Monthly Archives: July 2015

Perhaps one of the biggest blanket statements against the nutraceutical/supplement movement is the claim that “vitamin and mineral supplements do nothing more than cause expensive urine”. This is a claim most of us have heard before and certainly for busy pharmacists, physicians and the public in general that may not have the time to fully research the topic, a claim that might be true. After all, we can’t be experts on everything and it’s always easier to grab a catchy headline and adopt it as our “go to” statement and move on to the next topic that may come up in counselling.

Even as a pharmacist, keeping up to date on all pharmacy topics, changes in position statements, and heaven forbid – reading a readily available study or a number of studies on just one topic is a daunting task. Our path is made simple for us when an “expert group” comes out with a statement on the best practice guideline for anything, even if there are flaws with the statement and how they mesh with current studies. But who is it that makes these recommendations on supplements? No one really. Here is an area where self-education is key.

As a disclaimer, I am one that believes in the value of carefully selected supplements and that each individual deserves a review of what their needs are for individual supplements. This was taught to me in my Pharmacy Degree in University and I have continued to follow up on it for over 20 years since then. Claims that I am out for a quick buck have rolled off my back a long time ago and are as baseless as a claim that I am out for a quick buck because I sell prescription medication.

In the same University level I was introduced to the fact that many if not all prescription medications can deplete us of specific nutrients, a fact that is often lost on a busy pharmacist’s thought process when filling 200 prescriptions a shift. After all, isn’t it more important that we make sure the prescription is paid for fully by the third party plan? Or that we comb through a profile for interactions so we don’t end up harming the patient or on a national “news” program uncovering how we missed something and caused harm to the patient? Or maybe we are so focused on counseling the patient to make sure our job is done to the letter. Maybe we are preoccupied with a chocolate bunny getting stolen in aisle three? Granted these uncover important parts of a pharmacist’s job but it is just as important to review with a patient and make them aware of long term effects of the medication they are taking. This includes nutrient depletions from taking prescription medications. It turns out some of the side effects of long term meds may be a result of these depletions. Some may be weary of being accused of gouging a customer for extra money when they pick up their prescription when they suggest this but there is sound science to back you up.

As always it is important to get as many nutrients from food as possible in the diet. Due to variations in end product vitamin and mineral content due to growing conditions, food processing, storage and cooking, the final intake of these nutrients is a variable that can make it difficult to get sufficient replenishment from food alone, particularly when a depleting agent is being administered concurrently.

Some documented examples of these depletions include:

1) Recommendation of a probiotic in a patient on an antibiotic or several rounds of antibiotics. I have seen diarrhea cured with the administration of a good quality probiotic. Our health begins in the gut and probiotics are the first line of protection on the lining of this organ system. Aside from this, antibiotics have a depleting effect on a long list of multivitamin ingredients and those that have taken several antibiotics over a few years may do well to supplement even short term to replenish these stocks.

2) Oral contraceptives – how many of your patients are on these? Of these patients how is their diet? Magnesium depletion that can lead to thrombosis, breast cancer protecting selenium that can be depleted, folate depletion leading to neural tube defects in newborns either in OC failure or when a woman comes off an OC, B2 depletion that has been shown to cause headaches – a side effect we often see from OC’s, B6 depletion that can lead to decreased serotonin and altered mood in OC users, not to mention B12, vitamin C, E and zinc depletion are all shown to be significant in OC users. http://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/1804-1813.pdf

3) Statins – perhaps one of the most famous depletion in this group of drugs is the CoenzymeQ10. This depletion was so recognized in early trials of the statins a patent was actually given for a combination statin and CoQ10 product, which was never used. http://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/statin-CoQ10.pdf Endothelial stabilization and a decrease in the inflammatory cascade are shown with higher levels of CoQ10 and this is precisely what elevated cholesterol levels cannot use in a plaque formation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671099/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176102/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3271709/

The presence of the muscle pain in statin use has also been tied in with CoQ10. More studies would be helpful in completely putting this to rest as would vitamin D level depletion statins and muscle pain connection.

There are many other examples of nutrient depletion from medication use. These include ACE inhibitors, Chemo drugs, anticonvulsants, NSAIDS, antidepressants, antipsychotics and many more. A more complete list is included on our website to give a starting point for recommendations at http://www.stonespharmasave.com/drug_depletions.html