If you've noticed the loss of memory, hair, or hearing, muscle weakness, anemia, fatigue, or depression, your medications could be the culprits. If you've notice any of these symptoms early on, consider yourself lucky. More serious symptoms often remain hidden or go undiscovered by doctors until life-threatening consequences result, such as the risk of heart disease or cancer. Depleted levels of vital body nutrients also lead to lowered immune system function, which in turn causes a variety of other problems.

	If you've noticed the loss of memory, hair, or hearing, muscle weakness, anemia, fatigue, or depression, your medications could be the culprits.

It seems a shame that recovering alcoholics and drug addicts try to take medication responsibly, but may end up paying the ultimate price with their new-found health. If you only had this information when you started taking a medication, you could supplement right from the start. Even common over-the-counter drugs can present a problem. Aspirin, acid-blockers, and cholesterol-lowering drugs can put you at risk for anemia by depleting the body of iron, signs of which include weakness and hair loss. And just because your doctor detects anemia, he or she may offer iron supplementation and still not identify your medication as the source of the problem.

As drugs interfere with nutrient absorption or with their metabolism, transport, storage, or use by cells, the early signs of nutritional deficiency are very subtle, and cells and organs are prone to disease conditions before the need for supplements or for changing medications is recognized. Medications that interfere with calcium absorption, like estrogen replacement, can lead to osteoporosis.

Research findings in the Health Sciences Institute's Members Alert demonstrated that medicating a single problem with one drug can lead to a series of additional problems caused by the nutrient-depleting effects. More often than not, this leads to more prescriptions, which create additional nutrient deficiencies. This scenario continues until the patient is on a host of nutrient-depleting medications. Antibiotics, for instance, destroy helpful bacteria and deplete B vitamins needed for hundreds of biological processes, including proper nervous system functioning. When women taking antibiotics consequently develop an overgrowth of Candida, such as vaginal yeast infections, doctors prescribe additional medications to control the yeast. This commonly leads to immune system disturbance. It's easy to see how this situation leads to another array of pharmaceutical interventions. The sad thing is that most doctors don't know any alternatives to these problems. For example, supplementing with a "probiotic" will replenish the necessary flora. Acidophilus is an excellent adjunct to treatment for infection, and ginger and aloe vera also soothe the digestive tract distress caused by the deficiency.

As America ages, the numbers of prescription drugs increases. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), common for women over 50, is another category of nutrient-depleting drugs. Vitamin C, B-6, zinc, and magnesium can be depleted, causing lowered resistance to colds and stress. Magnesium depletion also interferes with absorption of calcium. Low levels of vitamin B-6, B-12, and folic acid associated with ERT and oral contraceptives has a high correlation with elevated homocysteine levels, which result in arterial plaque build-up, cardiovascular problems, and high blood pressure. When the heart is forced to work harder to adapt to plaque-narrowed arteries, blood pressure rises.

Medication for lowering high blood pressure is also quite common. Some, such as Apresoline, reduce the levels of coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant that's needed for cellular energy and repairing free-radical damage to the heart muscle. Deficiencies of coenzyme Q10 puts you at risk for heart disease.

	Consider alternative treatments as they're often more effective without nutrient depletion or other side effects.

It appears someone wasn't thinking when they created this cardiovascular medicine. In addition, blood pressure medications deplete vitamin B-6, interfering with neurotransmitters that regulate mood, sleep, and appetite which frequently causes depression. To treat depression, doctors often prescribe antidepressant drugs, many of which deplete Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin). In addition to nutrient depletion, many medications contribute to making the body too acidic, a condition in which opportunistic diseases can take hold and in which cancer cells thrive. A diet, rich in meat, dairy products, sugar, caffeine, and processed foods, already tends to make the body acidic, and some medications only compound the problem.

If you must take any medication for any length of time, do your homework. Don't depend on your doctor or health care practitioner for complete information as he or she may not have it. Informing yourself is your first line of defense in managing your health. One good book is The Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook, by pharmacist and nutrition expert Ross Pelton. It documents nearly 1,000 drugs that deplete the body's nutrients. You can purchase the book directly from the publisher, Lexi-Comp Clinical Reference Library, at 800-837-5394.

Meanwhile, taking a good multi-vitamin and mineral formula will give you a good head start on avoiding or reversing nutrient depletion. After you determined what supplements you may need, such as B-12 or CoQ10, you can purchase these individually in health food stores or pharmacies.

In addition to supplementation, consider alternative treatments. They're often more effective without nutrient depletion or other side effects. If you choose to try alternatives, be certain to consult with your health practitioner before stopping any current prescription medication, and continue to take nutritional supplements to counteract any existing deficiencies.