Life has been busy recently. Next week I am on holiday and then I move house the day after we return. As any fellow spoonie will understand, this takes spoons – and buckets full of them. So I’m sharing with you a quick tip. But is also a bit of a lifesaver, namely using *Amazon Alexa for Medication Reminders.

With life as busy as it has been I have been relying on these reminders more than ever. People with Fibromyalgia stand a good chance of dealing with Fibro Fog. Setting reminders on Alexa could just help you remember some vital medication.

Storing my Medications

When I began experiencing Fibromyalgia symptoms, I also started my journey as a routine medication taker. Unfortunately, the medication didn’t produce any significant difference. There was no sense of obvious relief but they took the edge of. The problem with being in pain but also feeling woolly in the head is that I often couldn’t remember if I had taken my tablets or not. So the first step was purchasing a pill box, this solved my immediate problem of never knowing if I had taken my tablets or not.

Post-it Notes Galore

In the early days I was fortunate to maintain my employment so for the midday medication I was at the office, initially I was still there when my afternoon tablets were due. Although I had my pills in their box so I would know if I had taken them, this didn’t help me remember.

So for a period of a few months I had daily post-it notes stuck to the side of my monitor telling me what time to take my tablets. To stop me double checking the box, I removed the post it note once I had taken them. This worked moderately well until I had to leave my job. You can read more about that on the post So I asked to be dismissed on the sister blog Living Creatively with Fibro.

Embracing Technology

Once I began working at home (is it classed as working if you don’t make a living? Here are some thoughts on this) I had the choice of how to organise my reminders. Because I am a bit of a geek, I knew I wanted to make the most of technology and for a while I dabbled with various to-do apps and reminder systems but this always required me to look at one of my screens to get the reminder.

Alexa for Medication Reminders

I was used to using Alexa for various purposes throughout the day but I never considered using her for medication reminders because at that stage there was no facility to create repetitive alarms and I didn’t want to keep setting a new reminder every time I took my tablets. Then everything changed when Amazon upgraded the technology to allow for ongoing alarms. Now, Alexa* pipes up each time with “Susan, remember to take your medication.”

Further Reminders

When I am having a flare-up and the Fibro Fog is annoying I have my secret weapon and Alexa provides that too. It is nothing amazing just the much-needed nudge. A second reminder fifteen minutes after the first, saying “Susan, did you take your medication?” It is amazing how easy it is to tell her to stop but not take any action. When I need it this second Alexa Medication Reminder works like a treat!

Other Ideas for Alexa

On top of using Alexa for medication reminders, here are a few other practical uses of her:

• Setting times for cooking.
• Asking her the weather.
• Dropping into another room with an Alexa to chat.
• If you have smart plugs, turning off devices.
• Adding items to a shopping list.
• Playing an announcement to all the devices.
• Playing music through the house.

Reflective Thoughts

As I reflect on the positive impact of integrating Amazon Alexa for medication reminders into my daily routine, I can’t help but marvel at how technology has transformed the way I manage my health. Gone are the days of uncertainty and missed doses. With Alexa’s timely reminders, even during those challenging moments of Fibro Fog, I’ve found a reliable companion that keeps me on track.

The seamless integration of technology into my healthcare routine (my smartwatch helps with this too!) has not only improved my medication adherence but also granted me a sense of control over my well-being. If you’re considering ways to embrace technology for better health management, exploring the potential of Alexa for medication reminders is a step worth taking.

Do you have Alexa in your life?

Do you use Alexa for medication reminders or have another of the voice-controlled assistant in your life? If so, are using it for medication reminders? If not, I really recommend it. I’d love to know if this post has inspired you. Maybe you have other ideas for getting help from Alexa? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

What would you like to hear about?

If you would like me to cover any specific websites, apps, tech or specific blogging questions. Either drop a comment below or catch up with me on social media.

Until next time,
Susan

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