Medication-Induced Nutritional Deficiencies and Covid Deaths - Journal of Research and Experiential Medicine

For the layman:

Think of your body as a house. You bring groceries in, and pipe water in, that is eating and drinking. You flush the toilet, and take out trash, that is your kidneys, liver and intestines getting rid of toxins and waste.

You bring in the FDA approved amount of nutrients, and your house, your body, functions normally.

But didn't you have a problem with your toilet. You need somebody to come in and plunge it everyday. They move in to your house to do it. That is a kidney medication.

They require food and supplies. That food and supplies are more nutrients then you would normally require, which might or might not be supplied by your diet. You may take vitamins, and maybe you do or don't have enough for your new house guest.

Then you start having problems with the air, and hire someone to hold the door open for you. That is Advair. He also needs food and supplies.

Advair is known to cause immune system, heart, bone, adrenal, and eye problems. How does it do that?

According to Kaiser Permanente of Washington's web page about Advair drug information, it depletes five nutrients:

- calcium,

- DHEA,

- magnesium,

- phosphate

- potassium

There is contradictory information suggesting some people may also become low on biotin and zinc. Other websites and downloads which include less proven nutrient depletions have lists as long as eleven. These cause much of the heart, bone, and adrenal, and the weakened immune systems.

https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=hn-4495005

The plummer we hired earlier - what does he need more of?

If he's a loop diuretic, such as Bumex, Edecrin, Lasix or Demadex, he could deplete calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin B1.

https://www.stlukes-stl.com/health-content/medicine/33/000210.htm

With just two medications, we can already have multiple deficiencies in the same nutrient. If one wasn't enough to cause nutritional deficiency, two almost guarantees there's going to be some problems for most people.

There might not be enough for the medication to work correctly, for our new employees to do the function for which we hired them, and there may not be enough to keep the people living in the house healthy, or the house standing.

That's the concept. Some medications will prevent absorption, prevent the body from being able to use the nutrient, or cause a higher rate of excretion, but some simply need the nutrients to be able to do their job.

Whatever the cause, the result is that in many cases, the body doesn't have what it needs to function correctly. in a few cases, that is beneficial, and actually the action of treatment of the medication. People with Wilson's disease have too much copper in their body, and the medication that depletes copper is what saves their lives.

For epileptics, when Depakote deplete L-Carnitine and folic acid, that is what helps to prevent are convulsions. Gives them l-carnitine and folic acid, and the convulsions are liable to come back.

On the other hand, when depakote is given for mental illness, lowered L-Carnitine makes the mental illness worse. In either case, lowered folic acid can cause birth defects.

(Iatrogenic, here meaning medically induced, carnitine deficiency from hemodialysis and valproate treatment, Depakote, ICD-10 medical billing code E71.43; rarely diagnosed creation were mimicking of mood disorders from lowered L-Carnitine, PMID: 24282929. Folate deficiency is on Depakote's warning box in the PDR and drug insert.)

Weakening the body makes it more prone to illness, including Coronavirus. Per , the immune system especially requires these

Vitamin E
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Folate/folic acid
Iron
Selinium
Vitamin C
Zinc

Therefore, depletion of any of these nutrients from medications would increase the chance of infection from any illness, and the chance of infection and death from Coronavirus.

knowing the cause of the problem, rather than cutting people off from necessary medications, we can fill in the nutritional deficiencies, but carefully, because some of the medications they are taking our because of the nutritional deficiencies.

One example is low magnesium. When a person takes aspirin regularly as a blood thinner, there is a warning on the interaction table to not take more magnesium, because it will cause the blood to clot insufficiently. However, if the person is on medications which are depleting magnesium (which does a lot more in the body than moderate blood clotting), they will have to go off the aspirin or other blood thinner as they start to increase the magnesium. In some cases, it could be they never needed the blood thinner in the first place, but merely magnesium.

That makes it a lot more tricky. It is potentially dangerous to merely find which nutrients are depleted by ones medications supplement them.

But it is also potentially deadly not to supplement some of them if one has Coronavirus.

Why?

Covid kills with pneumonia, a respiratory ailment. And the authors of Meta-analysis of Zn, Cu and Fe in the Hair of Chinese Children With Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infection concluded that deficiencies of zinc, copper and iron had enough correlations that they could be significant contributing factors for repeated resperiratory illnesses in the Chinese children in the study. Enough to warrent further research, which means investing money. (They won't confirm this without proving first that the illnesses themselves don't cause the deficiencies - which, from stress on the body, could also be true, especially about the zinc - which doesn't mean it isn't both a cause and a result of illnesses leading to more illnesses.)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24874085-meta-analysis-of-zn-cu-and-fe-in-the-hair-of-chinese-children-with-recurrent-respiratory-tract-infection/?i=6&from=%2F14985626%2Frelated

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These are only a tiny sample of what is available on nutritional deficiencies from medications.

