You can help prevent prescription mistakes and avoid suffering their serious side effects. Learn about the prescribed medication, how you take it (with food or on an empty stomach), at what time of day, for how long, its possible side effects, and which are most likely for you. Is this drug compatible with your other medications? Are their any foods or herbs that should be avoided? Is there any written information available to you about this drug? Ask your doctor or your pharmacist.

NEVER take medicine prescribed for someone else. If you or a loved one has trouble remembering whether the proper dose of a drug has been taken, inexpensive plastic containers are available that are designed to contain pills counted out in advance for each day of the week. Ask your pharmacist. If you are taking pain relievers for a time period that seems excessive more than one day for a headache, three days for a toothache, a week for a muscle sprain – consult your doctor. Don’t become a drug statistic.

Many common medications may deplete our cells of necessary vitamins. Ross Pelton, R.PH., wrote the Drug Induced, Nutrient Depletion Handbook, which provides amazing information about drugs that we thought were safe. For instance, artificial estrogens (birth control pills) deplete riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic acid, vitamin B12, Vitamin C, and zinc. Further more, oral contraceptive use can result in increased vitamin K, iron and copper. Vitamin K can increase bleeding and iron and copper are both prooxidants (you know what oxidization does to metal, yes rust…)

Drugs such as the statin family of drugs, which reduce cholesterol, also decrease the production of CoQ10, and possibly glutathione in the liver…which are necessary to keep optimal health.

One of Hippocrates’ most important rules for physicians was ‘First do no harm’ (‘Nil nocere’ in Latin). You can take an active part in helping your physician or natural health care practionner to do no harm by educating yourself about the drugs or supplements you need to take.

Although they occur less frequent than drug-drug interaction, dangerous interactions between drugs and foods can also occur. Many foods and herbs have active chemicals in them, but they are usually balanced by the fact that the whole food contains a combination of phytochemicals. You the patient/client, must be watchful and wise at all times. It is your body, your life.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes and is not meant to diagnose or treat illness. The author, publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage suffered by individuals as a result of following advice in this article.

For more information on nutritional planning or complete nutritional assessments contact:

CJM LeBlanc HealthWorks, Centreville Mall, 121-342 Main Street, Shediac, N.B. E4P 2E7, tel: (506)533-8885, fax: 532-8644,e-mail: charlotteleb@rogers.com, web site: www.wellness-healthworks.com

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