Avoid Further Complications from Long-Term Medication Use
Think of drug-induced nutrient depletion as the side effect not printed on the side of a bottle or the recited fast-talking ending to a pharmaceutical commercial. Many people today take medication to mitigate symptoms or address health issues over the long term. For example, those who use metformin to treat Type 2 diabetes or take statins for cholesterol management will often be on prescriptions for those medications for years.
However, long-term use of some medications can lead to nutrient deficiencies, or depletion, which in turn can then cause its own set of medical issues. You might take medication to address one issue, but how that medicine affects your body might also limit or block other key elements or processes from being completed.
These nutrient depletions are critical to evaluate when pharmacists and other medical professionals review patients’ medication therapies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of all Americans use at least one medication and have done so for a period of at least 30 days. Nearly one in four take at least three medications and 12.8 percent use five prescriptions. Clearly, many Americans rely on prescriptions to treat long-term health issues like diabetes, hypertension, or high blood pressure and as such would be at risk for nutritional depletion.
Let’s look at medications commonly associated with drug-induced nutrient depletion, the specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies that result, and the potential fallout they could lead to.
Common Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletions
Research has suggested that supplementation could help combat the effects of some of the common nutritional deficiencies. But what are they, what do they include, and do they affect you? Here are the most common types of medication that can cause depletion issues.
Statins
This category of medication is used to treat and manage cholesterol levels, and the options here come in many brand-name (like Lipitor, Lescol, and Zocor) and generic (atorvastatin, simvastatin, and fluvastatin) varieties. But while effective for their designed purpose, prolonged use of statins can often reduce levels of Coenzyme Q10.
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is produced naturally by the body and is essential for the growth and maintenance of your cells. However, a prolonged deficiency of this antioxidant can lead to a decrease in protection against aging and cancer, increased lipid levels, and tiredness and fatigue. In some cases, low Q10 levels have also contributed to congestive heart failure.
ACE Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors come in many forms, but most often are used to address high blood pressure. The generic drug names most often used in this realm include benazepril, captopril, enalapril, and lisinopril. The deficiency that most often results from long-term use is a lack of zinc.
An essential mineral, a zinc deficiency can result in several serious health issues including a loss of taste and smell, and incidences of night blindness. A lack of zinc will lead to decreased immune system functionality (increased susceptibility to infection, and decreased ability to fight it off), slow wound healing, and gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea.
Beta-Blockers
Also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, beta-blockers reduce blood pressure by working to block the effects of adrenaline in your body. Common orally prescribed beta-blockers, the ones most commonly associated with depletion, include acebutolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, and metoprolol among others. While effective in helping your heart to beat slower and with less force, and in opening up blood vessels for increased flow, beta-blocker usage can also eventually lead to deficiencies in Coenzyme Q10 and melatonin.
We outlined Q10 above, but melatonin is a hormone that is associated with control of the sleep-wake cycle. Deficiencies in either can affect protection against aging and cancer, and a lack of proper melatonin levels can have effects such as insomnia, blood sugar changes, growth hormone deficiency, and depression.
Biguanides
These are a class of diabetes medications used to treat those with Type 2 Diabetes, with the most common medication being metformin. The drug works by preventing the production of sugar in the liver and reducing the amount of sugar absorbed by the intestines.
Often used for newly diagnosed Type 2 patients, biguanides can lead to deficiencies in Q10, folic acid (B9), and Vitamin B12 with long-term use. Besides the effects associated with a Q10 deficiency, the lack of folic acid and B12 could lead to Anemia (weakness, tiredness, fatigue), hair loss, depression, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Bolster Against Nutrient Depletion with Lakeview Pharmacy
Lakeview Pharmacy has partnered with Solutions Rx to provide tailored solutions to head off potential deficiencies via a line of supplements that address drug-induced nutrient depletion.
This special line of pharmacy-recommended supplements has been designed to meet the unique needs of individual patients. Whether you need an all-purpose vitamin enhancer in the morning, or an aid to help you get to sleep at night, or targeted supplements to address nutritional depletion, there will be an option to serve you.
Each of the supplements has been formulated by pharmacists to address specific areas of need. There are supplement lines that address the depletion associated with medications that treat diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and more. With specialized, targeted, pharmacist-approved supplemental help, you can ensure you can continue to treat your long-term medical issues with prescription medication while avoiding some of the negative aspects that might arise with depletions or deficiencies.
The Solutions RX line is just one of many ways in which Lakeview Pharmacy is delivering innovative solutions to the problems our patients and customers face every day. With a slate of compounding services and other specialty products available, we’ll continue to do whatever it takes to serve you better.
Contact us today to learn more about our Solutions Rx line and how it can alleviate your concerns about nutritional depletion.
