How Do Medications Create Neuropathy?

Neuropathy as a Side Effect

For drugs that Cause Nerve Damage

For a list of the different Causes of Neuropathy

Statin Drugs – Statin drugs are meant to block cholesterol. The outer lining on the nerve, called the myelin sheath, is made of cholesterol. Thus, blocking cholesterol can result in the nerves being unable to rebuild this myelin sheath. Cells die and get rebuilt, but without the basic building blocks (the nutrients), the cells cannot rebuild the myelin sheath. Thus, blocking cholesterol can block this basic function.

Chemotherapy Drugs: It is getting widely known that a side effect of this therapy is neuropathy. These drugs are trying to kill cancer cells, often other cells get damaged as well. Nerve cells being very sensitive are easily damaged. For more info on Chemotherapy Neuropathy

Some Blood Pressure Medications: When you take a drug, there are different nutritional deficiencies that are created as the body attempts to metabolize the drug. Drugs are basically toxins that the body has to handle and in doing so creates a positive effect on whatever it is in attempting to address.

Blood pressure can be lowered by these drugs, but it also creates deficiencies. Thus, we have side effects. Nerve damage is one of these side effects.

Other drugs: Some antibiotics, anti-anxiety drugs, anticonvulsant drugs, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, HiV drugs, and others also cause neuropathy. Since medications cause side effects by depleting the body of specific nutrients, you should always check to see if nerve damage is listed.

It is a good idea to check rxlist.com or drugs.com or the literature that comes with your prescription and see what the possible side effects might be.

If you are experiencing nerve damage symptoms, or have been diagnosed as having neuropathy, it is a good idea to check the side effects and if nerve damage, neuropathy, or paresthesia (and other descriptions of nerve damage) are listed – talk to your doctor about changing prescriptions. He might even have a natural solution for you, some doctors do.

Read also: Neuropathy or Nerve Damage includes the various treaments and the pros and cons of each.

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