How to safely manage taking of paracetamol

[JennyWreny]

I'm hoping someone has a great idea/method for taking paracetamol. My DM who has mixed dementia has Pivotell boxes with her medication in but I can't work out how these will work to dispense paracetamol at the right times.

Her GP said that she could take paracetamol for some joint pain that she has. The trouble is that she takes x2 in the morning at 8am with her other meds, but then she might have some at lunchtime and then again when she goes to bed and she says sometimes if she wakes in the night then she might take some more. She says she makes sure she leaves 4 hours gap each time but she is very unreliable so who knows. So, she could take some at lunchtime and have a nap and then take some more later in the afternoon for example, forgetting that she's already had some.

We would be happy to get another Pivotell but I can't work out how I could set it up to dispense as and when she needs it (as this time varies) but not more than 8 in 24 hours and at least 4 hours apart.

Sorry it's so complicated. Anyone any ideas?

If she needs it fairly often would it not be simpler to just add it to her Pivotell box so she takes it at regular times every day? I appreciate this may mean she takes it more often than she currently is, but it might be the safest bet.

Have you asked her GP how much of a risk there is in her taking a little too much or taking it too close together?

Maybe you could try something like this? And ask her doctor for advice what times would work best.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tabtime-Daily-Timer-Alarms-compartments/dp/B00EKDYA0E/ref=ascdff_B00EKDYA0E/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309940318982&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16254592635507906133&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045975&hvtargid=pla-550441563583&psc=1

Thanks for the ideas. I did ask her GP and he could see the problem but didn't have an answer so I agreed I would think about how we could do it and do a bit of online searching to see if there were other solutions. I didn't ask him about the risk of her taking too much or too close together so I'll check with him about that as I have no idea.

Ideally some sort of dispenser where you press a button when you need some and then it checks whether you've had any within the last 4 hours or more than 8 in the last 24 hours would be ideal, but I don't think it exists!!

Maybe just put one in the box twice a day as standard?

Maybe she can have 1 paracetamol in her box rather than 2 so she takes 500mg instead of the full 1g? In the elderly they often need lower does as they metabolise drugs a lot slower. Also much safer.

Judy marking my place. I have no answer but we had the same issue with DM recently when she was prescribed co codamol afrer a fall. We ended up going up there three times a day to dish out the meds but obviously this is not sustainable.

This is one for her pharmacist.
As it is long term ask if they can recomend a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen so DM can safely supplement the paracetamol.

This one is ridiculously expensive, but she won't be able to access it outside the set times. You'll still have to figure out how often should it be dispensed.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TabTime-SII-dispenser-medication-Alzheimers/dp/B00PY2P9FU/ref=mpssa111sspa?crid=2IRLH8ETSJRM0&keywords=medicine+dispenser+timer&qid=1697732963&sprefix=medicine+dispenser+timer%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-1-spons&spp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

The cheap ones might work as well as long as she agrees (and she can keep to it) not to take the paracetamol without the alarm going off. That would stop trying to remember when she took them last,middle of the night issues etc. It all depends on her capacity and ability.