A Prescription for Drug Detoxification :: Holistic Healing

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A Prescription for Drug Detoxification
by author Simone Gabbay, RNCP

If you’ve ever taken prescription drugs or are currently taking them, it’s time to detoxify!

Prescription drugs load the body with toxins. They deplete nutrients, disrupt metabolism and have the potential to cause addiction. These side effects are often "treated" with yet more drugs, setting the stage for multiple chemical dependencies. Children as young as age three are put on this roller coaster with behaviour-modifying drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac, which is now marketed in a mint-flavoured liquid, easily administered to those too young to swallow tablets. (Sadly, they are also too young to recognize that they are being infused with a potentially dangerous psychiatric drug!)

Chemicals are unnatural to the body. The kidneys, bowels, lungs and skin support the liver in its efforts to eliminate toxins, but they too can become overwhelmed and unable to cope.

Nutritional Deficiencies

The first step is to correct any nutritional imbalances which may exist as a side effect of prescription medication. Nutritional deficiencies can interfere with the body’s efforts to detoxify. Antibiotic drugs, for instance, wipe out the healthy microflora in the intestinal tract, which is essential for the proper synthesis and absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. To avoid an overgrowth of undesirable yeast organisms, such as candida albicans, which produce more toxins in the body, it’s important to take a probiotic supplement containing both lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidum with each meal for a minimum of two weeks (ideally longer) following a course of antibiotics.

Most prescription drugs rob the body of B vitamins, especially folic acid. Calcium and potassium are depleted by antacids, anti-fungal drugs and anti-inflammatory medication (corticosteroids). The resulting nutritional imbalances can cause digestive and metabolic problems and contribute to the toxic effect which medications have on the body.

Never fear. There is a way to detoxify the body and restore nutritional balance at the same time. Nothing works quicker and better than fasting (or should we say feasting?) on the freshly pressed juices of vegetables and fruits for several days.

Liver Support

The liver is the major organ responsible for detoxifying the body from the fallout of prescription drugs. It works continuously to break down remnants of toxic substances from medications, but an overload of toxins can leave the liver overworked and exhausted, causing symptoms such as fatigue, hormone imbalances and lowered immune response.

Bitter herbs support liver function and promote the cleansing process. These include dandelion, milk thistle, red clover and artichoke. Combinations of bitters are available in health food stores.

Chlorophyll, nature’s powerful detoxifier, supports detoxification efforts. As well, it helps to activate enzymes, build blood and promote tissue regeneration. Chlorophyll is available in liquid form or in convenient tablets and capsules. Green food concentrates, such as those made from barley grass, wheat grass and blue/green algae, also supply B vitamins and other nutrients required for optimal liver function. Vitamin C, taken in amounts of 1,000 to 6,000 mg a day, has excellent detoxifying action.

Castor oil packs applied abdominally over the liver area two or three times a week help to draw toxins from the liver and promote lymphatic drainage. Prepare a bed or other flat surface where you can lie down comfortably. Fold a cotton flannel cloth into several thicknesses, then soak in castor oil. Place over the liver area and cover with plastic sheeting. Put a towel over this to prevent soiling. Put a hot water bottle or electric heating pad on top. Heat helps to drive the oil through the skin into the tissues. Leave on for an hour and relax. The oil can easily be washed off with a mixture of water and baking soda. The flannel cloth can be stored in a plastic bag and reused several times.

Vigorous exercise also promotes detoxification. Bouncing up and down on a rebounder is particularly effective for stimulating lymphatic action. It’s a safe exercise for people of all ages. Alternating hot and cold showers, baths or water gushes stimulate circulation and promote detoxification via the internal organs and the skin.

The detoxification process will take patience and persistence. But it will leave you feeling so healthy you will never need prescription drugs again!

Toxic Side-Effects

Death is one of many potential side effects of prescription drugs. And it’s not a rare occurrence. The results of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 1998 indicate that adverse drug reactions are a major cause of death among hospitalized patients. These reactions occur despite the fact that the drugs are administered correctly!

Simone Gabbay is a registered nutritional consultant in Toronto. She is the author of Nourishing the Body Temple.

Source: alive #221, March 2001

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