LISTS which include medically acknowledged nutritional deficiencies from medications

Milton S Hershey Medical Center's Drug-Substance Depletions Index:

http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productid=107&pid=33&alpha=a&sub=Depletion

St Luke Hospital's depletion list;

https://www.stlukes-stl.com/health-content/medicine/33_Depletion_idx.htm

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Articles:

From U.S. Pharmacist:

"ABSTRACT: Drug-induced nutrient depletions are critical to evaluate when pharmacists review the safety and efficacy of patients’ medication therapies. While certain drug-induced nutrient depletions are well known by pharmacists, many are underdiscussed and subsequently underdiagnosed and undertreated."

33 citations.

https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/druginduced-nutrient-depletions-what-pharmacists-need-to-know

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/are-your-medications-causing-nutrient-deficiency

Magnesium is a very common deficiency; this is at the top because it is particularly important.

https://www.drperlmutter.com/magnesium-deficiency-symptoms-causes-treatments/

A Practical Guide to Avoiding Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion

NutritionReview.org

December 11, 2016

https://nutritionreview.org/2016/12/practical-guide-avoiding-drug-induced-nutrient-depletion/

TOP 10 MEDICATIONS THAT DEPLETE YOUR BODY OF ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

(https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-10-medications-deplete-your-body-essential-yuliya-klopouh)

https://www.wellnessresources.com/news/common-medications-that-rob-the-body-of-nutrients

https://www.coastalpharmacyandwellness.com/drug-induced-nutrient-depletions-not-listed-on-rx/

https://www.wellnessresources.com/news/common-medications-that-rob-the-body-of-nutrients

Evidence of Drug–Nutrient Interactions with Chronic Use of Commonly Prescribed Medications: An Update

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5874849/#__ffn_sectitle

Despite the fact that many of these nutrients can be supplemented in moderate doses safely to see whether they actually are beneficial, they warn that until we know it's going to help, don't do this. Maybe they should rethink their strategy for nutrients that are known to be safe, in case they do cause deficiencies, but testing to prove this doesn't happen until damage has been done.

Kindle book: Are Your Perscriptions Killing You? by Admin B. Neel, Jr., PharmD, CGP, and Bill Hogan: written conversationally, not educationally, but with a resource and reference list at the end.

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Tables and Links:

MERCK Manual, professional version Harvard

https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/nutrition-general-considerations/nutrient-drug-interactions

https://chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTRACTS/Nutrient_Depletion.shtml

https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/drug-interactions-with-vitamins-and-minerals

https://pharmacysolutionsonline.com/drug-induced-nutrient-depletion.php

Chatty, non-professional sounding site, but the over 30 resources at the bottom, including ncbi, ARE reputable.

https://www.optimallivingdynamics.com/blog/7-important-nutrients-depleted-by-psychiatric-drugs-antidepressants-antipsychotics-stimulants-benzodiazepines-induced-guide-vitamins-medications

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Warnings about what supplements to avoid with medications:

https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/drug-interactions-with-vitamins-and-minerals

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Metformin controlling Coronavirus and Alzheimer's by reducing folate/folic acid, making more zinc available to the immune system

Metformin has been suggested to cause the body to become more acidic. If so, that could be one method that it helps control Coronavirus.

Probably the greater benefit is because metformin is an antifolate, one of a number of medices that intentionally or incidentally deplete folic acid. Folic acid often works in the body together with zinc. Example: if a man cannot get his wife pregnant, h doctor may suggest that he take folic acid and zinc together.

When there is a depletion of folic acid, the body has various ways to use up the extra zinc. One of the best ways is to prioritize the leftover zinc to the immune system. Zinc is already known to be effective against Coronavirus.

One benefit of metformin over taking normal zinc supplements is that metformin has a delayed action release in the body, so that unlike normal zinc simplements, which absorb at various speeds according to what it is combined with, reaches a peak, and then tapers off, the amount of a zinc that is made more available to the immune system is a longer, slower and more even action, more sustained in the body.

It would be interesting to see if sustained or long-term absorption zinc (if available) had a similar effect to metformin. It would also be interesting to see if metformin extended release had a further benefit over regular metformin.

Metformin is an incidental antifolate, meaning that the antifolate action of the medication is not used medicinally, but incidental to its usual use. (Usually patients are not made aware of this, so they do fill in the folic acid deficiency.)

Metformin has been found to have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer's, probably due in part to the same benefit of allowing more zinc to be available to the body, in this case to remove extra copper from the blood and brain, one part of some causes of Alzheimer's. (Subclinical doses of lithium have also been found beneficial for Alzheimer's patients, through a different mechanism.)

