There is an addiction, endemic in a certain age-group in this nation. It turns seemingly normal people into “pill-poppers” who cannot stop, and require increasing numbers to satisfy their habit. Their addiction: over-the-counter medications and vitamin nutritional supplements; the people: the elderly. Many people are used to taking non-prescription medications to retain their health and deal with a number of minor complaints. However, with age, the number of health complaints – such as arthritis or cardiovascular disease - increases meaning that many turn to more and more drugs to restore their health. Crucially though, the dosage needed for most medication decreases with age and with so many people self-medicating, it is likely that an increasing number of people are taking too many medication, in too high an amount, for their health concerns. This phenomenon, sometimes known as polypharmacy, leads to unnecessary vitamin deficiency in the body and brings about the need for nutritional supplements(http://www.mitamins.com/). And so we get a situation where a person is taking more and more medication, and vitamin nutritional supplements to boot, yet is getting nowhere nearer to achieving optimum health.

This is why it is better for the elderly to develop a coherent health regimen with your doctor, and let him know of any over-the-counter drugs or nutritional supplements you may be taking to avoid adverse reactions.

Going to the Other Extreme: Too Many Vitamins (http://www.mitamins.com/) Polypharmacy may refer specifically to medications (be they prescription or over-the-counter) but that doesn’t mean that people cannot end up taking too many vitamins or natural health supplements too. There seems a common misconception that vitamins and nutritional supplements, because they are natural, cannot be taken to excess. However it is certainly true that almost anything can be taken to excessive, even potentially fatal, levels. Whether it is Warfarin, Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba , or even water – all can cause severe side- effects if taken to excess. Here are some vitamin and mineral dosages common in nutritional supplements that have often grave side-effects if taken to excess:

Vitamin A - If consumed, the liver of the Polar Bear has enough Vitamin A to kill a human being. Even if your diet is little more run- of-the-mill, gorging on this nutritional supplement in doses of more than 25,000 IUs (five times the RDA) can lead to liver damage, hair loss, blurred vision and headaches.

Vitamin B-6 - Ingesting more than 400 mg a day (200 times the RDA) can cause numbness in the mouth and hands and difficulty in walking, amongst other health concerns.

Vitamin D - In daily doses of 50,000 IUs (125 times the U.S. RDA), the sunshine vitamin can cause the buildup of calcium deposits that can interfere with the healthy functioning of muscles, including heart tissue. While sunbathing will never create an overdose, taking too many nutritional supplements can.

Iron - Daily doses higher than 100 mg (six times the RDA) could interfere with absorption of zinc, a mineral that speeds wound healing and helps regulate the immune system. Accidental overdose of iron-containing nutritional supplements is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under six.

The Answer: A Coherent Health(http://www.mitamins.com) Plan

It is important to try and keep your health concerns in perspective. Are they causing extreme discomfort or severely limiting your quality of life? If they’re not then it may be a good idea to consider nutritional supplements or vitamins to restore optimal health, rather than going down the expensive road of numerous “heavy” medications and the side-effects involved. Nutritional supplements are often very effective and are designed to replace the vitamins and minerals that should be in any healthy body. However, even here there is a possibility of overdose. Therefore, talking with a nutritional specialist will help ensure that you are only receiving the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need in your health supplements.