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I use a great app called Medicines List, by the NPS. Lets me check-off when I have taken them.. It has an alarm for 8am & 8pm. On top of this (after missing a dose and totally freaking out.) I have a normal independent iPhone alarm set for ten minutes later in the case that I might possibly have snoozed the warning. and further to this I have another set for 9:30am & 9:30pm. Marking the end of the window of time I should optimally take them in; i.e. 90 mins either way. It hasn't failed me yet and I never ever leave the house without my keys, my phone & a dose of meds.
I don't remember life without a hand full of pills. I use a double-sided pill box, sometimes I realize pills are still in one side of the box which of course means I forgot to take them. I hate this virus and everything it's taken from me. Can't wait till it's over!!! HIV positive 25 long years
Hi Brent G if you like to discuss your idea further, get in touch with me directly - on istayhealthy.app@gmail.com Peter
Peter Schmidt, I would love to help you figure out a way for iStayHealthy to help users record when they miss a dose more intuitively (user interface design is one of my many skills ;)). One thing that I hate about nagging apps that continuously bug you is that I don't always have time (or the patience) to load the app and click the "yeah, I did that" or for the Ab Fab fans, the "GIVE ME BACK MY LIFE!" checkbox ;-). I'm one of those people who has to clear the app badge -- or what I like to call the Red Dot of Shame -- quickly. I feel guilty if I don't. My biggest issue with Pillboxie was that the count on the dot just kept growing if I didn't pop into the app and tell it I was a good boy and took my meds. Like Peter Staley, missing a dose for me is rare, so I would prefer to only record my mistakes and not my achievements. For this reason I like the way iStayHealthy handles missed doses. For those who haven't used it, iStayHealthy uses an opt-in mechanism. You tell the app not when you successfully remember to take your meds, but rather when you do not. While this works for me, I can understand that it might not work for others who need to be constantly reminded of their meds or those who just started (or switched) their regimen. Adherence is not a one-size-fits-all problem. Having multiple ways to record taken doses or missed doses, as well as a rewards mechanism can really help a person achieve adherence excellence.
Thanks to Brent for his comment re my app iStayHealthy. I created the app indeed with positive people in mind. When I got diagnosed, I found there are a lot of details to keep track of: results, supplementary meds - and finally my anti-HIV drugs. Having iStayHealthy as a one-stop-tool has made my life easier. Brent made a good comment about recording missed doses. I have been thinking hard lately how to make this a bit more intuitive. I keep working on it, and I welcome any suggestions as well. iStayHealthy is available for free on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon AppStore (US). Have a look at my Blog here on POZ as well. http://blogs.poz.com/istayhealthy/
I have used two free apps on my iPhone to remind me to take my meds. I started out with Pillboxie which has a beautiful interface and can handle all types of meds including injection, oral liquids and a myriad of pill shapes and colors. You drop the pills in a virtual pill box at the appointed time. This was great and really helped me when I was on twice a day Isentress and once a day Truvada. I now take Truvada and Edurant once daily with food which makes it so much easier: I just take my meds at lunch time. I still use an app to remind me, though. iStayHealthy is supported by POZ.com and provides not only a pill reminder but also CD4 and viral load charting. While not intuitive, there is a way to record missed doses too. I like this app because it's made specifically for HIV with a database of all the current drugs available built in. Just pick your meds, set the time and go. I recommend it to all my poz friends.
Unfortunately, I was unlucky enough to get infected With a mutation of the virus. So one pill a day is not An option. I also get terrible nightmares from my meds So sometimes I am just so exhausted from not sleeping That I skip a night. I recently switched my morning & Night meds which seems to help the sleeping disorder a little. But its still a really hard 'pill to swallow' for lack of a better Term.
Stevieboy
It's good to hear that I'm not the only one that can take my meds one minute and forget the next that I took them! Those plastic pill boxes are awesome, and I too load them up 2 weeks at a time. Luckily, I rarely miss a dose, but I'm glad to hear about these reminder apps! THANKS!
April 26, 2012