Antibiotics and Anti-Virals
Medications that fight infection in your body can’t distinguish the bad bugs they are intended to kill from the good ones that live in your gut and help you digest your food. That’s why antibiotics accidentally destroy your healthy camp of beneficial flora. This can cause fatigue, diarrhea, cramps and vaginal yeast infections. In babies, an antibiotic can cause a wicked diaper rash.
Some physicians prescribe an antifungal (such as Diflucan) with your original prescription in an effort to mitigate the mugging effect. This works, but it’s just more medication when you could install a nutrient security system very inexpensively by restoring your healthy beneficial flora. Probiotic supplements replenish these micro-organisms, and are inexpensive and very safe, even for children. You should start them the same day you start your medication, but take your probiotic supplement about four hours away from your medication. These supplements are fantastic whether or not you take a drug mugger because probiotics help relieve all sorts of uncomfortable GI symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, cramps, gas and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
THE QUICK FIX
Pick up some Culturelle or Lactinex to replenish your natural camp of healthy flora.
Anti-Diabetic Medications Medications such as metformin ( Glu-cophage) and rosaglitazone (Avandia) are extremely efficient at lowering your blood sugar, and make your doctor very happy with your progress. But many of my customers at the pharmacy stop getting their refills because of such side effects as fatigue, leg cramps, muscle soreness, weakness and heart-rhythm abnormalities. Some diabetic medicines can really aggravate the heart, according to
the FDA. But I know why: These medicines may be wiping out your stash of heart-healthy CoQ10, folic acid and B12. So heart-related side effects may be minimized or avoided if you replenish what the medication drains you of. Replenishing with the proper nutrients can make you feel better and allow you to take your medication for blood sugar. Sweet!
THE QUICK FIX
❚ CoQ10: Take about 50 mg once or twice daily
❚ B12: About 500 to 1,000 mcg daily
❚ Folic acid: 800 mcg daily
Note: It’s OK to take these all at once in the morning.
Aspirin
Some people use aspirin for arthritis, but most people take a baby aspirin once a day for their hearts. Aspirin is useful because it keeps the blood thin and slippery, and seems to prevent heart attacks. But it can slowly cause a depletion of iron, calcium, vitamin C and some B vitamins. Use aspirin for a long time, and side effects such as bone loss, fatigue, anemia, nerve pain and more frequent infections could sneak up on you. That’s because of nutrient depletions. It’s inexpensive and simple to install a security system for aspirin with nutrients that also protect the heart.
THE QUICK FIX
One daily
❚ Trace minerals: One daily or as directed
500 mg daily
Statin Cholesterol Drugs These top-selling drugs (Lipitor, Prava-chol, Crestor, Zocor, Mevacor, etc.) are prescribed along with diet and exercise for people to manage high cholesterol. These medicines also seem to have an
Plan for Bran
Oatmeal and bran
cereals are very good
for you, but they make
everything move
through your colon
much faster. This could
cause a problem for the
absorption of certain
medications, such as
thyroid hormone, blood
thinners, blood pressure
meds or anticonvulsants.
So I recommend that
you space your medica-
tion at least two hours
away from your bowl
of oats.
References:
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