Tuesday Apr 08, 2025

EP07: Root Causes of Disease in the Rx

Medications your patients trust most may be the very ones quietly driving their disease.

How often do we stop to question the long-term impact of the most common prescriptions? Tracy Harrison takes a close look at the unintended consequences of medications like beta blockers, diuretics, antibiotics, and high-dose vitamin D. These are drugs patients often take for years, sometimes decades, without realizing they could be fueling nutrient depletion, sleep disruption, gut dysfunction, or immune imbalance.

What happens when a beta blocker meant to lower blood pressure also suppresses melatonin and CoQ10? Or when a prescribed vitamin D dose leaves someone more magnesium-deficient than before? Tracy connects the clinical dots and urges practitioners to think beyond the prescription pad. She makes the case for a more nuanced approach, one that questions assumptions, looks for root causes, and sees medications as tools, not permanent solutions.

If you’ve ever wondered why a patient plateaus despite doing “everything right,” this episode offers perspective that could shift your clinical lens.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 How Common Medications Can Drive Disease

02:17 Hypertension Drugs and Nutrient Depletion

05:08 The Hidden Cost of Beta Blockers

08:02 Diuretics, Electrolytes, and Blood Pressure

10:10 Vitamin D Dosing Mistakes and Magnesium Loss

13:03 Interactions Between Vitamins D, A, and K

16:08 Immunosuppressants and Autoimmune Progression

25:10 Antibiotics, Gut Health, and Immune Dysregulation

30:13 NSAIDs and Pain Relief at a Cost

34:45 Metformin and Silent B12 Deficiency