Drug muggers can cause palpitations and leg cramps
By SUZY COHEN on Jul 20, 2013, at 2:28 AM Updated on 7/20/13 at 3:02 AM
Column - Dear Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist, I take a dozen antibiotics per year due to frequent infections. What else can I take?
Dear Pharmacist, I have neck pain, sciatica and headaches. I've tried prednisone, Celebrex, Ibuprofen, Vicodin, physical therapy, chiropractors, massage, reiki, acupuncture, prayer work, laser and two surgeries on my neck.
Dear Pharmacist: I take a reflux medication daily, as well as a chewable antacid. In the last two months, I've dealt with severe "Charlie horses," toe tingling and occasional heartbeat skips or runs. My doctor prescribed leg cramp medication and referred me to a cardiologist. - G.W., Peoria, Ill.
Let me first say, do everything your doctor suggests because I'm not advising, just educating you in my opinion column. The scientific literature proves your medication depletes nutrients needed to make your leg muscles and heart muscle perform perfectly.
Drug-nutrient depletion - or what I call "drug mugging" - happens when drugs mug your body of essential nutrients. If you need these medications, nutrient restoration is critical. I'm so passionate about this that I wrote a book called "Drug Muggers."
Acid blockers block acid; that's their job. When acid goes down, gastric pH rises. This blocks your ability to digest food and absorb nutrients.
The problem is that the human body runs on nutrients.
Vitamins and minerals drive metabolic reactions that support muscle and cardiac health.
Folic acid and B12: Acid blockers change pH in your gut so you can't absorb these B vitamins. Deficiencies cause nerve tingling or numbness, muscle weakness, leg cramps, confusion, memory loss, depression, cardiac palpitations and fatigue.
Magnesium: Magnesium is so critical that ER doctors give it to heart attack victims. But certain acid blockers are strong drug muggers of magnesium. The FDA knows and insists on the strongest "black box" warning for PPIs because of the magnesium steal. Severe magnesium deficiency is associated with seizures, muscle spasms, arrhythmias, hypoparathyroidism and depression.
Restoring nutrients is much simpler than taking medications and installing pacemakers; it's certainly worth a try before invasive procedures.
Find a list of key nutrients mugged by medications in an expanded version of my article by signing up for my free newsletter at
tulsaworld.com/pharmacist.
info@dearpharmacist.com
Column - Dear Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist, I take a dozen antibiotics per year due to frequent infections. What else can I take?
Dear Pharmacist, I have neck pain, sciatica and headaches. I've tried prednisone, Celebrex, Ibuprofen, Vicodin, physical therapy, chiropractors, massage, reiki, acupuncture, prayer work, laser and two surgeries on my neck.
