Re:Show HN: Memory Pill
by monalisauzi on Tuesday September 15, 2020 @12:08PM
(#24482906)
Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not even sure how blister packs help protect against accidental overdose beyond the protection you'd get from just counting the pills in the bottle. In either case, you could accidentally skip a day and double dose later on based on the number of pills remaining, especially if you aren't sure what day you started taking the medication. I can definitely see the benefit of a product that doesn't rely on user reporting to track doses.
The point as I understand/was taught it in school is that the time it would take you to pop out enough* e.g. paracetamol to do really serious lasting harm (vs. 'just' being quite sick or needing stomach pumped) gives a sort of 'cool-down' or re-evaluation period, or requires significant planning, whereas a bottle can be downed impulsively.
(* and that if you're taking them as you go, you'll probably be physically incapable/less inclined to continue far enough after a certain point)
Re:Show HN: Memory Pill
by monalisauzi on Wednesday September 16, 2020 @05:57PM
(#24498471)
Ah, I hadn't even thought of that, but it makes sense. It certainly can't hurt!
Where I live pharmacies cut blisters with scissors
I significantly prefer blister packs over pill bottles. Blister packs are easier to travel with. They take up less space in my medical cabinet. I can see how many pills I have left without looking inside of an opaque container. I actually would feel safer if my pills were packaged in a factory by a machine than at a pharmacy by a human.
I much prefer pill bottles, i find blisters to be fiddly, especially when they add the paper on top that needs to be peeled off before i can push the pill through the foil (i mean why would they do this)
Re:Show HN: Memory Pill
by bigwavedave on Tuesday September 15, 2020 @02:03PM
(#24484457)
> especially when they add the paper on top that needs to be peeled off before I can push the pill through the foil
Oh this drives me _nuts_. I ended up keeping a small Leatherman knife in the bathroom to slice through the paper/foil in the middle of the pack and peel the covering to each side.
Personally, I use habit tracking app to check in every night to mark I took my pills.