Prescription Medications that Deplete Nutrients 😱

Hi Friends,  

Most of the healthcare in this country is pharmaceutically driven.  This means that if you go to your doctor with a problem, you will most likely leave their office with a prescription for a medication.

Although most of my patients prefer to avoid medications, there are times when prescriptions are helpful or necessary.

Unfortunately, although a medication is used to fix one problem in your body, it often causes unpleasant side effects.  Have you noticed feeling more tired, achy or emotional since starting a new medication?  Often these side effects are linked to nutrient depletions caused by the medication.

In the diagram above, I've listed some of the commonly used medications and the nutrients they deplete.

I'm sharing this important information so that you can help replenish these nutrients accordingly, and feel better while taking any necessary medications.

For example, there has been extensive literature showing that supplementing with CoQ 10 can ameliorate statin-induced myopathy (muscle pain caused by cholesterol-lowering medications called statins).  Anytime I see a patient on a statin, I remind them to take CoQ 10 300 mg daily.

Why do some women feel emotional or depressed  on birth control pills?  Again, this could be due the depletion of B vitamins.  

One of the most commonly prescribed medications for heartburn and acid reflux are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which shut down the acid pumps in the stomach.  Sadly, PPIs also interfere with the absorption of key minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and B vitamins.

Metformin, a common diabetes medication depletes B vitamins.  Patients with diabetes are already at risk of neuropathy, and low B12 means worse neuropathy!  This is one of the reasons I prefer Berberine Pro, which has the same efficacy and mechanism of action as Metformin, but does not deplete nutrients, and has additional anti-inflammatory properties.  It also improves blood pressure, lipid profile, and has antimicrobial properties on bad bacteria in the gut microbiome.  Additionally, Berberine Pro contains a powerful antioxidant called alpha-lipoic acid, which is neuroprotective.

Finally, it is now well known that antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiome by killing some of the good bacteria in the gut.  This is why I always remind my patients to take a good quality probiotic when taking antibiotics.  

 I've included some links to the supporting literature (see blue underlined text).

 Here is a List of Key Nutrients to Consider Supplementing When on Prescription Medications (Use Diagram Above as a Reference):

 CoQ 10 
 Methyl B Complex 
 Magnesium
 Zinc
 Glutathione
 Probiotic 100 Billion or Probiotic 225 Billion
 Calcium
 Multivitamin with Iron
 Multivitamin without Iron

I hope this blog post arms you with the critical facts to protect your body from the nutrient-depleting side effects of common medications.  

Of course, whenever possible it is best to use medications short term only, while addressing the root cause of the disease.  This has been my focus in practicing Integrative and Functional Medicine. 

Warm regards,

Rajsree Nambudripad, MD