• Phenytoin

  (Dilantin®)

Osteoporosis (bone loss) is the primary disease associated with long-term calcium deficiency; it may be associated with bone pain and spinal deformity. Depleted levels can also cause muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, and depression.

Symptoms of depleted levels of thiamine include weakness, fatigue, anorexia, constipation, memory loss, confusion, and depression. Deficiency may lead to beriberi, a condition characterized by inflammation of nerves, heart irregularities, and fluid retention.

Low levels of folic acid have been linked to anemia, heart disease, and birth defects.

Low levels of biotin are associated with changes in skin color, inflammation of the skin, hair loss, muscle pain, anemia, loss of appetite, depression, insomnia, and elevated levels of cholesterol.

Vitamin D deficiency leads to abnormal bone formation (rickets) in children and softening of the bones (osteomalacia) in adults. Vitamin D deficiency interferes with calcium absorption, leading to deficiency of that nutrient with all of the associated symptoms (such as increased risk of fractures, osteoporosis (bone loss), and muscle weakness). Because this nutrient is fat-soluble, prolonged periods of deficiency are required to produce these symptoms.

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