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When to take meds (Night or Day)

BarbaraGale
0 Recommendations

Question: Is it preferable to take certain meds at night, and certain in morning? I'm talking regular cardio meds, nothing obscure. Thank you.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Amlodipine Verapamil Beta blockers Osteopenia Plavix Niacin Lasix Crestor Coreg Digoxin Spironolactone Dizziness Toprol XL Tricor Boniva Aspirin Coumadin Lisinopril Fosamax Metamucil Cozaar Memory Heart attack Edema

39 replies

Ecksunbeam

Some meds need to be taken twice a day, so it depends on what you are on.

I take all mine at night before sleep to ward off any side effects.

May the Blessings Be!

Sherrie

BarbaraGale

Thank you, Sherri, but that's half a glass, in my case. (LOL)

joy2day

I take my BP meds in the AM ... because that is when I took them in the hospital. I once had a nurse suggested that I spread them out ... taking one BP med at breakfast, one at lunch and one at dinner. That would almost guarantee that I'd forget at least one of them each day, so I didn't take that suggestion.

My statin suggests I take it before bedtime, so I take that with my betablocker (which is 2 pills/day) right before I go to sleep.

kardia

I just started Lisinopril? Was taking it in the am and it was recommended for pm...it lowered my bp too much...anyone have any experience with this one?

kardia

GraceAnnStewart

Usually the pamphlets tell you - if your cardiologist doesn't. I take half in the morning and half at night before bed.

donnaburton17

When I first got sick, I just popped a handful of pills every morning. After a couple of weeks I noticed that, usually mid-morning, I was having a lot of problems with dizziness and nausea, and actually passed out once.

My cardiologist laid out a medication schedule for me. Beta Blockers, vasodialators, statins and sleep aids (of course) are taken at night. Diuretics, aspirin, blood thinners, proton pump inhibitors and antidepressants in the morning. I don't have to take anything twice a day, so this schedule worked with my prescriptions.

I've been following his directions for three years and so far (knock wood!) have had no further trouble.

Good luck!

DonnaB

BarbaraGale

Thanks you, everyone. This info is exactly what I need. Donna, you look to be taking almost as much as I am. I am thinking about taking that aspirin late at night because it's bothering my stomach and I hoped to sleep through it. I would like to get off it but I'm taking Plavix. Does anyone know if whether I take Koumadin I'd still have to take aspirin? (Away for weekend so I can't get back here until Tuesday.)

Gammacygnus

Hi. I take coumadin(on for 8yrs) at night around 8 pm. I was taking 81mg of asprin as well, but then the cardiologist asked why I was taking aspirin with the coumadin. Coumadin does a good job of preventing strokes, heart attack,etc. and don't need aspirin which may cause more bruising . So I have discontinued the aspirin and my INR seems to be better controlled with just the coumadin.

Gammacygnus

hi I take coreg,cozaar, diuretics,potassium,iso, spironolactone,hydralazine(every 8 hrs) and digoxin all at 9 am, then at 3pm more water pills and potassium, more hydralazine at 4 pm,coumadin at 8 pm and back to coreg and cozaar only, at 9pm, twelve hours apart and the last hydralazine at 11pm. Works well for me and the heart conditions are well managed.

careh

My meds are spread from AM to PM as well.... 0.25 Digoxin, 80mg Beta blocker, and aspirin in AM, 80 more mg of beta blocker, and Verapamil at night, plus 0.8 nitro patch during the day and pills at night as needed. seems to work okay...

sternum

When I finally had my med schedule worked out nothing was taken twice a day, but they were divided between morning and evening and bed time. This schedule was set up to get the maximum benefit from each of them.

Barbara, I am very sensitive to ASA and just cannot take any of them. My cardiac surgeon took me off them saying that the plavix was enough of a blood thinner. It just might be that you also have a sensitivity to it. Check with your heart doctor to see if the plavix is enough of a thinner for you.
But don't change anything until you see him. Each one of us has different needs and you just may need both. But ask about the periot or some other stomach coater. That will help with the upset stomach and nausea.

