10/08/2025
Supplements need more regulation! On more than one occasion when I was practicing hospital pharmacy did I see patients actually experiencing harm from supplements they thought were supposed to help them. The most glaring was an "energy" supplement that included desiccated calf adrenal gland ordered to be continued on admission. The patient had been admitted for extremely high blood pressure of unknown cause. The adrenal gland produces important hormones including adrenalin (epinephrine) which set him up for flight or fight all of the time. When contacted, the provider discontinued the home supplements and the patient's hypertensive crisis resolved.
As Americans take more gummies, pills and powders than ever, some physicians are trying to convince patients to be a bit more careful.
