Hep C Discussion Forum

Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of disorders that includes insulin resistance, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and obesity.   The cumulative effect of these disorders can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  Most physicians will prescribe the drug hydrochlorthiazide (HCTZ) for early blood pressure problems and Metformin for insulin resistance.     

The problem is, HCTZ causes depletion of nutrients like magnesium, potassium, zinc, CoQ10, and sodium, but the package label only warns you of the potassium depletion.    By unknowingly losing all of these vital nutrients, your body cannot properly metabolize glucose.  So the end result is that medication being prescribed to manage blood pressure pushes the insulin resistant person right into the path of becoming a type 2 diabetic.   

And thats not all.  Metformin will deplete B12 and folic acid causing your homocysteine levels to rise to dangerously high levels.   This can result in kidney and cardiovascular damage and contribute to Alzheimers disease all known consequences of type 2 diabetes.  So by taking Metformin and not supplementing with extra B12 and folic acid, you could be accelerating the complications of the very disease you are trying to prevent!     

Because HCTZ causes the loss of magnesium, Restless Leg Syndrome can develop.  So after people take HCTZ for awhile, they complain to their doctors that they cant sleep at night because of restless legs or muscle cramps.  The doctor then prescribes Requip for Restless Leg Syndrome, when the solution is really to take more magnesium.
I wasn't sure where to post this , but this thread seems to be  best suited for this page . Cg