What you need to know about medications

Not only can prescription drugs have adverse reactions when taken according to label instructions, more often than not, there is a nutritional price to pay, one that can dramatically affect your health and well-being. Some examples are : the NSAID ibuprofen (Motrin) depletes folic acid, which may cause birth defects, anemia, cardiovascular disease and cervical dysplasia.

Antibiotics deplete B vitamins and vitamin K. Short-term depletion effects are minimal, but failure to re-inoculate the GI tract with beneficial bacteria (probioltics) often results in dysbiosis, which may cause gas/bloating and decrease the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Everyone, young and old, is encouraged to take probiotics twice daily with meals for two weeks following a course of antibiotics. Diuretics such as Lasix, Bumex and Edecrin deplete calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins B1 and B6, vitamin C, sodium, and zinc.

Awareness of medications taken and their dosages is an important aspect of patient care. Geriatric patients may be getting too much medication- even though they are following label instructions. As we age into our 60s and 70s, drug half-lives increase due to a reduction in kidney excretory function and drecreased Phase I and Phase II activity in the liver. This means that the geriatric patient can be taking the recommended amount and suffer toxicity and nutrient depletions due to the increased time that the drug circulates within the body, and the impaired drug breakdown and excretion through the kidneys and liver.