strange neighbor/medication question

[Lisa_M]

So for the past year two times per day we have heard this pouding on the wall. Usually around 7:00am and 10:00pm. DD is now asking if it is "the monsters" We figured it was the guys upstairs and asked them and they said it wasn't them. Then we asked the guy who lives next to us and he told us that it is the people who live above him. Apparently, the guy takes some medication that requires him to pound it on the counter. Anyone have any clue what kind of med it could be? I haven't talked to that neighbor about it yet, but I want to because it is SO annoying and loud enough to startle us out of a sound sleep, every day and night.

 

[sunshine1178]

Nope, but be sure to give him a list of all of the medications that you take, before you ask him what he's taking.

In all seriousness, there was just a hint recently in Heloise or a similar column about a woman who had to take a blendetized medicine twice a day, and instead of hauling the blender out day and night, she mixed it in a jar by shaking it. This sounds like a similar formula.

So for the past year two times per day we have heard this pouding on the wall. Usually around 7:00am and 10:00pm. DD is now asking if it is "the monsters" We figured it was the guys upstairs and asked them and they said it wasn't them. Then we asked the guy who lives next to us and he told us that it is the people who live above him. Apparently, the guy takes some medication that requires him to pound it on the counter. Anyone have any clue what kind of med it could be? I haven't talked to that neighbor about it yet, but I want to because it is SO annoying and loud enough to startle us out of a sound sleep, every day and night.

 

[Agri]

I haven't heard of having to do that. My guess is its his chosen method of preparing something and he doesn't want to be considerate to others.

 

[Lisa_M]

I wasn't going to ask him what he takes. I'm just curious if anyone has heard of needing to pound medication so I can suggest an alternate quieter preparation method. It definitely is not a blender though. It is 3 thuds. Imagine your sleeping and hear pound-pound-pound on your wall. That is what it is.

For a while I thought maybe the elderly neighbor downstairs was hard of hearing and had a shaker bed to wake him up. He is also a chain smoker and I thought that maybe he was packing his cigarettes on the counter or wall.

 

[Agri]

I wasn't going to ask him what he takes. I'm just curious if anyone has heard of needing to pound medication so I can suggest an alternate quieter preparation method. It definitely is not a blender though. It is 3 thuds. Imagine your sleeping and hear pound-pound-pound on your wall. That is what it is.

I wouldn't even mention that you know its medication. I'd just tell him that whatever it is he is doing at x time of day is waking you and your family up and you'd appreciate him finding some way to muffle the sound of whatever it is.

 

[luvmy3]

I haven't heard of having to do that. My guess is its his chosen method of preparing something and he doesn't want to be considerate to others.

Or maybe he just doesn't realize his pounding can be heard through-out the building.


Maybe they are trying to force the bottle/container open because its too hard?

 

[lovetoscrap]

Perhaps he is unable to swallow pills and has to crush them, thus is smashing them with a hammer or something? If this is the case they make a device to pulverize pills that is much quieter! I had one for my kids when they were little.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Crusher-Pulverizer-Apex-Medical/dp/B000KL1N3C

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Apex-Ultra-Pill-Crusher-1-ct/10322090

You can get them at most every drug store and they are very inexpensive. I think I would buy it for him and gift it to him.

Otherwise does your lease have "quiet hours" that he may be violating? Perhaps a pleasant conversation asking him to break up his meds at more reasonable hours would work? He can break them up in advance and still take them on time.

 

[Lisa_M]

I wouldn't even mention that you know its medication. I'd just tell him that whatever it is he is doing at x time of day is waking you and your family up and you'd appreciate him finding some way to muffle the sound of whatever it is.

Good idea. This is the route I will go and if he happens to say he is crushing pills, I will mention Lovestoscrap's idea about the pill pulverizer.

 

[Agri]

You can get them at most every drug store and they are very inexpensive. I think I would buy it for him and gift it to him.

The person in question hasn't told the OP that its his medication - she heard that from a neighbor. I think going to the problem neighbor assuming that it is his medication is a bit rude and nosy as he hasn't shared this information with the OP.

I think it would be inappropriate. Sort of like: "Hey, I heard from our other neighbor that the banging is your medication. I asked a few friends if they'd heard of medicine you have to bang on the counter and we came up with this scenario as the most likely solution. So here you go!"

I really don't think anything more needs to be said beyond "Hey, that noise you make at x time wakes up my family. Could you do something about it?" If he asks for a solution, that is the appropriate time to offer a solution - not before.