Caution with the Vitamin D Drug Olmesartan

A few months ago I discussed how chronically low vitamin D might be caused by infections. These infections may alter vitamin D metabolism in attempts to suppress your immune system, thus causing chronically low vitamin D. A certain protocol to treat this calls for the use of the drug Olmesartan. However, this drug has some major side effects to be aware of.

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Caution with the Marshall Protocol

Dr. Michael Ruscio: Caution with the vitamin D drug olmesartan.

Hi. This is Dr. Ruscio, and you may have heard me discuss previously a drug that can be used to help with problems of vitamin D metabolism. In one of my podcasts and also when I was recently on Robb Wolf’s podcast, I discussed this theory where people that have chronically low vitamin D may have chronically low vitamin D because certain infections are throwing off vitamin D metabolism and that taking more vitamin D might actually be a problem and how treating a chronic infection may help rebalance or fix chronically low vitamin D levels. I also mentioned how there’s a certain protocol called the Marshall Protocol, which is pioneered by Dr. Marshall, where they use a drug called olmesartan to help restore vitamin D receptor function in conjunction with antibiotic therapy to try to kill chronic infections that may be causing problems with vitamin D and vitamin D imbalances.

Now, my position was never fully supportive of the Marshall Protocol, and with this new information about olmesartan, I am much, much more tenuous about the Marshall Protocol. Olmesartan, again, is a drug used that can help to restore vitamin D levels, but I’ve seen a number of papers now showing that this drug can actually cause damage to the lining of the intestine and fairly frank and marked intestinal damage. With that on the table, I would recommend being much more cautious with olmesartan if it’s being used especially in this vitamin D receptor, treating chronic infection, Marshall Protocol sort of application. The reason, again, or an addition why I’m very skeptical of the Marshall Protocol is because not only is olmesartan used for a long period of time, but it’s also used in conjunction with high doses of antibiotics for a long period of time. So there seems to be quite a high potential for detriment from this protocol. I’m open to an occasional case where this may make sense, but overall I’m very skeptical and cautious with this.

In regards to how chronic infections may cause chronically low vitamin D, I think that there is definitely some merit to that claim. I’ve been tracking all my patients and their vitamin D and vitamin D metabolites—their 25 vitamin D and their 1,25 vitamin D, also known as calcitriol—as we bring them through kind of our clinical process to see if after treating gut infections and any other chronic infections and just in doing that, if that will be enough to restore vitamin metabolism and help bring up chronically low vitamin D levels. I haven’t collected enough data yet to be able to really report in on that. I have the sense that by treating the infections that will be enough to restore vitamin D metabolism, but as soon as I’ve seen enough patients through the process and collected enough data, I will certainly do a posting and make people aware of my findings.

OK. This is Dr. Ruscio. Hope this helps. Thanks.

If you have chronically low vitamin D and would like to investigate why, click here.

What do you think? I would like to hear your thoughts or experience with this.