# How many pills? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 10, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392 "2024-02-10T14:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/1 "2024-02-10T14:02:39Z")
I just had a checkup and the doctor wants me to take another pill. I’m now up to 18 a day, plus eye drops. Now six of those are nonprescription vitamins, one is a prescription mineral supplement, and four are part of a prescription that requires four pills a day. Still, it’s a big number. It wasn’t so long ago I didn’t take any. How many do you take? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/2 "2024-02-10T14:10:05Z")
I’m only on two prescription medications, a total of four pills a day. But I take a lot of supplements, mostly to promote sleep at night. Melitonin, magnesium, l-theanine, ashweghanda, berberine and acetaminophen. That’s another nine pills a day. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/3 "2024-02-10T14:13:17Z")
I’m not counting the vitamin D I am prescribed. I will answer 3- thyroid, blood pressure and hormones. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/4 "2024-02-10T15:21:25Z")
BP, cholesterol, low-dose aspirin, Vitamin D3, and a vitamin E/Biotin supplement that supposedly will help my thinning hair. One the first 2 are actually prescribed, tho the doc recommended the second 2. A hairdresser recommended the last one. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/5 "2024-02-10T15:26:55Z")
I think seven, but two of those are the same thing, just twice a day. So six meds, but seven pills (cholesterol, BP, statin, reflux, diabetes). And sometimes I take a vitamin D/calcium tab in the winter. Seems like a lot when I see it in writing, but compared to what some folks have to take to remain upright, it’s really not. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/6 "2024-02-10T15:31:31Z")
Two blood pressure medications (atenolol and felopidine). I try to resist going down the slippery slope of more… they keep trying to put me on statins but I won’t take those. I do take an over the counter vitamin D though: here in the UK winter we don’t get a lot of sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/7 "2024-02-10T16:04:14Z")
Prescription: 4, plus 1 eye drop for glaucoma. 2 for BP, a diuretic, and a cholesterol lowering. Non Rx: another 4-5, depending on whether it’s allergy season. Vitamin D, multivitamin, ARED vitamin, fish oil, Claritin. mmm ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/8 "2024-02-10T16:28:52Z")
1. Do I need to switch docs ? ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/9 "2024-02-10T17:02:22Z")
23 prescription pills, one allergy pill, insulin as needed and 2 inhalers daily. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/10 "2024-02-10T17:05:40Z")
I take two each morning. Blood pressure and cholesterol. Both seem to be working. Started around age 60. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/11 "2024-02-10T17:22:46Z")
1 Vitamin D when I remember, which is about half the time. My D has been low for quite awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/12 "2024-02-10T17:28:51Z")
I don’t have my med list in front of me, but off the top of my head: 8 different oral prescription meds daily (BP, tachycardia, cholesterol, acid reflux, DMII, neuropathy, sleep). Lantus insulin injection daily. Ozempic injection weekly. Daily OTC: baby aspirin, vit. D3, fish oil, MVI, melatonin. The usual suspects in the PRN box: Excedrin, Tylenol, Tums (the new Tums chewables work really well), Rolaids, Pepto-Bismol, Mylanta, Benadryl, Dramamine, and various cold meds like DayQuil, Halls, and Ricola. I have a probably expired albutetol inhaler as well, I think. Airborne too, even though I’m well aware any effect it has is likely a placebo effect. I have a med review appointment in 3 weeks, hopefully I will get my BP meds tweaked as its been running high. I also want to talk to the doc about about switching or changing my diabetes meds, perhaps adding Jardiance to the mix. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/13 "2024-02-10T17:52:41Z")
Is this what I have to look forward to when I get older: talking about the medications I’m taking? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/14 "2024-02-10T17:53:46Z")
I take 5.5 pills per day, which includes a multivtiamin. One more pill is just once a week. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/15 "2024-02-10T18:00:17Z")
3 meds for T2 diabetes - Metformin, Jardiance, Ozempic 2 meds for BP and cholesterol - Caduet, Atancand 1 med for a pituitary tumour - Dostinex 1 med for testosterone replacement due to above mentioned pituitary tumour - Androgel 5 non-prescription - low dose Aspirin, vitamin D, folic acid, probiotic, omega 3 I’m 53 and started with the BP and cholesterol meds when I was 30 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/16 "2024-02-10T18:21:23Z")
I have one daily pill (cholesterol statin pill) that’s prescribed for me to take daily. The rest are all PRN (aka “take as needed”) and of those two are prescription and the rest are over-the-counter and probably don’t count for this purpose. I also have a topical medication (non-pill) that’s prescription / “take as needed”. I don’t like being on the statin and I’m seeing whether I can control it by diet and lifestyle changes. Be nice to be able to answer “zero” again. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/17 "2024-02-10T18:28:10Z")
2 different medicines, 2 pills each, total of 4. All OTC. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/18 "2024-02-10T19:05:12Z")
Eight prescriptions for 12 pills, plus two that are available OTC for another 7. I find it more interesting that this week alone, I got an iv of radioactive technetium (element 43, not found in nature) for a ventilation perfusion scan of my lungs (why is perfusion abbrevaited to Q?); had mouth cancer scanned for using ultraviolet light (standard test, fortunately, not because of anything specific); and had a radiofrequency ablation that slapped some damned back nerves into submission with radio waves generating local heat. I’m radioactive and glow in the dark! The whole week would be just science fiction half my life ago. Amazing. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/19 "2024-02-10T19:17:19Z")
Four different medications, five pills total every day. All for the same issue, all taken on a doctor’s advice. Only one of them is prescription. A year ago I was taking only one of them. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392/20 "2024-02-10T19:18:36Z")
5 prescription meds but 6 pills per day. It was zero until age 55 then 3 meds 4 pills until age 63ish. I’m probably stuck w these for the duration but hope to not get more. Zero OTC meds. 6 supplements for 7 pills per day. All are doctor recommended but I could probably pare that back some. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pills/997392.md?page=2)