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Sat 5 Oct, 2013 04:25 pm
Diane and I had a great lunch today at our favorite asian place (I say asian as it has a mixed menu re countries). Because I needed to stop at Walgreen's Drugstore and she had something to buy there too, we got at one point on the subject of pill bottles.
I open mine with a screwdriver at a right angle to the lid, followed by a hammer, using the screwdriver to push up the top.
She opens hers with a knife.
Yes, we both can read the words 'push down' and try that.
She has some arthritis; I have what I take as mild arthritis in my hands (the joints don't hurt) and some other damn thing going on that isn't carpal tunnel (tested for) but does have tenar muscle wasting, seems to me something to do with tendons/ligaments... what it has felt like. I read somewhere that that is a sign carpal tunnel has gone too far, but I don't believe that either. I need to see that specialist again, but not yet.
Anyway - re pill bottles - Diane and I talked about it. I said they make the bottles hard to open to protect children, but leave some of us unable to open them. She said, it's the opposite, children can open them and others are missing out.
Obviously I should ask Walgreen's about this, but I rather ask a2k first.
Are there a variety of pill bottles out there?
Will I resort to asking the pharmacist to opening the damned thing?
What if we all who have trouble with it did that?
@ossobuco,
You may be able to get an easier to open container from the pharmacy. My local place has them and it's a simple pry up lid. Not even a need to align arrows. Ask and see what they can do.
When I have the push and turn lids, my method is to place the bottle on a dresser top or some other high level surface and place my hand on top and then press my chin down on top of that while turning the bottle underneath.
The push and turn are better and easier (I find) then the 'align arrows' things which some over the counter meds. use. The arrows have to be so darn exact that it's near impossible to get it to happen.
@Sturgis,
chihuahua!
I think I prefer my screwdriver hammer method (snort! defuses anger) on the push and turn bit, rather than yours, which is quite inventive.
But - I'll ask re alternative re my pharm.
@ossobuco,
The screwdriver hammer method creates disaster as the lid flies off and the bottle goes off in some direction and pills are seen rolling away. Once I saw a leprechaun leap from behind the credenza and grab a few for himself.
So you may have perfected the hammer method, I'll stay with mine. I do however still slam a pair of scissors into the lids of jars which won't open for anything. Seems to be the only way to ease the pressure in there. Then decant into another jar with lid to keep the product as fresh as possible.
@Sturgis,
There was a thread on that matter here once before, and I learned from Dlowan that it worked for her to hit the bottle, lid down, on the counter. That has helped me many but not all times. I also have a rubber glove held by some magnet thing on my refrigerator. (What happened to the other one?)
I once brought a giant bottle of olives back to Costco to open for me, and that was way before this hand mishugas.
@Sturgis,
Not if I do the screwdriver hammer technique - laughs, I'm on point - I used to be pretty dexterous, in lab work and art and design. The loss of that is interesting - I get it - so it goes.
@ossobuco,
All of the push down and turn bottles that my pharmacy uses are dual use caps. For easy opening use without the locking action just turn the cap upside down and it will thread on without locking.
With that type of cap you could just ask the pharmacy to reverse the cap when you pick up the prescription.
This is the pill bottle that my pharmacy uses.
@ossobuco,
Won't the pharmacies repackage meds into blister packs for you?
Seniors (probably others) can ask pharmacists here to put meds into blister packs for them.
@ehBeth,
Walgreens even sells a tool to get them out of the blister packs. Thank goodness for pocket knives.
All the meds going into nursing homes and the like are in blister packs, so I suppose you are right.
@ossobuco,
have been getting my meds in blisterpacks - called dispill - for years .
they work really well - you can even open them to add non-prescription drugs -
and close them again .
@ossobuco,
In the UK you can request non safety bottles. Ask your chemist, they should be able to help out.
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