If you're a senior citizen, you may be taking more medication now than at any other time in your life. It can be a challenge to keep track of your medications and to make sure that you're taking them as you should. You might even be making some mistakes with your medication that you are unaware of. Here are three mistakes you might be making with your medication.

Crushing Pills

One of the most common mistakes that seniors make with their medication is to crush pills that are hard to swallow. You may think nothing of crushing your pills so that they are easier to take. However, some pills should not be crushed, because it can affect how well they work after you take them. For instance, enteric-coated aspirin should never be crushed. If you crush it, you may find that you have a terrible bellyache because the special coating no longer works.

If you cannot swallow pills the way you once did, your doctor may have you see an apothecary at a compounding pharmacy. The apothecary, one like Potter's House Apothecary, Inc, can give you a liquid version of your medication.

Not Knowing How to Take Your Medication

It is important that you talk to your doctor, pharmacist or apothecary about the right way to take your medication. Should you take your medication with food? Do you need to check your pulse before you take your medication? You need to know the answers to questions like these so that the medication is as effective as possible.

This is especially important if you are taking a medication like digoxin, which slows your heartbeat. When you take digoxin, you need to make sure that you have checked your pulse beforehand. If your pulse is too low and you take the medication anyway, you could be putting your health at risk. However, even if you aren't using digoxin, it is important to know the right way to take your medication.

Using Expired Medication

There are some medications you don't have to take everyday. You may just take them when you need them and it can be easy to not notice that the medication is expired. That isn't good for you because expired medication may not be as effective as it should be.

Make sure that you regularly check the expiration dates on your medications. You may also want to talk to your pharmacist or apothecary about getting phone calls that alert you about upcoming expiration dates and the need to order new medication.

Talk to your pharmacist or apothecary about more ways to stay safe and healthy as you take your medications.