Is Your Medication Quietly Depleting Your Nutrients?

Many of us take medications to help us feel better, manage symptoms, and support our mental health. But did you know that some of these same medications can quietly drain your body of essential nutrients over time?

This isn’t something most of us learn about in a typical doctor’s visit. Yet, drug-induced nutrient depletion is a real and under-recognized contributor to lingering symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, and even worsening anxiety or depression—symptoms we often assume are “part of life” or side effects we need to tolerate.

How Do Medications Deplete Nutrients?

Medications can affect how your body absorbs, uses, and stores vitamins and minerals. This can happen in several ways:

• Blocking nutrient transport in the gut

• Increasing how quickly nutrients are excreted

• Changing stomach acid levels

• Interfering with enzymes needed for nutrient metabolism

These depletions often happen gradually, making them easy to overlook.

Common Medications and the Nutrients They Deplete

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety, can lower sodium levels (leading to hyponatremia) and may interfere with the production of CoQ10, a vital nutrient for cellular energy and brain function. Low CoQ10 levels can leave you feeling fatigued or mentally foggy.

Stimulants for ADHD can deplete magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6, all of which are essential for neurotransmitter balance and mood stability. This can sometimes contribute to increased irritability, anxiety, or difficulty focusing.

Statins and certain blood pressure medications like beta-blockers can also lower CoQ10, which may contribute to fatigue or reduced physical stamina, particularly if you are already dealing with stress or mental health concerns.

Why This Matters for Your Mental Health

As an integrative mental health provider, I see firsthand how addressing these hidden depletions can make a profound difference in how people feel, think, and function. Medications can be life-changing, but we can often make them work better—and help you feel better—by proactively supporting your nutrient status.

This is not about fear but empowerment. It’s about recognizing that medications and nutrition are not separate worlds; they interact within your body every day.

My Commitment to Integrative, Evidence-Based Care

I’ve spent years studying nutritional psychiatry and the clinical impacts of drug-induced nutrient depletion, drawing from respected experts like Dr. Alan Gaby and his landmark textbook, Nutritional Medicine. His work synthesizes decades of scientific research showing how medications can contribute to nutrient depletion, often subtly and over time.

Unfortunately, traditional medical training often overlooks this piece, focusing heavily on medications while missing the nutritional factors influencing treatment outcomes and long-term well-being.

How I Can Support You

If you’re on medications for mental health, ADHD, or chronic conditions and still feel tired, foggy, or stuck, it may be worth looking deeper at potential nutrient depletions. Through individualized nutrition support and targeted supplementation, we can help optimize your treatment plan, improve your energy, and support your mental health from the inside out.

I'd be honored to support you if you’re curious about exploring a more integrative approach to your mental health care. Together, we can create a plan that considers the complete picture of your well-being.