We often assume that if a doctor prescribes a medication, the only thing we need to worry about is the primary condition it treats. For over two decades, I lived by this assumption. Diagnostic: High Blood Pressure. Prescription: Atenolol 100 and Triamterene-H. Later, Levothyroxine for my thyroid, and eventually Allopurinol and Atorvastatin. I was “managed.”

But management isn’t always the same as health.

About ten years into my journey with hypertension, I faced a new challenge: high blood glucose. It was a shock. The doctor prescribed Metformin and Gliclazide. For a while, things were under control, especially after I managed to lose a few kilograms and cut sugary foods from my diet. But then, despite my efforts, my numbers spiked again; my A1C hit a staggering 14.2.

I was frustrated. I wasn’t even eating “yummy sweets”! Why was my body failing me? My doctor increased the medication, which brought the numbers down, but then a new suite of problems began to emerge.

The Mystery Symptoms

I started experiencing symptoms that didn’t seem to have a clear cause:

  • Cold feet and hands, even in warm weather.
  • Random muscle spasms around my back, neck, and feet.
  • Unexplained foot pain, especially at night, making it impossible to rest.
  • Constant heartburn, which led me to take Famotidine and Omeprazole.
  • Fatigue and brain fog: sometimes so strong I couldn’t focus on simple tasks.
  • Weird sensitivity to food or supplements, including fish oil capsules that previously made breathing feel heavy or uncomfortable.

It felt like my body was falling apart, and yet, on paper, I was “treated.” That’s when I realized that nobody cares about our health more than we do. I started digging into the research.

The Science of Medication-Induced Nutrient Depletion

What I found was eye-opening. Many common medications are “nutrient robbers”: they interfere with absorption or accelerate the excretion of essential minerals and vitamins.

1. The B12 Trap (Metformin & Acid Blockers)

Atenolol contributed to reflux, so I relied on Omeprazole and Famotidine, which reduce stomach acid. Vitamin B12 in food is bound to proteins; it requires hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach to be “unzipped” and released. By suppressing acid, my PPIs and H2 blockers made it impossible for my body to even access the B12 in my diet.

To make matters worse, Metformin interferes with the calcium-dependent absorption process in the small intestine. Specifically, it blocks the uptake of the B12-Intrinsic Factor complex.

How B12 Deficiency felt: Vitamin B12 is the primary architect of the myelin sheath, the protective insulation around your nerves. When B12 is low, this insulation thins, causing your nerves to “short-circuit.” This translated into:

  • Neuropathic Pain: That unexplained foot pain and tingling at night was my nerves literally crying for help.
  • Perceived Coldness: When nerve signals are degraded, the brain often misinterprets the data as “cold,” leading to my constant cold hands and feet despite a normal room temperature.
  • Cognitive Drag: Without enough B12, neurotransmitter production slows down, causing that heavy “brain fog.”

2. Magnesium and Chromium (Triamterene-H)

Triamterene-H is a diuretic that helps with blood pressure but acts as a “leak” for essential minerals in the kidneys, flushing magnesium and chromium out through urine.

  • Magnesium (The Master Regulator): Magnesium acts as a physiological antagonist to calcium and is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions. In your muscles, calcium causes contraction, while magnesium causes relaxation. When I was depleted, the calcium went unchecked, leading to constant micro-contractions and those debilitating spasms in my back, neck, and legs. But its role is much broader: like the thyroid, magnesium has a “serious job” nearly everywhere, acting as a master regulator of cellular function. Furthermore, magnesium is a cofactor for the creation of ATP (energy) and, alongside Chromium, plays a vital role in glucose metabolism. Low magnesium means your cells literally run out of fuel and struggle to process energy.
  • Chromium (The Insulin Key): Chromium is a component of a molecule called Chromodulin, which helps the insulin receptor work. Think of insulin as a key and your cells as a door. Chromium is the “lubricant” that allows the key to turn the lock. Together with Magnesium, it ensures your body can actually use the glucose in your blood. Without it, I was becoming insulin resistant regardless of how many “yummy sweets” I skipped. This was a primary driver of my 14.2 A1C spike; my body simply couldn’t hear the signal to let glucose into the cells.

