It’s widely accepted in the U.S. that prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications often come with unpleasant side effects, such as fatigue, muscle aches, diarrhea, or nausea. But did you know that many of the most commonly prescribed and OTC medications can also deplete your body of vital nutrients?
Most medications won’t cause nutrient deficiencies if taken only periodically or for a short amount of time. However, long-term medication use may interfere with your body’s ability to absorb or produce various nutrients, potentially leading to serious and debilitating consequences.
For example:
– Low Vit B12 can cause fatigue, irritability, tingling sensations or numbness in the hands or feet, weakness, confusion, and memory loss.
– Low Vit D, Vit C, and Zinc can weaken your immune system and leave you vulnerable to infections, amongst other issues.
– Low Magnesium can cause muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, and mood disturbances.
– Low Calcium can cause bone loss, muscle spasms, irregular heartbeat, and even seizures.
Furthermore, your doctor may not warn you (or even know) about potential medication-induced nutrient deficiencies. As such, the negative effects of these deficiencies may not be identified and treated correctly or at all.
Below is a list of the most common prescription and OTC medications that can lead to nutrient deficiencies. If you take one or more of these medications, consider supplementing your diet with Nutrient injections or Nutrient IV drips that contain a combination of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
| Drug | Common/Other Name | Potential Deficiency |
| Acid-suppressing Drugs & Antacids | Nexium, Pepcid, Prevacid, Prilosec, Tagamet | Vit B12 Vit C Vit D Zinc Calcium Iron Magnesium |
| Antibiotics | Amoxil, Bactrim, Ceclor,Cipro, Levaquin | B vitamins (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12) Calcium Magnesium Potassium |
| Bronchodilators | Corticosteroids | Vit B12 Vit D |
| Antidepressants | Cymbalta, Lexapro, Paxil,Prozac, Zoloft, others | Vit D Calcium |
| NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) | Aspirin, Ibuprofen, others | Vit C Calcium |
| Birth Control (Oral Contraceptives) | Estrogen and/or Progesterone | Vit B12 Vit B6 Vit C Magnesium Calcium |
| Diabetes Medication (Oral Hypoglycemics) | Metformin, Avandia, Diabeta, Prandin | Vit B12 Vit D Calcium |
| Cholesterol Lowering (Statins) | Lipitor, Crestor, Lescol, Mevacor, Zocor, others | CoQ10 Vit D |
| Blood Pressure Medication (Anti-Hypertensives) | ACE Inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs), Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers | Zinc Calcium Magnesium Potassium |
