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Uricosuric Agents


Depletions
Beta-Carotene

This nutrient is converted to vitamin A by the body, therefore, deficiency symptoms are the same as those of vitamin A. The earliest symptom is night blindness. Prolonged deficiency leads to more advanced changes in eye tissue. Other potential signs of mild to moderate deficiency include rough, dry skin, loss of appetite, loss of hair luster, brittle nails, joint pain, and possibly increased susceptibility to infection.


Potassium

Symptoms of deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, drowsiness, feelings of apprehension, excessive thirst, irrational behavior, fatigue, muscle pain and weakness (usually of the lower limbs); severe cases may lead to irregular heartbeat.


Sodium

Because of the wide availability of sodium in dietary sources, deficiency is very uncommon. In the rare instances where it does occur, depleted levels have been associated with gas, nausea and vomiting, headache, memory impairment, diminished attention, muscle weakness, heart palpitations, lethargy, and confusion. Extreme cases can cause stupor, seizures, and possibly coma. The development of symptoms depends in large part on the rate of the loss of sodium.


Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are rare because it takes years to develop complications associated with long-term depletion of this nutrient. Irritability, weakness, numbness, anemia, loss of appetite, headache, personality changes, and confusion are some of the signs and symptoms associated with vitamin B12 depletion. Low levels of this vitamin may also be associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, heart disease, brain disorders, and birth defects.


Editorial Note


Supporting Research

Ames BN. Micronutrient deficiencies: A major cause of DNA damage. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2000;889:87-106.

Berger W. Incidence of severe side effects during therapy with sulfonylureas and biguanides. Horm Metab Res Suppl. 1985;15:111-115.

Carpentier JL, Bury J, Luyckx A, Lefebvre P. Vitamin B12 and folic acid serum levels in diabetics under various therapeutic regimens. Diabetes Metab. 1976;2(4):187-190.

Covington T, ed. Nonprescription Drug Therapy Guiding Patient Self-Care. St Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons; 1999:467-545.

Fauci A. ed. et. al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. Fourteenth Edition. New York, Mc-Graw-Hill Companies Health Professional Division, 1998.

Kaplan NM. The dietary guideline for sodium: should we shake it up? NAm J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:1020-1026.

Kirschmann G. and Kirschmann J. Nutrition Almanac. Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill, 1996.

National Research Council, Recommended Dietary Allowances. Tenth Edition. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1989.

Roe DA. Drug-Induced Nutritional Deficiencies. Second Edition. Westport, CT, Avi Publishing, pp. 159-161, 1985.

Singer GG, Brenner BM. Fluid and electrolyte disturbances. In: Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, et al, eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Health Professional Division; 1998:269.


Review Date: October 2000
Reviewed By: All depletions monographs have been reviewed by a team of experts including Derrick M. DeSilva, Jr., MD, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy, NJ; Jacqueline A. Hart, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Harvard University and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc., Boston, MA; John Hinze, PharmD, NMD, Woodbine, IA; Ruth Marlin, MD, Medical Director and Director of Medical Education, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, CA; Brian T Sanderoff, PD, BS in Pharmacy, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy; President, Your Prescription for Health, Owings Mills, MD; Leonard Wisneski, MD, FACP, George Washington University, Rockville, MD; Ira Zunin, MD, MPH, MBA, President and Chairman, Hawaii State Consortium for Integrative Medicine, Honolulu, HI.