3. Iron, Oxygen Delivery, and Oxidative Stress

Long-term medication, digestive stress, and subtle nutrient deficiencies affected my iron stores, which turned out to be the most critical missing piece.

Iron is essential for:

  • Hemoglobin and myoglobin, carrying oxygen through blood and muscles.
  • Mitochondrial enzymes, allowing cells to actually use oxygen to make energy.

Low iron doesn’t always show up as “low oxygen” on a pulse oximeter. Your blood can be 95–100% saturated, but your total oxygen delivery and utilization are still compromised. This is called “metabolic hypoxia.” Your blood has the oxygen, but your cells can’t “unzip” the package to use it. That’s why I sometimes felt like I couldn’t breathe deeply or that my tissues weren’t getting enough oxygen, even though my lungs were fine and my heart rate was controlled.

Iron deficiency also amplifies oxidative stress:

  • Low iron → mitochondria struggle → less ATP, more free radicals
  • Oxidative stress → subtle inflammation in muscles, nerves, and gut
  • Inflammation → restless legs, fatigue, sensitivity to supplements/food, and cold extremities

In short, low iron disrupted nearly every system in my body. When I started iron supplementation, the effect was remarkable: my RLS eased, my hands and feet warmed up, and I could tolerate fish oil without the strange heavy-breathing sensation that used to appear.

Even “Good” Supplements Can Misfire

At one point, trying to support cardiovascular health, I started taking 2–3 grams of omega-3 per day, a commonly recommended dose. Instead of feeling better, I experienced air hunger: shallow, unsatisfying breathing. Not panic. Not anxiety. Just… not enough air.

Why? Layering omega-3 on top of:

  • Atenolol (lowering heart rate)
  • Triamterene-H (altered fluid balance and electrolytes)
  • Chronic low magnesium and iron
  • Ongoing digestion issues

…subtly disrupted cardiovascular and respiratory regulation.

How Iron fixed the “Air Hunger”: Once I restored iron levels, those symptoms disappeared. The reason is that iron is a critical component of cytochromes (the proteins in your mitochondria that act as a “conveyor belt” for electrons to generate energy (ATP)). When iron is low, this belt slows down or breaks.

Adding a high dose of Omega-3 likely increased my metabolic demand or changed blood flow in a way that my “broken” electron conveyor belt couldn’t keep up with. My brain perceived this mismatch between metabolic need and oxygen utilization as a threat, triggering the sensation of not getting enough air. By fixing the iron levels, I repaired the conveyor belt, allowing my cells to handle the metabolic flux efficiently again.

This pattern was consistent:

  • B-complex or B12 gave short-term boosts (temporary energy or focus).
  • Magnesium helped more long-term (muscle and nerve stability).
  • Iron solved the core problem: oxygen delivery and cellular energy, allowing everything else to work effectively.

Lesson: even “good” supplements aren’t universally good; context matters.

Reclaiming My Metabolism

I started a targeted supplementation protocol to fix what medications had “broken”:

  • Vitamin B12: resolved nerve pain and foot numbness, restored energy.
  • Magnesium citrate: eliminated random body spasms and, working with Chromium, helped stabilize blood glucose.
  • Chromium: addressed insulin resistance and brought my A1C back from the brink.
  • Sucrosomial Iron (30 mg/day, sometimes 2× daily for 2 weeks): restored ferritin, improved oxygen delivery, and reduced fatigue without digestive issues.

Within months, the difference was night and day:

  • No more leg cramps while walking or running
  • Foot pain and numbness at night disappeared (thanks to B12 and Iron)
  • Blood sugar stabilized
  • No more strange breathing sensations
  • Improved tolerance for normal foods and supplements
  • Overall energy and circulation normalized

Why I Feel Fine Now

Today, my metabolism finally feels like it’s working with me rather than against me. My energy is restored. My nerves, muscles, and blood sugar are stable.

The lesson I learned is simple:

Medication is a tool, but it doesn’t come for free.

Supplements are tools too, and they don’t come for free either.

If you’re on long-term treatment for chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes, monitor your nutrient levels and understand interactions. Your “side effects” might not be the disease; they could be the cost of the cure.

Listen to your body, dig into the science, and don’t be afraid to advocate for your health. Correcting foundational nutrients like iron, magnesium, B12, and chromium can unlock improvements in ways no single drug can.