Are your medications making you sick? Well it appears that the more medications you take, the more potential you have for adverse side effects just from the ‘inactive ingredients’ alone. According to a report published in Science Translational Medicine journal (Science Translational Medicine 13 Mar 2019: Vol. 11, Issue 483) they found that “more than 90 percent of the medications that Americans take contain an inactive ingredient that could cause an allergic reaction.” It also stated that many medications contain ‘inactive’ ingredients, such as gluten, that can cause allergic or gastrointestinal reactions in some patients. Certainly these adverse conditions are rare; especially considering the number of medications Americans are taking on a daily basis. Yet, Americans are walking a thin line. Here is a report from HealthDay News, dated Aug. 3, 2017, which stated, “A new survey finds 55 percent of Americans regularly take a prescription medicine — and they’re taking more than ever. Those who use a prescription drug take four, on average, and many also take over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and other dietary supplements”. A special report in the September issue of Consumer Reports magazine also stated that Americans were taking multiple medications and then stated, “But many of those pills may be unnecessary and might do more harm than good. Among those who take prescription drugs, 53 percent get them from more than one health care provider, which increases the risk of adverse drug effects. More than a third say no provider has reviewed their medicines to see if all are necessary.” Americans do have this ongoing love affair with medications and the standard statement, “A pill for every ill” appears to have more truth than not. There is a common statement that I have heard many times at seminars and conventions that states, “If you have two doctors consulting on a case you will have three or more diagnoses.” Every physician will have a different concept or idea or procedure for the fix. Heraclitus is quoted as saying, “You cannot step into the same river twice, for other waters are continually flowing on.” Even Identical twins will see the same event or situation from a different viewpoint. That’s human nature.
The possibility of ingesting a substance that is ‘foreign’ to your body is rather high when we consider that there are multiple chemical substances that may or may not be harmful to us. Many medications that we take from our friendly pharmacist contain inactive ingredients…note, I said ‘ingredients’, not ‘ingredient’. For example here are some of the ‘inactive ingredients’ that can be added to your medication: antiadherents, binders, coatings, disintegrants, fillers, flavors, colors, lubricants, gidants (reduces friction!), sorbents, preservatives, and sweeteners…all inactive ingredients as approved by the FDA. Let’s take an example of a common syrup called Clarinex Syrup and reviewing the label we see the following:
CLARINEX Syrup is a clear orange colored liquid containing 0.5 mg/1 mL desloratadine. The syrup contains the following inactive ingredients: propylene glycol USP, sorbitol solution USP, citric acid (anhydrous) USP, sodium citrate dihydrate USP, sodium benzoate NF, disodium edetate USP, purified water USP. It also contains granulated sugar, natural and artificial flavor for bubble gum and FD&C Yellow #6 dye. Really!! I’m not picking on this syrup; this is far to common for anyone to isolate just one medication; almost all medications that have ‘inactive ingredients’ which have been approved by the FDA added to your ‘medication’.
Let’s take that first ingredient for an example: Propylene glycol is commonly used as an additive to aid in the processing of foods and improve their texture, flavor, appearance and shelf life….. however it is rather controversial because it is also used in Anti-freeze solutions and may be carcinogenic…probably in higher doses. How many of us know this? And if we are taking multiple medications, what could we really be ingesting?
And the older we get, the higher the risk. Poly-pharmacy is rampant and routine for the elderly. The statistics on medication usage among elderly patients in the US are eye-opening: more than one-third of prescription drugs used in the US are taken by elderly patients; the ambulatory elderly fill between 9-13 prescriptions a year (including new prescriptions and refills); the average elderly patient is taking more than five prescription medications, and the average nursing home patient is taking seven medications.
Do you think that there could possibly be a drug-drug interaction with these unusual combinations? This is like eating sauerkraut with cereal or fish tacos….oh, wait, I think we already have ‘fish tacos’…who came up with that idea? Maybe the same genetics that came up with drinking cows milk, eating crayfish, or raw oysters. We are an interesting species to say the least.
And to put icing on the cake a report from the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed just one of the possible side effects of taking multiple medications; “The study found that people who took multiple drugs are associated with a possible increased risk of depression. More than a third of American adults are taking prescription drugs, including hormones for contraception, blood pressure medications and medicines for heartburn that carry a potential risk of depression.”
A pill for every ill?….We Should Be Careful What We Wish For. Stay Healthy, Vegan Doc 3/16/19
