If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs, there is a good chance that nutrients are being robbed from your body. Drugs can alter the absorption and utilization of nutrients that your body needs in order to maintain normal function. Drug-induced nutrient depletion is a widely ignored issue by mainstream medicine Oftentimes long term nutrient depletions go unnoticed leading to disease progression or even worse, being diagnosed with other disease states. This leads to more drugs and more depletions; seeing a trend yet?

A great example is the first line blood pressure medication hydrochlorothiazide. It has been shown to deplete magnesium, zinc, sodium, potassium and CoQ101 from your body. Leaving the pharmacy with this drug, you will have a written warning that it can lower potassium, however, there is no warning for the other nutrients that are depleted.

Consider magnesium. Approximately 75% of the U.S. population is already low in magnesium to start with, so adding a drug that depletes even more magnesium can be a big problem. Why is magnesium so important? Low magnesium levels have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome.2-3 So you start off controlling your blood pressure but because of the drug depletion, it leads you to developing type 2 diabetes leading to even more drug therapy.

Below is a summary of the symptoms of just one of the nutrients that are depleted by a commonly prescribed medication. Statin medications for cholesterol, oral anti-diabetic agents, and other blood pressure medications can also create significant nutrient depletions that could have a big impact on your health.

Here are some signs of magnesium insufficiency:

* Feelings of fatigue and weakness in your muscles
* Cramping or restlessness in your muscles
* Feeling anxious or nervous with possible palpitations and arrhythmias
* Constipation
* Elevated blood pressure
* Migraines
* Osteoporosis
* Developing kidney stones
* Developing diabetes

It is hard to correlate many of these symptoms with a drug that you have been on for a year or more. Most times doctors are looking for adverse events to happen within the first few months of drug therapy.

What You Can Do
Talk with your healthcare provider and find out what nutrients are being depleted from the drugs that you are on and take steps to replenish your body. If you are deficient in magnesium, look for magnesium glycinate, amino acid chelate, or citrate. Consider taking 600 mg per day in divided doses. The worst thing that can happen is that you get a loose stool. If that does happen, simply reduce the dose.

If you have hypertension you can often reduce you blood pressure without the use of medications. Diet and exercise, reducing salt intake, not smoking and weight loss can all significantly reduce blood pressure.

References
1. Pelton, R., LaValle, J, et al The Handbook on Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion, Lexicomp 2001.
2. Longstreet, DA et al. Rural Remote Health 2007, Oct-Dec;7(4). Epub2007 Oct 12.
3. Sharama A et al. J Indian Med Assoc. 2007 Jan;105(1):16,18,20.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code.]

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