Brillanta

[RATP]

Occasionally (perhaps once a week) I forget to take my evening Brillanta. Will this have a serious effect?

[Hidden]

I doubt it would cause any serious ill effects, but meds are best taken regularly as advised.

I don't understand why, if you know you are likely to miss one, that you don't set yourself reminders (e.g. in your phone) so that you don't forget!

[RufusScamp]

As Gaz_chops suggests, I have an alarm set on my phone to take the evening pill. It has been the best use of my phone yet.

[firstlight40]

I use an app on my phone called mytherapy to remind me to take my morning and evening drugs including ticagrelor (brilinta). Works well and is free.

[Steve_G]

I use a phone alarm and put my meds in a pill box for each day of the week so very rarely forget a tablet.

All drugs have a half-life - the time it takes for the body to reduce the level in your blood by 50%. The rule of thumb is that it takes approx 5 half-lives (so 50 + 25 + 12.5 + 6.25 + 3.125 = 96.875%) to totally eliminate a drug if you stop taking it. It’s because Brillanta has a half-life of 7 hours that you need to take it twice a day and not once a day. The half-life when combined with the dose (mg) taken ensures you always have an effective level of drug in the blood. Bottom line is that missing an occasional morning or evening dose is not ideal but also not going to be a problem.