The information here does not replace discussions with your doctor or healthcare professional team. For more information, speak to your doctor or healthcare professional team.
MEDICATION AND STAYING WELL
When it comes to getting well and staying well, regular medication taking is the most important thing you can do, even once you’ve started to feel well again. This is because medication works best when levels in the body stay as constant as possible. So if you want the best results from medication, it really is important to follow the instructions your doctor has given you.
For some people even missing a few doses can mean that medication levels drop enough for symptoms to start to return and increase the chances of a full-blown relapse of psychosis. And relapse is around 5 times more likely if medication is stopped completely.
Taking medication regularly may sound easy enough but there are lots of reasons why sometimes it can be difficult. Partly this is just human nature, but if you have psychosis there can be other complicating factors. For example:
• Thinking may make it harder to remember to take medication.
• Psychosis can make it difficult to understand when you are unwell, and if you don’t know you’re unwell, then you might think you don’t need medication. So it not unusual for people with psychosis to sometimes take less tablets than they should, skip doses, or even stop taking medication altogether, especially when they are feeling well.
• It’s possible to have delusions about medication, such as thinking that it is poisoned or that it’s being used for control.
• People who’ve had bad experiences with medication in the past, such as having unpleasant side effects may be reluctant to try medication again.
If missing medication doses is a concern talk to your pharmacist, doctor or nurse about different strategies that may help. These might include:
• Medication packs. These separate tablets into daily doses, making it easier to see which doses need to be taken at what time. It’s also easy to see when one has been missed.
• Taking tablets at the same time as brushing teeth or another regular activity which can help as a reminder.
• Setting an alarm on a mobile phone.
• Some mental health services have a service where they will bring your medication to you every day.
• For those who find remembering to take tablets every day difficult, medication injections may be a good choice. There are different types, but one injection will last for at least 2 weeks which means that medication is covered without the need to remember every day.
Staying on track with medication helps manage psychotic symptoms and stop them coming back. When symptoms are controlled with medication, it means it’s easier to get on with your life. So if what you’re doing now isn’t getting you to where you want to be, talk to your doctor or nurse about your options.
