Medication after a stroke: how do you organise it at home?
After a stroke, preventive medication is usually long term and every dose counts: organising it well at home is one of the most important tasks for the family.
In short
- After a stroke, medication is part of secondary prevention, which aims to stop it happening again.
- The most common treatments are antiplatelets or anticoagulants, statins and blood pressure medicines, often for a long time.
- None of these medicines should be stopped, and no supplements or herbal remedies should be added, without advice.
- If swallowing or opening packs is difficult, ask the pharmacist before crushing or splitting tablets.
After a stroke, organising medication well at home means keeping an up to date list, taking each medicine on time without breaks and adapting how it is taken if the person has after effects, such as difficulty swallowing or using one hand. Above all, this medication aims to prevent another stroke.
According to Spain’s Ministry of Health, around 120,000 people have a stroke in Spain every year. We explain which treatments are common and how to organise them day to day.
| What will you find in this article? |
Why is medication so important after a stroke?
Because it is part of secondary prevention, which according to Spain’s Ministry of Health aims to prevent recurrence in people who have already had a stroke. The treatment acts on causes and risk factors: clot formation, blood pressure or cholesterol.
The NHS notes that many of these treatments are taken long term. So even if the person feels well, they should not stop taking them. MedlinePlus says so clearly in its discharge advice after a stroke: do not stop taking any of these medicines.
Which medicines are usually prescribed after a stroke?
It depends on the type of stroke and the person, but some groups of medicines are very common. This table is only a guide; the specific treatment is decided by the medical team.
| Type of medicine | What it is for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Antiplatelets | Help stop clots forming | Aspirin, clopidogrel |
| Anticoagulants | Prevent clots, for example when there is atrial fibrillation | Warfarin, acenocoumarol, direct oral anticoagulants |
| Statins | Lower cholesterol | Atorvastatin, simvastatin, among others |
| Blood pressure medicines | Control blood pressure | Several groups, depending on the person |
Some anticoagulants, such as warfarin, need regular blood tests. These treatments are often added to those for other conditions, such as diabetes, so many people end up taking five or more medicines a day.
How do you organise medication at home after discharge?
The most effective approach is to start from the discharge report, create a single list and prepare doses by day and time. This avoids missed and repeated doses, which can have consequences with anticoagulant or antiplatelet treatment.
- Compare the medication in the discharge report with what was at home and set aside anything that has been stopped.
- Book a GP appointment in the first few days to review the treatment.
- Prepare doses by day and time using a pill organiser or a personalised dosage system.
- Set alarms or link each dose to a fixed routine, such as breakfast or supper.
- Do not take any new medicines, supplements, vitamins or herbal remedies without first asking the doctor or pharmacist.
- Keep monitoring blood tests to hand if they take an anticoagulant that requires them.
If you are looking for the right tool, see our comparison of systems for organising medication at home.
What should you do if swallowing or handling packs is difficult?
Always ask the pharmacist or doctor before crushing, splitting or opening a medicine. After a stroke, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and weakness in an arm or hand are common, and both make taking tablets harder.
- Spain’s General Council of Pharmacists warns that gastro resistant tablets and capsules and modified or prolonged release forms must never be altered, because they would lose their properties.
- Some medicines come in other forms, such as oral solutions or orodispersible tablets, which the doctor can consider.
- If choking or coughing while eating is frequent, mention it: MedlinePlus lists it as a sign of swallowing problems.
- If the person cannot open blister packs or bottles with one hand, medication prepared by dose makes them more independent.
You will find more practical information in our article on how to split tablets and what the alternatives are.
A practical example: Luis comes home after a stroke
Take the case of Luis, 70, who has had a stroke and comes home with weakness in his right hand. At discharge he has been prescribed an anticoagulant, a statin and two blood pressure medicines, on top of the metformin he already took. His wife, Elena, works in the mornings and worries that Luis cannot open the packs on his own.
The sensible thing would be for Elena to review the full list with the GP in the first week, ask the pharmacy to prepare the medication by day and time in packs that are easy to open with one hand, and ask whether any large tablet comes in a form that is easier to swallow. An alarm at dose times and a check when she gets home would complete the system.
How can IMA Health help you?
Day to day after a stroke, having medication already prepared makes things much simpler. With IMA Health, a specialised pharmacy prepares the medication by the day and time of each dose, and IMA coordinates treatment changes with the pharmacy, handles home delivery and provides personalised follow-up, so the family can rest assured that every dose is in its place.
Sources
- Spanish Ministry of Health: 90% of strokes are preventable (in Spanish)
- MedlinePlus: stroke, discharge (Spanish version)
- NHS: Stroke, treatment
- Spanish General Council of Pharmacists: how to know whether a medicine can be split or crushed (in Spanish)
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist.