Should You Be Taking Dietary Supplements?

There are some medications that reduce levels of vitamins, minerals or nutrient in our bodies. Sometimes this change can be significant.

The following list of medications have been shown to reduce the nutrients listed after them in some people. If you are taking one of these medications and are having no side effects or symptoms of a deficiency, I would not race out to buy the nutrient. If however, you have noticed changes in how you feel since you have started a medication it could be related to a deficiency of the nutrient that it affects. Blood levels of many nutrients can be measured by your Doctor. It may be worth taking a supplement to increase that nutrient in your body. If you feel better or the side effect goes away that is a good thing. If you don’t notice a difference after trying the supplement for a month or feel worse, stop taking the supplement and talk to your doctor.

As people get older, they do not absorb vitamins as well. It can be good preventative medicine to take a multiple vitamin/ mineral daily. Women on Birth Control Pills can supplement with a multiple vitamin/mineral daily so that in the event they do decide to become pregnant that they have good levels of folic acid.

It is a good idea to check with your Doctor or Pharmacist before starting a supplement to make sure that it won’t interact with another medication or conditions that you may have.

Acid Blockers like Proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix) and H2 Blockers (Zantac, Tagamet, Pepcid) : B12, folic acid , Calcium, Vitamin D, Iron, Zinc

Corticosteroids (Prednisone) long term use: Calcium, Magnesium, Potasium

Aspirin, NSAID (Ibuprofen, Naproxen): Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Iron

Diuretics (Thiazide): Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium and Zinc + (Loop Diuretics) Thiamine

Hormones (Birth Control Pills, Hormone Replacement): B Vitamins, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Vitamin C

Metformin: Folic Acid, Vitamin B12

Methotrexate: Folic Acid

Phenytoin, Carbamazepine: Calcium, Vitamin D

Statin Drugs: (Lipitor, Crestor, Simvastatin etc.): Coenzyme Q10

This list continues to grow. There are also medications that aren’t very commonly used that I haven’t included here. Please check with our Pharmacists if you have any questions about your medications and their ability to decrease nutrient absorption.

Links to additional information on medications and supplements:
Birth control pills: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09323.html
Specific Drug Information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html
Specific Dietary Supplement Information: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all