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A study from the Mayo Clinic revealed that 70 percent of Americans under the age of 64 take prescription medications, and as you might suspect, this number doesn't get better with age. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 89 percent of adults 65 and older are taking prescription medications, with a large majority taking more than five prescriptions. This is a problem of epidemic proportion, but it's made worse because many of these medications can either cause peripheral neuropathy or worsen the nerve damage you already have. Today, I'll reveal four commonly prescribed medications that are linked with causing peripheral nerve damage and worsening the damage of your nerves. Don't go anywhere, it's going to be good.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Thank you. [Music]
The field of medicine is continuously moving forward. Our life expectancy is longer than ever, despite the fact that the overall quality of our health continues to diminish. And this is because the trend in America is a pill for every ill. As a nation, we tend to chase symptoms, create a pill for them, and then give it a fancy diagnosis. We think all medications are innocuous and tend to forget that each medication comes with a long laundry list of side effects, which will create their own set of symptoms and a new health problem. This turns into a downward spiral of having to add in another medication, then another, and another, to treat the vast number of negative side effects.
When we look at our older adults, I already mentioned that 65-year-olds and up are typically on at least five medications, but the statistics paint a further dire picture. Most adults 70 years and up are on anywhere from 9 to 13 different prescriptions. It's important to realize that with this, there is a rise in the number of medications that can cause or worsen peripheral neuropathy. So, in this video, I'll cover the top four medications that have been shown in research studies to cause peripheral nerve damage.
Before we get started, I'm going to post an important disclaimer. Never, never stop taking any medication without consulting your doctor first. This could be very harmful to your health.
Now, let's start with number four on the list: anti-anxiety medications. The National Institutes of Mental Health states that more than 20 percent of Americans ages 12 to 80 are taking some form of anti-anxiety drug. These drugs aren't just used to treat anxiety; many times, they're prescribed to adults as sleep aids. And again, the long-term ramifications are peripheral nerve damage. Here's a list of medications in this group. Leave me a comment and let me know if you've been prescribed any of these drugs. Top on the list: Ambien, Buspar, diazepam, clonapin, Xanax, and lorazepam.
Number three on the list is antidepressant drugs. Since the 1980s, the use of antidepressant medication has risen by more than 400 percent, and the National Institute for Mental Health states that one in four people now take some form of antidepressant, such as Prozac, Celexa, Cipralex, blue straw, Mirtazapine, Effexor, amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, and Cymbalta.
Now, I'm going to share an extremely important side note with you regarding Cymbalta and its generic, Duloxetine. This drug was only approved for the use of depression; however, just recently, it was approved to treat peripheral neuropathy, even though it's widely known to worsen peripheral neuropathy damage. Now, here's an important fact to take note of: Cymbalta has a potent physiological addiction, and when you're trying to stop taking Cymbalta, many people will experience withdrawal symptoms called brain zaps. This is a very strong electrical shock sensation in the brain, which is extremely painful. My patients have told me it feels like their brain is being electrocuted over and over again. As a result, most doctors simply place their patients on Cymbalta and never take them off because trying to wean them off is a slow, difficult, and a painful process.
Dr. Montero had one young girl, 17 years old, who was placed on Cymbalta for her Fibromyalgia. By the way, this drug was never approved for treatment of fibromyalgia. This patient noticed that the medication wasn't helping at all, but her doctor refused to take her off it. So, like most well-educated teens, she decided to stop taking it. Then came the horrific brain zaps. Well, Dr. Montero did a tremendous amount of research and found out that in order to prevent these severe withdrawal symptoms, the patient must be slowly, and I'm talking very slowly, weaned off at the rate of decrease in doses by only 10 percent every few weeks. So, the message that I'm trying to share with you is, try your very best to avoid this drug whenever possible.
Now, number two on the list is a class of blood pressure medication known as calcium channel blockers. There are many blood pressure medications that can result in peripheral nerve damage as a side effect; however, this one class of antihypertensives is by far the worst: amlodipine, deltaism, felodipine, is seratipine, nicartipine, nifedipine, nesultipine, and Verapamil. If you're currently taking any of these drugs, you need to speak with your doctor immediately and request that he or she switch you to a different class of blood pressure medication. Other classes include ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and Angiotensin receptor blockers. Your doctor will be able to determine which of these would be best suited for your condition. If your doctor refuses to switch you, well, it may be time for a new doctor.
And moving on to number one on the list, and that is Statin medications. Statins are a group of medications you use to lower cholesterol. More than 200 million people worldwide take Statin medication, despite all the harmful side effects it poses. In fact, in 2012, the FDA mandated a black box warning for all statin drugs due to their significant side effects. Statins go by the name of atorvastatin, fluvastatin, Lovastatin, pitifostatin, pravastatin, resuvastatin, and Simvastatin. They've been found to cause diabetes, memory loss, and amnesia. They also cause peripheral neuropathy by causing some significant damage to the myelin sheath of the nerve. Statins also deplete coenzyme Q10, which is vital for mitochondrial function of the nerve cells and all other cells in the body. And lastly, statins have been linked with increasing your risk of developing cancers, such as colorectal cancer, and pancreatic and prostate cancer.
Remember, the best way to lower your cholesterol is with lifestyle changes. Follow a ketogenic diet, implement intermittent fasting, and exercise. However, if you temporarily need a cholesterol-lowering medication, there are other alternatives to statins, such as PCSK9 inhibitors, known as Repatha, and fibroids.
Now, don't forget, there are many natural alternatives that you can use to effectively lower your cholesterol. It's important that you align yourself with a functional medicine doctor or a naturopath that can help you.
That's it for now, healthy explorers. Remember, our goal is to help you overcome peripheral neuropathy and reclaim your life back. And in order to do that, you must be well informed. Leave us a comment below and let us know if you're on any of the drugs we've listed. We'll do our best to give you the proper guidance. As always, thanks for watching and following us. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel, and remember, we release new videos every week, so be sure to click on the bell. If you're enjoying our videos, the best way you can support us is by liking this video and sharing it with others. This helps neuropathy sufferers know that there's hope and they're not alone. Until next time, my friends, I look forward to seeing you on the road to great nerve health.
[Music] Thank you. [Music]