and I just faced a similar situation last spring. He has been on immuno therapy (allergy shots) for three years and we are finally on a monthly schedule. Well, last May we came just one day past our scheduled appointment. Like the days when we were weekly, I thought we had a short window of opportunity. I was wrong and we had to return to bi-weekly shots for a month to get back on schedule.

When you are on immuno therapy, making it to the once-a-month mark is a real celebration. For the kids, especially, they really look forward to ditching the once-a-week injections.

Our celebrated monthly schedule was almost in jeopardy again in June when my son was inconsistent about using his nasal spray. When we went for allergy shots, he was rather stuffy and admitted that he wasn’t always using the spray. The nurse said that if he is this stuffy again, she would have to talk to the doctor about reducing the serum, sending us back to weekly shots. Needless to say, Matt got on the ball and is using the spray regularly.

Getting yourself or your child to take all those medications (Matt is currently on four meds am and pm: Serevent™, Flovent™, Rondac and Flonase™.) Now that he’s officially a teenager, it is more and more difficult for me to motivate him. Fortunately, Penny, our “shot nurse” is helping me keep him motivated. Sometimes, though, his asthma does all the motivating for him. Since starting allergy shots, Matt has enjoyed almost asthma-attack-free living. The daily attacks he suffered three years ago are now months apart. They return if he is ill or he forgets his meds. When he slacks off, he suffers. So, he gets back on track with his medications. He’s found his own reward system.

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