Intentional antifolates, such as Methotrexate, are used to control cancer and psoriasis by limiting bioavailable folic acid to cancer cells and skin cells that overgrow to create psoriasis, preventing replication.

Antifolates, intentional and incidental:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifolate

Two very long antifolate lists, from two hospital sources:

http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productid=107&pid=33&gid=000722

https://www.stlukes-stl.com/health-content/medicine/33/000722.htm

IMPORTANT:

Only antifolate that don't have other serious nutritional deficiencies or large quantities of other nutritional deficiencies would be liable to be safely helpful for Coronavirus.

Recently, metformin has been found to control psoriasis, which shouldn't be a surprise merely because it is an incidental antifolate and not an intentional one. The action is the same whether it is intended to treat a condition or whether it is a side effect that might even be detrimental, if one does not have psoriasis or cancer. (Metformin Safe for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Psoriasis; https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/diabetes/type-2-diabetes/metformin-safe-for-patients-with-type-2-diabetes-and-psoriasis/)

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Downloads:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.pharmacist.com/sites/default/files/files/RN126418%2520PID13500%2520PHV%2520Common%2520Drugs%2520and%2520DND%2520Chart_12-12-16.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjlltmXs7PpAhVLAqwKHYAyAsYQFjAMegQIDRAp&usg=AOvVaw0UV7ZlYPDz_q-mLZw5IM64

t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/file/7655/drug-nutrientHandout.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiNqercrbPpAhVQRK0KHS_SCeAQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3y4fPiCUCNAUB6oHNb71uw

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Early research:

Annual Review of Nutrition 1982 (small notation, almost 40 years ago)

It's been almost 40 years that the medical profession has been becoming aware of this problem. It is time that it is taken seriously and that improvements in communicating deficiencies that are already known, and confirming or denying those that are suspected from anecdotal evidence has a priority.

Not only would this increase quality of life, and possibly help some people who are disabled to return to work as productive taxpayers, but it could also make a big difference in protecting our Healthcare System.

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It is important to know how the medications work on the particular condition that they are being prescribed for before taking supplements for nutritional deficiencies caused by the medications.

Those pharmaceutical companies which wish to show their concern for their end users, the patients, might make special formulations that are only slightly different from current formulations for different conditions, with different supplements in them.

They could be encouraged to do this by waving the idea that they would have a monopoly for a number of years, and they could market themselves as altruistic, shown by the fact that they have found these deficiencies and are filling them, which would improve a fairly negative general opinion about pharmaceutical companies.

If we want them to do this, then we need to find a benefit for them to make them want to do it for themselves.

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In some cases, it would be safe to tabletize together a medication and the nutrients it depletes.

In other cases, the nutrient deficiency is part of the treatment. Examples again are antifolates taken for cancer and psoriasis, where folic acid should be taken hours later for the body to use, or where there is an interaction such as with gabapentin and magnesium. While in Depakote, too much folic acid or L-Carnitine can bring back epilepsy, those taking it for mental illness or migraines could have increased energy and reduced mental illness.

There could be at least two different formulations of Depakote depending upon its intended use, Depakote-EP, and Depakote-MI or Depakote-MM, for example.

But that's for the future. Right now, figuring out which nutritional deficiencies would be safest and most beneficial to treat coronavirus victims already hospitalized will keep our hands full, while at the same time publicize the issue, setting the stage for later improvements in the medications, and in health benefits for the medicated.

We can encourage the pharmaceutical companies by selling this to them as a way to create at a low budget a medication for a larger market because they have a monopoly on new medications for a number of years.

The idea can be sold as financial benefit in savings for the insurance companies.

It could also help the healthcare system as a whole, as a result of the Improvement in health for the insured.

(To that end, Stanford has found that stem cells put in the brain of someone who has had a stroke can cause a remission to the point in some cases of seeming to be a cure. If everyone who has had a stroke and is incapacitated, requiring nurses and unable to work is screen for this sort of treatment, and their own stem cells taken from their marrow and put in the brain for those for whom it looks like it will be beneficial, we could reduce the number of people relying on disability and the healthcare symptom dramatically enough to make a serious impact and financial Improvement in Social Security disability and the health system in general, and turn them back into taxpayers, as well as improving the quality of life in general for both them and their families.)

There are thousands more resources about specific and general medication deficiencies, and possibly as many articles, but this should be more than sufficient to begin with.

Zinc and probably magnesium deficiencies are probably most dangerous for coronavirus victims, but magnesium must be handled carefully, because some people with magnesium deficiencies are put on blood thinners to replace the action of magnesium on keeping the blood clotting correctly, and if magnesium is given to them, they will not clot sufficiently.

There are certainly other medications that are taken to replace part of the action of a nutrient, which will have to be withdrawn as the deficiency is filled.