Be blest --- Gloria ---

melisue

I remember coming home after my heart attack with a bag full of meds and the only instructions read like a logic problem. Take this one 1/2 hour before any others. Take this one one at least 2 hours after these two. Take this 3 times a day, Take this with 1 tsp metamucil, etc. I looked at the whole mess and cried. My sister, who is an RN, came and it took her over 1/2 hour to set up my medicine box. I have never let it run out, though I do think I could fill it now from memory, I won't take chances. I take meds 4 times a day for a total of 15 pills a day and although each visit I hope to get off of some of them, my doctor wants me to remain on all of them for now. I have often wondered what I would have done without my sister that day and what people do who do not have a resource like her. I would not have been able to figure that out for myself, and I love logic problems! How do you figure it out without someone to help?
Melanie

lvfrogs

To Gammacygnus,
In reading the posts, I noticed that you take Spironolactone. I am wondering if you get numbness/tingling from taking that. I was taking it, but the sensations got so strong, I couldn't stand it. I stopped taking it and I still have them, but not as strong. Been taking Verapamil also for 3 weeks.

That and aspirin are the only meds that I take. I take the aspirin in the morning and the Verapamil at night. Still having spasms so am not sure how well the Verapamil is working.

bamagal

Each person's body reacts differently to medications. I cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors, takes my BP too low. Because of some reactions I have had I am somewhat limited in my meds. So, I have tried taking meds at different times. Do you take your meds with meals? For myself, I take Correg (12.5) and 1/2 tab.Digitek first thing in the morning (empty stomach). 1 hour later I eat and take Spironolactone, 1/2 tab Lasix, and 81mg aspirin. At night, before bed I take Correg (12.5) on an empty stomach. Before I did this my BP was all over the place, nothing bad, just up and down. Now it consistantly stays arround 114/ 70 with no side affects so far.. But be aware taking Correg can make you dizzy. Hope you hit on something that works for you!
Susan

Gammacygnus

hi Ivfrogs. I take spironolactone at 25 mg once a day, a small dose and no numbness or tingling. Spironolactone, a potassium sparing diuretic, combined with the diuretic torsemide to help rid me of edema.

BarbaraGale

I just got home and found all these wonderful responses, for which I thank you all. I am going to map them out and see how this pill popping works out , time-wise.

lvfrogs

I am still figuring out what works best for my meds. It is somewhat a trial and error, I see! to gammycygnus, I take 100mg of Spironolactone, sometimes 2x a day, so that might be why I have had the numbness/tingling. I stopped it for a few days and it was noticeably better. Now, I started 1x a day to see if I can handle that better. Thanks!

heartache301

As for my cardiac meds take my calcium channel blocker in the morning, my nitrate in the afternoon and my beta blocker, apsirin and statin at bedtime. I read somewhere that studies show aspirin to be more effective in preventing heart attack if taken at night. .. otherwise the only reason I take the others that way is to space out taking medications that effect my blood pressure to keep it pretty much even... I dunno works for me.

vampyrra1

Hi BarbaraGale!

It's perfectly acceptable to take meds in the morning or evening as best suits your routine and life style. Consistency is key... once you choose a time- stick with it! I take a number of meds and have arranged them so that if I have side effects I'll sleep through them or with certain meds, their therapeutic effect will peak when I need it to (an example: the amlodipine I take for Prinzmetal's peaks within 12 hours, so I take it at 6:00pm since most of my episodes occur in the middle of the night). Likewise, with antihypertensives, you want them to "peak" during the time your blood pressure tends to be the highest. It's acceptable to split doses as long as the pill or tablet is scored and deemed safe to break. A lot of meds that cause excessive drowsiness or tiredness if taken in a single dose, usually won't if you split it and take it 12 hours apart. I'm on a number of meds and I've researched each thoroughly and devised a dosing routine that covers my symptoms, eliminated side effects and allows me to be 100% compliant with my regimen! My cardiologist loves it!
I would encourage you to research the term "chronopharmacology" as this is the technical term for what I've described above. As a former ICU/CCU RN, it always frustrated me to see patients prescribed a plethora of meds with little or no instruction on their use, side effects vs. adverse reactions, dosing schedules and just general information on how to make it work for YOU (and that is what it's all about, right?)

Best wishes to you,
Vampyrra

south127

I take my cholesterol and triglyceride medication at night because that the instructions on the prescription bottle (crestor and tricor). When I asked why, I was told that the cholesterol and triglycerides are made mostly during the night). My beta blocker (Toprol Xl) is prescribed to take 100 mg in the am and 50 mg at night. I take plavix and 81mg in the morning. So far, it seems to be working.

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