Suzy Cohen - Drug Muggers: Which Medications Are Robbing Your Body of Essential Nutrients--and Natural Ways to Restore Them

This book is lovingly dedicated to those who continue to endure each day and know that better times are ahead.

And with great affection and love, this is also for my children, Samara, Michael, and Rachel. You make the sun shine every day!

14 Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12)

I emptied my brain into this book. I hope it answers every question you have, even the ones you havent thought of yet. Id like to think this book is priceless because I wrote it with the intention of fostering your good health and maybe even saving your life.

In pharmacy school 20-something years ago, I learned about the value of medicine. Through the years Ive personally seen the benefits of certain medications that save lives. So I know that when your doctor prescribes medication or when you purchase over-the-counter medications, you take those meds in the sincere hope that theyll help you feel better. Yet, despite that miniature pharmacy in your medicine cabinet, it is entirely possible that you still feel awful. Why is that?

The fact is, you cant cure disease with drugs made of synthetic chemicals, especially when they often suppress your bodys ability to produce or use natural, healthy nutrients.

Drugs have an intended effect on the body, but in the process of helping you, they can sometimes put your body in a dangerous state by slowly depleting you of the very nutrients you need to maintain your health and to help you heal. This slow depletion can make you feel miserable. It can even hasten your death. I know we all have to face death one day, but why do something that might make that happen sooner rather than later?

Since I became a pharmacist 22 years ago, Ive seen an exponential rise in the use of medications, many of them helpful and necessary, but some of them dangerous and dubious. And I know that when drugs deplete the body of essential nutrients, its easy to replace them by taking the right kinds of supplements. But most people never hear about what they need to take in order to protect themselves from what I call the drug muggersmedications that rob you of the very nutrients you need in order to produce energy, fend off infections, and live in good health. All this is lunacy!

The vast majority of people take a lot of drugs. Its possible that you are among that number and that you feel okay taking these drugs... for now at least. Its also quite possible that you feel just horrible, worse than you did back when you went to the doctor with your original complaint! Theres a good chance that the information you receive in this book will fix that problem and help you feel good again. This Drug Muggers book is really your solution to side effects.

As a newspaper columnist with many millions of readers, I get a lot of mail. I cant count how many e-mails and letters have just broken my heart. I read so many of them thinking, This pain and suffering is so needless and is so avoidable! Because of all those letters, Ive written this book, which is intended to protect you and help you find solutions to uncomfortable problems caused by common medications that you take every day. You see, its essential to replenish what drugs steal from your body, otherwise you could experience side effects and possibly catastrophic health consequences.

If you have to take medicine, then you should know how to stay safer on it. I want to give you and your physician(s) some insight into why you may not be feeling well and why you are plagued with uncomfortable or bizarre side effects, and I hope to provide some clues about the state of your health along with a major Aha! Armed with the information in this book, youll be able to make changes to your drug regimen or reduce symptoms by installing a nutrient security system so you wont be robbed blind by drug muggers. In fact, if you turn to the Punch List, which begins on page , it will take you only a moment to look up your medications and find out what nutrients you need to be paying special attention to.

Ive always wanted to help people understand their bodies and feel their best, and, with all my heart, I present this book to you. It was really hard getting people to understand the concept at first, and getting it recognized by a publisher so that it could be sold to you in bookstores nationwide. Thankfully, Rodale has seen the value of this information, for which I am most grateful. This book could be a lifesaver for you or someone you love. It allows you to remain compliant with your medication regimen while offering side-effect solutions.

I am known as Americas Most Trusted Pharmacist, and I am serious about helping you. I put my heart and soul into this book, and I sincerely hope it is of service to you.

Drug Muggers is intended to help you regain health and vitality. However, its just a book, and there are limitations with any book. First off, not every single drug is listed in it, as there are thousands. Finding a clinical study that discusses the depletion impact of every single drug is not humanly possible, and even if it were, Im not the human for that job.

What I have done is fill these pages with the most popular medications in use todaya thorough listing of the leading drug muggers in the marketplace. In a few cases, Ive included all of the drugs that fit into a particular class, even if there was evidence of depletion impact in only a few of the drug muggers in that class. For example, I may include four different acid blockers because they are in the same drug category, although its possible that only three of those four drugs actually have studies that demonstrate their depletion impact. Basically, I have applied the commonsense principle, If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its a duck! I believe that if a drug hangs with the drug muggers, then it probably is one. Perhaps some might say that Im painting with too broad a brush, but where your health and well-being are concerned, I think that the best approach is to err on the cautious side.

As with any book that addresses health, individual safety must be the top priority. So please be advised that my nutrient dosages are only general guidelines, not gospel. If a suggested dosage doesnt seem like the right one for you, then you should determine which one is. If your doctor suggests taking a lower (or higher) dosage, then follow his instruction because he knows your medical history. A few of the dosages I suggest are extremely high by some standards (like the USDAs Recommended Daily Allowance), and they arent right for everyone. Excessive nutritional supplementation can be harmful to certain people, and I cant tell from here if youre one of them, so follow your instincts and comply with your doctors advice.

I did not include chemotherapy on the drug mugger lists even though these medications can deplete many nutrients. They are not here because some oncologists ask you to avoid dietary supplements totally during treatment. So if you are receiving chemo or have used it in the past, ask your oncologist and other practitioners exactly what they would like you to take (if anything).

One more thing: I am not suggesting that the depletion impact of a drug mugger is the cause of your illness. You must discuss every aspect of your personal health with your team of practitioners. I am not a doctor; I am just a nerdy pharmacist who likes to write and eat chocolate. I have my heart in the right place, but I cannot assume the burden of treating you, nor can I be responsible for what happens to you if you take my advice. It is not my intention to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I just want to share information. Finally, my statements have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration.