With heart failure, be in control of your medications

When you have heart disease or damage — such as from a heart attack — your heart doesn't work as well or as efficiently over time. When this happens, heart muscle can gradually stretch and weaken, or heart tissues can become stiffer. The result is called heart failure, meaning your heart no longer has the ability to pump blood well enough to meet all of your body's needs. Heart failure is a  serious disease with no cure, potentially causing uncomfortable symptoms or even death.

When you have heart failure, you'll need to take medications, most likely every day for the rest of your life. Work with your doctor and pharmacist on a system that ensures you're consistently taking the right drugs and the right dose at the right times. One study of older adults with heart failure found a massive gap between their perceived ability to stick to medication schedules and their actual ability to do so. The consequences can be severe.

To ensure you're on the right track, follow these guidelines:

• Plan ahead so you don't run out — Find out from your insurance company or medical provider how far in advance you can refill your prescriptions. Many companies will let you refill at least one week before you run out. Others may let you refill sooner.
• Always check for accuracy — Either at the pharmacy counter or your kitchen counter, make sure that you're given the correct medications, at the correct doses. If something looks awry, talk to a pharmacist right away.
• Understand "target dose" — This refers to the dose of a drug that had the greatest benefit in clinical trials. However, you probably will not start out at the target dose right away. You may need to gradually build up to the dose, which sometimes takes weeks or months.
• Store drugs properly — If your drugs are in pill form, keep them in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat and direct light and out of the reach of pets and children. Don't store medications in the bathroom or in humid areas. Ask your pharmacist about safe storage of liquid medications. Some should be refrigerated, while others can be kept at room temperature.
• Set a routine — Keep a list of all the drugs you take, including how much and how often you need each. Update it as your prescriptions change. Try to take the same drugs at the same time daily, such as just after breakfast or before you brush your teeth. Use a pillbox, with the right medications in each day's slot. Set reminders — an alarm on your smartphone or an alert on your calendar works well, as do "visual reminders," such as sticky notes on your bedroom mirror or a red ribbon tied to your purse or refrigerator door handle.

For more discussions like this one, check out the Heart & Blood Health group.

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