Published September 22, 2001 in the North Island Weekender
In part one, I discussed five of the most commonly prescribed drugs in North America and in this article I will look at another five.
The 10 most commonly prescribed drugs include: Premarin (hormone replacement therapy), Synthroid (underactive thyroid), Lipitor (lowers cholesterol), Prilosec (in Canada this is Losec an acid controlling agent for gastrointestinal disorders), Hydrocodone (found in antihistamine, and pain medications), Albuterol (asthma and respiratory conditions), Norvasc (a calcium channel blocker used for high blood pressure, irregular heart rate and congestive heart failure), Claritin (for allergies), Prozac (for depression), and Glucophage (treatment for type 2 diabetes).
These most commonly prescribed drugs represent a prescription approach to the
management of health conditions. These health conditions may be manifesting due
to genetic predisposition, but according to recent genome research may not
manifest if the genes have the proper nutrition!
Naturopathic medicine has numerous herbal, nutritional and lifestyle recommendations that are safe and effective to try first before the prescription is used. This will save your body from many untoward side effects which make prescription medications the fourth leading cause of death in North America, resulting in over 106,000 deaths per year (JAMA 4/15/98)! So I feel it behooves me to tell you about some alternatives to prevent you from becoming a statistic!
6. Albuterol is used for asthma and other respiratory
illnesses. Vitamins and minerals that are known to be deficient in asthma are
magnesium, essential fats, and zinc. Often asthmatics have a yeast over growth
in their gut and are not drinking enough water! Herbs such as quercitin, boswellia, tumeric and khella have
anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic actions that work well. Staying away from
food allergens lowers the reactivity to environmental allergens. The same thing
we find with seasonal allergies.
7. Norvasc, a calcium channel blocker is often prescribed
for those with heart problems such as congestive heart failure, and blood
pressure problems. As in my article Jan 15th 2000, I explained that
up to 40% of folks have “white coat syndrome” meaning that the blood pressure
is only elevated in the doctors office. Rule this out before proceeding. If you
do have high blood pressure, nutrition such as calcium, magnesium, CoQ10,
niacin, and garlic are recommended. Lifestyle changes such as stress
management, exercise and weight loss can make a big difference too. Be aware that according to some researchers,
congestive heart failure is a CoQ10 deficiency!
8. Claritin, an anti-histamine is prescribed for seasonal
allergies. Naturopathic physicians find that when you get people off common allergens
such as dairy, wheat, corn and soy that their response to environmental
allergies greatly improves. Recommended remedies include Vitamin C to bowel
tolerance, as it is a natural anti-histamine, and homeopathic combination
remedies, such as Pollinosan, for the symptoms of hayfever.
9. Prozac is used for the treatment of depression. Some of
its common cousins are Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa and Luvox. Before you start
these drugs, St. John’s Wort (the whole herb) has been studied to work well in
mild to moderate depression, along with B vitamins, minerals and essential
fats. Getting to the cause may reveal among other things, a hormonal imbalance,
allergies or low thyroid function. See article March 11th 2000.
10. Glucophage is blood sugar regulator used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Often if a person can modify their diet to increase the protein and lower the carbohydrate (see article July 28th 2001 and Oct 21st 2000) and add nutrition such as zinc, chromium, biotin, lipoic acid and vanadium, blood sugars can come down and the need for medication can be reduced.
As with any information in my articles it is best to consult with your medical or naturopathic doctor before changing your program. Prescribed medications should never be stopped abruptly nor without supervision.
Dr. Pincott has been practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in Campbell River. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or www.DrPincott.com