Drugs That Deplete Essential Nutrients in Your Body, An Easy to Use Guide to Better Health
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
As we mature, and I say mature instead of age, because we begin taking multiple medications a lot earlier in our lives than I realized, multiple drugs mean multiple issues.
It took me to the point of aging to realize that I had to pay attention to drug interactions and depletions of essential nutrients by taking drugs that we are told by our medical professionals are imperative to our health.
I hope this blog post comes to you sooner than my realization came to me, so you can be proactive in protecting your health, the health of those you love and may be or should be caregiving.
One of my doctors requires me to be on a statin. I was at an office visit with another one of my medical specialists, of which I have several, complaining that I had cramp in my right calf after exercising. He said he had the same issue and the same problem, taking a statin and experiencing leg cramps, and told me that he takes Solgar CoQ10 400 mg. dietary supplement that solves the problem for him. He said you not only have to know the drug problem and what to take, but the brand matters and the amount matters.
I remembered that my husband, who was on multiple medications, had bad reactions and side effects based on the interactions between those medications. These are drugs that we are taking are for our benefit, but we have to make sure that if we are taking multiple drugs, they are not adversely interacting with each other. And now I learned that we have to worry about what impacts they are having on the vitamins our bodies need.
Then I went to my therapeutic yoga class and my teacher, Bill Rodowsky, told us about his new blog post on what vitamins are depleted by drugs we are taking. He told us the story about his father which he puts in the blog post. When I read his post, I then learned why the CoQ10 was helping me.
I took all of this as a sign that I needed to post this blog and share the link to Bill‘s blog and give you Bill’s easy to use guide, his list, its effects, and his recommendations that he posted in the blog for easy reference. He is happy to share.
Excerpts from Bill’s blog post (and why you should subscribe to his blog for your health and come to his classes at Back to Health when in Fort Lauderdale), “Common Drug Muggers You May Be Taking”:
“The following is not an exhaustive list, and it is not medical advice. It is a starting point for a conversation with your pharmacist or physician. “
“These are among the most commonly prescribed medications in adults over 60, and each is a documented example of drug muggers medications nutrient depletion in action.”
• Acid-reducing medications (Pepcid, Prilosec, Nexium, Tums) — deplete magnesium, B12, calcium, and other B vitamins
• Statin medications (Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor) — deplete CoQ10, which is essential for energy production in the heart and muscles
• Metformin (common diabetes medication) — depletes B12, which affects nerve function and red blood cell production
• Diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide) — deplete potassium, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins
• Beta-blockers (metoprolol, atenolol) — deplete CoQ10 and melatonin
• Antidepressants (SSRIs and others) — deplete folate, B vitamins, and in some cases melatonin
• Antibiotics — deplete the entire gut microbiome, along with B vitamins and vitamin K
“If you are on any of these medications and have been experiencing fatigue, muscle weakness, brain fog, heart rhythm irregularities, nerve tingling, or unexplained mood changes — those symptoms may not be unrelated to what you are taking. They may be exactly what nutrient depletion looks like in your body. The chronic inflammation that often accompanies nutrient depletion compounds these effects significantly — I covered how that works in my post on The Fire Within: How Chronic Inflammation Is Sending Your Body Smoke Signals. And if muscle weakness or balance instability are among your symptoms, my post on fall prevention for active adults over 60 explains exactly why that connection matters.”
“That is not a reason to stop your medication. It is a reason to have a more complete conversation about it.”
Finally, a word about home remedies that may work. A friend, originally from Mexico, makes a tea that has significantly lowered her bad cholesterol. It is made from the skin of a pineapple, fresh ginger, fresh cinnamon, and fresh lime. The photograph above is of the package that is sold at her local grocery. You bring the ingredients to a boil in a covered pot of 1 gallon of water, lower to a simmer for 30 minutes and strain the tea. I made a pot last night. It is delicious. She says to drink two cups a day to lower your bad cholesterol. If you need sweet, she recommends adding a sweetener.
I have always believed in trying anything that works.* Let’s see with
Joy,
Mema
*I wrote two blog posts on home remedies that work, for example, on minor cuts, bee or wasp stings, coughs, colic, vomiting, hiccups, sore throat, fever, burn, and even insomnia and arthritis. These are worth keeping handy.
