It may therefore come as a surprise to learn that many important prescription drugs can, over time, give rise to an imbalance of essential nutrients within your body. Antibiotics, for example, can disturb the delicate balance of intestinal and vaginal bacteria, giving rise to bowel problems and/or yeast infections

To reduce the risk of experiencing medication-induced nutrient loss, London Drugs is introducing a pharmacy program that matches certain prescriptions with health supplement/s that help restore the balance of nutrients necessary for the mainenance of good health.

Cholesterol-lowering medications

Statins are medications commonly prescribed to help reduce levels of artery-blocking cholesterol. Statin drugs interfere with the action of an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which is required by the body to manufacture cholesterol. Unfortunately, statins can also lower the body’s levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a vitamin-like substance that is highly beneficial to the heart tissue and helps prevent the oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol i. Statins have been shown to reduce the body’s CoQ10 levels by as much as 50 percent in 30 days. According to Health Canada’s adverse drug reaction database, more than 1,000 serious side-effects related to statins have been reported in Canada in the last 15 years.

CoQ10 is found in the mitochondria or “power houses” of every cell of the body, and is highly concentrated in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas. This coenzyme facilitates the metabolism of sugar and fat, turning them into energy for the body to use. It has a beneficial impact on immune performance, cardio performance (helping to prevent heart failure and congestive heart failure), and on liver and kidney function. CoQ10 also enhances immunity and is a potent antioxidant, protecting cells from free radical damage.

If you have been prescribed statin drugs, you should ask your doctor about supplementing with CoQ10. Although many different potencies are available, anyone on statin medications requires 100-200 mg, high potency CoQ10, 2 to 3 times daily to achieve a beneficial effect. Research by Dr. Peter H. Langsjoen ii shows that statin-related adverse effects can be improved with supplemental CoQ10, without interfering with the drug’s beneficial effects. Since CoQ10 is a fat-soluble supplement, it should be taken with meals containing fats or oils, or taken with a flaxseed or fish oil supplements for better absorption.

i Hanaki, Yoshihiro, et al. Ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to ubiquinone as a coronary risk factor. New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 325, September 12, 1991, pp. 814-15.

ii Dr. Peter H. Langsjoen, MD, FACC, of Tyler, Texas, a world renowned cardiologist and researcher in biomedical aspects of CoQ10.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are often prescribed for bacterial infections to kill the microorganisms associated with the condition. While many people assume that all bacteria are bad, in fact, the body is host to billions of friendly bacteria, most of them making their home in the large intestine. These bacteria assist the absorption of B-vitamins and help to break down foodstuffs during the process of digestion.

In the healthy body, the bacteria are balanced, the helpful types keeping the less desirable in check. When antibiotics enter the body, they perform the important task of killing the dangerous bacteria that cause infection. Unfortunately, they are indiscriminate, killing off the good bacteria as well as the bad. (This is the reason many women develop yeast infections after a course of antibiotics—their healthy vaginal flora has been diminished, allowing yeast to grow unchecked.)

Health professionals now recommend that you rebuild your population of good bacteria by consuming naturally probiotic foods like yogurt or kefir or by taking a potent probiotic supplement (acidophilus or acidophilus with bifidus) following antibiotic use.

Osteoporosis Medications

Although osteoporosis medications help prevent the loss of bone, to maintain their strength, your bones require a steady input of calcium throughout life. It is therefore important to ensure you obtain a minimum 1,500 mg calcium daily, either through calciumrich foods or supplements, as well as Vitamin D and zinc to help the bones assimilate this vital mineral.

Biphosphonates (Fosamax ®, Fosavance ®, Didrocal ®), Actonel ®), are the most commonly prescribed drugs for osteoporosis. They work by inhibiting cells called osteoclasts, which break down bone tissue. If you have been prescribed biphosphonates, it is important to obtain your daily calcium requirement. However, some studies have suggested that taking calcium within two hours of a biphosphonate might interfere with the assimilation of this drug. You should therefore make sure you do not take calcium-containing foods or calcium supplements within two hours of taking a biphonsphonate medication.

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