Laxatives - lubricant laxatives
Medications
Depletions
Beta-Carotene
This nutrient is converted to vitamin A by the body, therefore, deficiency symptoms are the same as those of vitamin A. The earliest symptom is night blindness. Prolonged deficiency leads to more advanced changes in eye tissue. Other potential signs of mild to moderate deficiency include rough, dry skin, loss of appetite, loss of hair luster, brittle nails, joint pain, and possibly increased susceptibility to infection.
Vitamin A (Retinol)
The earliest symptom of deficiency of this nutrient is night blindness. Prolonged deficiency leads to more advanced changes in eye tissue. Other potential signs of mild to moderate deficiency include rough, dry skin, loss of appetite, loss of hair luster, brittle nails, joint pain, and possibly increased susceptibility to infection.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency leads to abnormal bone formation (rickets) in children and softening of the bones (osteomalacia) in adults. Vitamin D deficiency interferes with calcium absorption, leading to deficiency of that nutrient with all of the associated symptoms (such as increased risk of fractures, osteoporosis (bone loss), and muscle weakness). Because this nutrient is fat-soluble, prolonged periods of deficiency are required to produce these symptoms.
Vitamin E
While deficiency of this nutrient is uncommon, it negatively affects muscle tissue, red blood cells, nervous, and reproductive systems. Over the long-term, depleted levels of this nutrient may also be associated with cancer, heart disease, and altered immune function.
Vitamin K
The major symptom of vitamin K deficiency is an inability of the blood to clot properly, which may lead to excessive bleeding and a tendency to bruise easily.
Editorial Note
The selected depletions information presented here identifies some of the nutrients that may be depleted by certain medications. The signs and symptoms associated with nutrient deficiency may also indicate conditions other than nutrient deficiency. If you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms mentioned, it does not necessarily mean that you are nutrient deficient. Nutrient depletion depends upon a number of factors, including your medical history, diet, and lifestyle as well as the length of time you have been taking the medication. Please consult your healthcare provider; he or she can best assess and address your individual healthcare needs, and determine if you are at risk for nutrient depletions from these medications as well as others not listed here.
Supporting Research
Ames BN. Micronutrient deficiencies: A major cause of DNA damage.
Ann NY Acad Sci
. 2000;889:87-106.
Burrows MT. and Farr WK. The action of mineral oil per os on the organism.
Proc Soc Exp Biol Med.
1927;24:719-723.
Covington T, ed.
Nonprescription Drug Therapy Guiding Patient Self-Care
. St Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons; 1999:467-545.
Fauci A. ed. et. al.
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.
Fourteenth Edition. New York, Mc-Graw-Hill Companies Health Professional Division, 1998.
Holick MF, Krane SM, Potts JT. Calcium, phosphorus, and bone metabolism: calcium-regulating hormones. In: Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, et al, eds.
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
. 14
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ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Health Professional Division; 1998:2221-2222.
International Life Sciences Institute,
Present Knowledge in Nutrition.
Seventh Edition. Washington, DC, ILSI Press, 1996.
Kirschmann G. and Kirschmann J.
Nutrition Almanac.
Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill, 1996.
National Research Council.
Recommended Dietary Allowances
. 10
th
ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1989.
Rao DS. Perspective on assessment of vitamin D nutrition.
J Clin Densitom
. 1999:2(4):457-464.
Vieth R. Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety.
Am J Clin Nutr
. 1999;69:842-856.
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Review Date:
10/1/2000
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Reviewed By: All depletions monographs have been reviewed by a team of experts including Derrick M. DeSilva, Jr., MD, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy, NJ; Jacqueline A. Hart, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Harvard University and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc., Boston, MA; John Hinze, PharmD, NMD, Woodbine, IA; Ruth Marlin, MD, Medical Director and Director of Medical Education, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, CA; Brian T Sanderoff, PD, BS in Pharmacy, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy; President, Your Prescription for Health, Owings Mills, MD; Leonard Wisneski, MD, FACP, George Washington University, Rockville, MD; Ira Zunin, MD, MPH, MBA, President and Chairman, Hawaii State Consortium for Integrative Medicine, Honolulu, HI.
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