prescribed medications
Nearly half to over half of adults in the UK take prescribed medications regularly, with surveys showing around 48% to 56% of the population using at least one prescription drug, and older age groups taking multiple medicines.
General Medication Use
- 48% to 56% of adults:Regularly take at least one prescribed medicine.
- 24% of adults:Take three or more prescribed medicines in any given week.
- 90% of older adults:Over 90% of people aged 75 and older take prescribed medication.
Specific Common Medications
- 7 million people:Receive prescribed antidepressants in England alone.
- Millions for pain and heart:High numbers take blood pressure medications, statins, and painkillers.
- Top prescribed drugs:Items like Atorvastatin (for cholesterol) and Amlodipine (for blood pressure) rank among the most frequently dispensed.
These numbers above are just bonkers.
Many of the most commonly prescribed medications — statins, metformin, birth control, antacids, diuretics, antibiotics — quietly deplete the vitamins and minerals your body depends on to function.
The fatigue, brain fog, low mood, and muscle weakness that follow are often blamed on everything except the pill.
Statins block CoQ10 production. Metformin depletes B12 and folate. Birth control drains magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. Diuretics flush out potassium and magnesium. This list is not exhaustive — but it covers some of the most common culprits.
Long-term medication use should always be paired with nutrient monitoring and, where needed, supplementation under the guidance of a healthcare professional. And one important note: do not stop taking any medication unless you are under the care and supervision of a healthcare professional.
Any reason why Big Pharma isn’t telling you?
Antibiotics & NSAIDS disrupt your gut microbiome. and may reduce vitamin K and B vitamins, contributing to digestive issues and fatigue.
Ibuprofen and aspirin may cause microscopic gut bleeding and lower iron, which may lead to fatigue and anemia.
It is a known fact that when people are given NSAIDS they are also given PPI’s which as we know stop stomach acid secretion. And you really shouldn’t be on them long term either.
Taken from Dr Mark Hyman, MD, Linkedin.