what if i forget to take my metformin

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Diabetes mellitus requires a lot of cocky-care—diligently adhering to a diabetes-friendly diet, post-obit your medication regimen, foot intendance, regular glucose monitoring, recognising the symptoms of loftier or depression blood sugar levels, and making any necessary lifestyle changes.

Medications are one of the chief components of keeping the blood carbohydrate level in check, and it is important to stick to the prescribed dosage and schedule. However, there are times y'all may slip up and miss a dose.

Studies have shown that 36%-93% of people with diabetes have practiced daily medication adherence.^{[ one]} In Republic of india, this amount is lower – only 47%-59%.^{[ 2]} In other words, as many as two out of every five people with diabetes miss their anti-diabetes medication dose.

Empathise why you may miss a dose

There can be diverse reasons why y'all may miss a dose of your medication. Simple forgetfulness and a busy life are mutual causes, especially among those who are newly diagnosed and have not go used to taking their medicines regularly. Similarly, a change in nutrient habits, ^[three] a new job, or moving to a new city can touch your medication schedule. Some other reason for missing a dose can exist simply that you have to take many pills at unlike times of the day. Even though you have a pillbox with days of the calendar week marked, you may not actually remember to open it at specific times of the day.

Finally, some people deliberately skip a dose or two, or delay refilling their prescription,  because they "do non feel sick anymore" or because of financial constraints. Other reasons include not trusting the physician or fearfulness of side furnishings. ^{[2, 3]} It is of import to realise why y'all miss a dose because you tin can take action to rectify this.

Why is missing your medication dose a trouble?

Whether y'all miss a dose by accident or skip it intentionally, recollect that proficient adherence to your anti-diabetic medication plan (whether sugar-lowering pills or insulin) is essential for long, complication-complimentary life.

Missing a dose increases the claret glucose level. If your HbA1c level has been generally skilful, and you have followed the diet and lifestyle modifications well, then missing i dose may not be a problem. However, you should be aware of the symptoms of hyperglycemia.

Frequent missed doses lead to serious wellness complications, both in the brusk and the long term. You would have to visit the medico, and even go hospitalized, more than ofttimes, which too increases the overall cost of the diabetes treatment. ^{[ 4]}

What should you lot do if you lot miss ane dose?

In general, for diabetes medications including oral hypoglycemic agents (e.1000., metformin) and insulin, if you lot miss one dose, take the next ane as shortly as you remember information technology. However, if yous recall close to the time of the next dose, so skip it and accept the next dose instead. Practise Not double the dose.

It is recommended that you check with your md regarding your specific medication, however.

Strategies to avoid missing medications

As mentioned earlier, effort to identify the reason(s) why you miss your dose and so accept steps to resolve or at least minimise the cause. Some of them are equally under:

1. Planning meals: Irregular meal patterns disturb the medication schedule. Sticking to a fixed meal program will also help yous stick to the dosage.
2. Fewer pills: If you lot have too many pills a day, talk to your doctor if they tin reduce the number. This is sometimes possible by taking a pill that has multiple medications and/or by switching to pills that need to be taken fewer times a day (eastward.g., ane or 2 times instead of three).
3. Self-education: Get to know how your medications work, what the side effects are and how frequent they are, and the symptoms of high and low carbohydrate level. Educating yourself about your disease and the medicines you are taking will help you considerably amend your sugar management overall.
4. Third-party help: Being accountable to a "third political party"—friends and/or family members—has been proven to be extremely effective in staying on track with the diabetes care plan. Tell them most your medicines and doses so that they tin remind you if you have forgotten. But the chances that the very fact that you take told them virtually this will itself help yous call up to accept medicines regularly.
5. Cheaper pills: Newer brands of medicines frequently enter the market place, and so ask your doctor if cheaper options for the medicines yous have been prescribed are available. This will reduce your fiscal burden.
6. Selfie medicine: Sending a photo or a short video of you taking your medicine to your doctor or your family or friends is a nifty fashion of ensuring that you lot do non miss your medicine. If your md does not accept such a plan, ask your friends or family if they tin support y'all here.
7. Smartphone apps: ^[5] At that place are over a thou apps (both free and paid) specifically to aid people take their medicines on time. They can requite yous periodic reminders via push notifications, SMS, email, and alarms. You lot tin also gear up specific reminders, such as for refilling your medication box. Find an app that combines a lot of the strategies mentioned in a higher place — 1 that gives you lot a combination of reminders, educates you about your disease or medicine, involves friends or family unit, reminds you lot near refills, track your goals, etc. (An case of such an app is MyMeds). Some of these apps even gamify your progress, which makes medication direction fun!

If you have missed doses of your medications, note this down and inform your medico on your side by side visit. This is because if your dr. does not know almost you missing your medication, then they may think the medicines are not working and unnecessarily change them or increase the dose.

References:

1. Cramer JA. A systematic review of adherence with medications for diabetes. Diabetes care. 2004 May i;27(5):1218-24.
2. MuKherjee S, SharMaSarKar B, DaS KK, Bhattacharyya A, Deb A. Compliance to anti-diabetic drugs: observations from the diabetic clinic of a medical higher in kolkata, India. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR. 2013 Apr;7(four):661.
3. Sapkota S, Brien JA, Aslani P. Nepalese patients' anti-diabetic medication taking behaviour: an exploratory study. Ethnicity & health. 2017 Feb 25:1-ix.
4. Krass I, Schieback P, Dhippayom T. Adherence to diabetes medication: a systematic review. Diabetic Medicine. 2015 Jun;32(6):725-37.
5. Ahmed I, Ahmad NS, Ali S, Ali S, George A, Danish HS, Uppal E, Soo J, Mobasheri MH, King D, Cox B. Medication Adherence Apps: Review and Content Analysis. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2018 Mar;vi(3).

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for patient awareness merely. This has been written by qualified experts and scientifically validated by them. Wellthy or information technology'due south partners/subsidiaries shall not be responsible for the content provided by these experts. This commodity is not a replacement for a doctor's advice. Please always check with your doctor before trying anything suggested on this article/website.

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Source: https://www.wellthy.care/diabetes-treatment-missed-medicines/

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