Measures for forgetting to take herbal medicine.

I am currently prescribed two types of herbal medicines.

One is Tsumura No. 47, 'Chotosan,' for the chronic headaches I have been experiencing since last month, prescribed by my regular mental health clinic.

The other is Tsumura No. 25, 'Keishibukuryogan,' prescribed by my gynecologist for the excessive sweating from the neck up caused by menopause, which I find troublesome.

After taking them for three weeks, I feel my headaches have decreased somewhat.
I also feel that the excessive sweating has become less bothersome than it was before, just a few days after I started taking it.

I have learned that if you find a herbal medicine that suits your constitution, it does have a certain effect.

However, unlike other medications,for some reason, I often forget to take my herbal medicine.

This is not limited to me; in fact, it is common among patients visiting medical institutions, and at my previous workplace, I was often asked to adjust their remaining medication. Unlike other tablets, herbal medicines do not have lot numbers or expiration dates printed on the individual packaging.

While I am grateful that they bring in their remaining medication, there were many cases where I could not tell when they had forgotten to take them because they were no longer in the original medicine bags (the paper bags printed with instructions like 'Take X times a day').

Why do people forget to take herbal medicine more often?
Since I often forget to take mine as well, I thought about it.

The primary reason is,perhaps because it is taken before meals.

Other medications are often taken 'after meals' to account for stomach irritation and the like.

However, herbal medicines are more easily absorbed when the stomach is empty, so they are usually takenbefore meals (30 minutes to 1 hour before eating).medication.

If it is a medication taken after a meal, you drink it after eating, so it is hard to forget if you prepare it in advance, but if it is before a meal, you somehow end up eating without remembering to take it.

When I notice, I think, 'Oh, I've already eaten, so I guess it's fine,' and I don't take it.

I feel that by repeating this, the number of times I forget to take it increases.

(Apparently, it is not a problem if you forget to take it before a meal and take it after a meal instead. Although the effectiveness may drop slightly, it is better than not taking it at all.)

The second reason is,simply because it tastes bad.
Since it is in granule form, even if you take it with plenty of water, it tends to clump up and remain in your mouth.
I dislike that.

Even with the premise that it is okay to take it after a meal if you forget to take it before, I might think, 'I don't want to take bad-tasting herbal medicine after I've eaten. It's probably fine to skip it once.'

That is how I would think.

I suspect that this is repeated, leading to even more instances of forgetting to take it.

This is just a guess, though...

Herbal medicine exerts its effects while improving your constitution by being taken consistently at the same time every day.
continuously.

Therefore,I decided to use a medicine calendar to prevent forgetting to take it.

I think I bought this calendar at Daiso about two years ago, but originally, my father was frequently forgetting to take his regular medication, and my mother had consulted me about it.

So, I bought it and gave it to him, saying, "If you forget even when it's prepared right in front of you, why don't you just hang it on that wall or pillar?"

However, he refused, making up some incomprehensible excuses like, "It would be embarrassing if my grandchildren saw it," so I ended up taking it back.

It had been forgotten, tucked away in a drawer in the corner of the room, thinking it might be truly needed in a few years.

I remembered I had it, pulled it out again, and when I set two packets of herbal medicine in each pocket, it was perfect!
It was a Cinderella fit.

I hang this on my room's curtain rail with an S-hook.
Since it's in a conspicuous place, my eyes are bound to turn toward the window many times every day.

Thanks to this, I no longer forget to take it.

If you are someone who still has no problems with cognitive ability but just forgets to take your herbal medicine, please give this a try.

However, if you tend to forget to take it during your lunch break at work, I think it might be difficult to use, so I recommend utilizing your smartphone alarm or similar tools.

▼ For your reference.