Is your medication robbing more than your wallet?
Updated: Nov 15, 2021
We turn to pain medications and prescription preventatives to take away our pain but could they actually be doing more harm?
Aside from rebound headaches and creating additional health issues, some medications can have another ugly side effect of creating a vitamin and mineral deficiency in your body which is then creating even more Migraines.
Welcome back Warriors to Migraines and Margaritas Blog where we share a deelish Margarita recipe and then get down to business creating a healthier happier pain free life
Today's Margarita Recipe is Coconut Cream and Lime Margarita
by Williams Sonoma
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank 'em bot up....ok ok back to the recipe :-)
Ingredients
Kosher salt, grated lime zest and sugar for rimming glass
2 lime wedges
2 oz. (60 ml) coconut cream or cream of coconut
1 1/2 oz (45 ml) blanco tequila
1 oz. (30 ml) fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. (15 ml) Cointreau
1/4 oz. (7 ml) simple syrup
Directions
1. rub 1 of the lime wedges around the rim of a glass then dip the rim in the salt and sugar mixture. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Just before serving, fill the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the coconut cream, tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and simple syrup. Cover, shake vigorously and strain into the ice-filled glass. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge. Serves 1.
Enjoy Warriors!
VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES AND MEDICATION
Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals such as Magnesium, Vitamin D, Riboflavin and other B vitamins have been connected with Migraine headaches. So we run to our nearest vitamin store to load up in hopes of preventing the horrible headaches that are ruining our lives, only to find out that very little if any of the nutrient is being absorbed because of the prescription medications we are taking. With long term use some drugs may interfere with your body's ability to absorb a nutrient from dietary sources. If you are a Migraine sufferer it is even more important to ensure you are maintaining these nutrient levels to help reduce and prevent the occurrence of Migraines.
This happens to be the case with PPI's used to reduce acid reflux and heartburn. PPIs can keep you from absorbing vitamin B12. Drugs like Prilosec and Aciphex can deplete Magnesium.
In other cases, medications may interfere with natural processes needed to produce nutrients. For example, cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins inhibit the production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 plays important roles in preserving the energy supplies of our cells.
And other medications may cause deficiencies of several nutrients at the same time. For example, some diuretics to lower blood pressure can deplete magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
Other common offenders include anticonvulsants and corticosteroids, both of which may reduce levels of calcium and vitamin D; the diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage, Riomet), which may reduce levels of folic acid and vitamin B12; and the Parkinson's drugs levodopa and carbidopa (Sinemet), which may reduce levels of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid. 1
Common narcotic pain medications and beta blockers used to treat Migraines have been found to deplete vitamins and minerals in the body such as Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Potassium.
Even your birth control pill may be contributing to deficiencies in Folic acid Magnesium, and Vitamin B6 which could result in more Migraines.
To check if your medication could be robbing you of vital nutrients you can go to MyTavin and type in the name of your medications then click calculate. The website works best on a desktop or laptop.
TREATMENT
So what's the fix? First step would be to evaluate your current medications to see if any of them are the culprit and meet with your doctor to discuss which of those could be removed, or possibly replaced with a natural option.
The second step would be to supplement your diet with the necessary vitamins and minerals. Some is better than none even if all of it isn't being absorbed. Vitamins and Minerals are good to supplement your diet as a whole, but for Migraine sufferers and those taking prescription medications it becomes even more necessary to even the playing field.
Anytime you can take your vitamins or minerals in a liquid versus a capsule it will have a much higher efficacy because the nutrient can be absorbed immediately and not have to be digested. There is a new product on the market that was developed specifically to target these deficiencies that trigger Migraine headaches and it includes a liquid Magnesium for quick absorption of this critical mineral. It's called Headzen and so far people that have tried it have had excellent success. Headzen will not replace your multi vitamin or other vitamins you may take such as Vitamin C, but it will provide the core vitamins and minerals that when deficient in migraine sufferers create more occurrences. Headzen also includes herbs that have been found in studies to be excellent preventatives for Migraine sufferers as well.
However, without modification of the prescription medications you are taking, it can be an uphill battle and constant roller coaster to get the nutrients your body needs to fight off Migraines and Headaches.
SUMMARY
Drug induced nutrition depletion is a lot more common than we think. With many Americans taking at least one prescription medication, if not more, nutritional deficiencies are becoming more common and presenting as more illness. We must remember that the illness itself may be due, in part, to nutrient deficiency, before we just mask over the root cause with prescriptions. As a Consumer and a Patient be aware of these drug related nutrient deficiencies and depletions, and avoid medications when you can, using natural products instead. Migraine sufferers supplement your diet with a good liquid Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin D3, Riboflavin, Omega 3 and B complex.
Always check with your doctor before taking any new product or making changes to your prescriptions.
xoxo
Jen and the Headzen Team
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