How a pill organizer made me feel old…

I have a Sunday morning routine that is a MUST, and it is my weekly reminder that I am getting older… I fill my weekly pill container. In my 20’s and 30’s, the only thing I was concerned with taking on a daily basis at the same time every day was my birth control. Now that menopause has visited, that is no longer a concern, but if I don’t have my daily dose of Potassium, my hands cramp up. It is what it is, I guess…

In my early 40’s while still popping birth control like candy, my blood test came back showing I was low on Vitamin D. While already taking Blood Pressure pills, it wasn’t that big of a deal to open those bottles. Then life would get busy and I would wonder if I had taken my daily dose before or after making coffee. Birth control packaging is awesome with the days listed, because let’s be honest, I would rather of had a stroke than an accidental pregnancy at that age. (If you are getting offended at that, you’ve never been in that situation.) But now I have to take Vitamin D on a daily basis?!? Come to find out, Vitamin D is basically a sunshine pill… Studies have shown that most people are low and can benefit. I personally think it helps with my mood, but it is known to help with absorption of calcium and since I don’t drink milk, I need all the help I can get. There are also so many other health benefits and easy on the stomach.

Slowly, I was accumulating a row of pill bottles… Birth Control, two different Blood Pressure pills, and Vitamin D. Allergy meds and Ibuprofen were kept elsewhere because surely I didn’t need them that often. And then, allergy season arrived and I had a massive asthma attack that landed me in the hospital, so my Zyrtec and Ibuprofen became a part of my daily routine. By then, the birth control was gone thanks to early menopause, but trying to figure out all of these meds and when to take them (and did I take them) became frustrating.

While researching asthma and what vitamins can help, I came across Magnesium and it is almost like a wonder drug! Since asthma is all about inflammation, magnesium helps to reduce that. It also helps with depression, aids in sleep, and several people in my weight loss support group swear that it helps with fighting constipation. CHECK! Magnesium has also been added.

Zinc was also something I kept on hand and if I felt like a cold was coming on, I would start taking. I learned about this years ago from a co-worker that swore by it. I know that some will say that it is an old wives tale, but if something works, I’m going to go with it. Each time I was sick or my kids, zinc was added to the cold meds handed out. I finally decided that I would add this to my daily regimen because the last thing I wanted was a chest cold while being asthmatic. To all of those that thought I was crazy, tell me why zinc was in high demand when Covid started becoming an issue… Through the years when I have caught a cold, it is always after I have been out of zinc for a week or so. So, yes… I truly believe in zinc.

A few years ago, I noticed that my hands would cramp up for no apparent reason. My thumb and my index finger would almost touch and stay in that position for no apparent reason. Not to mention charley horses randomly through the night that would cause words to come out of my mouth that would make any sailor proud! One day I had a flashback to being out at Crab Island and my feet cramping uncontrollably and all I could do was bury push them down in the sand until they would relax. It then became a “tradition” to have a banana prior to heading out on to the boat for the day. Wait! Don’t they sell pickles at the ball fields for players to eat? Yes! Because of potassium and to help prevent cramping. Guess what… Potassium was now added to my basket of meds.

Then a bit of deja vu… I saw all of the pill bottles that my grandparents had sitting on their pink tiled bathroom counter… (I used to think that was the ugliest bathroom and now that brings back so many memories.) I wasn’t ready to be that old. I didn’t want to feel old. I didn’t want to need meds, vitamins, preventative care, maintenance care. But, here I was. There I was in Walmart and it’s as if lights started flashing above the medical supply aisle… Not only did they have weekly rows in different colors, they had a weekly AM / PM pill box!!!! (Angels singing)

So, here I am filling my weekly pill bottles feeling old… Something I had to learn while taking these meds, when to take them. Since magnesium can also aid in sleeping, I take that at night. Also, zinc needs to be taken with a meal or it can bother your stomach, so I take that at night. Basically, my “minerals” which includes potassium, are taken around the time I eat dinner. I have found that taking allergy pills and Aleve in the morning and night, helps to reduce my allergies which is a blessing to my asthma.

Why am I sharing all of this boring information? We’re getting older… It is okay to have these conversations with friends, but sometimes we might feel embarrassed to share that we take a pro-biotic to help with stomach issues. Funny how we will discuss this in an online forum with strangers but we don’t share with our friends or family how we take care of ourselves. Find the combination that works for you and get started on taking care of yourself!

I am not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on tv. If you have any questions about meds, please talk to your own health care provider and do your own research.