![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/steve-hoffart-headshot.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA Texas pharmacist has sparked conversation on TikTok by revealing three widely used prescription drugs he personally refuses to take.<\/p>\n
Steve Hoffart, who runs Magnolia Pharmacy in Magnolia, Texas, shared his concerns in a video where he outlined alternatives to these common medications.<\/p>\n
“Here are three of the most common medications taken by patients daily that, as a pharmacist, I don’t ever want to take,” he explained in his post.<\/p>\n
The pharmacist’s list includes everyday painkillers, heartburn treatments and cholesterol-lowering drugs that millions rely on.<\/p>\n
Steve Hoffart shared his concerns in a viral video<\/p>\n
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GETTY \/ TIKTOK<\/p>\n
His video promises to explain a “root cause approach” people might consider instead. First on Hoffart’s list are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen, naproxen and Celebrex.<\/p>\n
The pharmacist believes these common painkillers “wreak havoc on your gut and cause leaky gut,” while also triggering long-term inflammation.<\/p>\n
He points to kidney damage as another serious concern. “Why do you think there are so many dialysis places nowadays?” he asks viewers.<\/p>\n
Perhaps most surprisingly, Hoffart claims these medications “destroy cartilage,” which he links to the rising number of knee and hip replacement surgeries.<\/p>\n
It’s a stark warning about drugs that many people pop without a second thought for everyday aches and pains.<\/p>\n
Hoffart’s second medication to avoid is proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, such as omeprazole and Nexium.<\/p>\n
Although these drugs effectively reduce heartburn by blocking stomach acid, the pharmacist warns that acid is essential for proper digestion.<\/p>\n
“You need stomach acid to absorb your protein and absorb nutrients like iron, magnesium, and B12,” he states in the video.<\/p>\n
He also references research suggesting that prolonged PPI use might lead to bone fractures and cognitive issues.<\/p>\n
“Studies with PPI show that long-term use can actually increase your risk of fractures and cause problems with dementia,” Hoffart cautions his followers.<\/p>\n
The third drug on Hoffart’s avoid list is statins, commonly prescribed for lowering cholesterol.<\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/man-taking-painkillers.jpg\")
The pharmacist advises against non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs<\/p>\n
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GETTY<\/p>\n
“Cholesterol is not the problem. Cholesterol in a bad environment is the problem,” he argues in his TikTok video.<\/p>\n
According to the pharmacist, while statins do reduce cholesterol levels, they also deplete important nutrients, such as CoQ10 and vitamin D.<\/p>\n
He warned of additional side effects, including muscle pain and aches.<\/p>\n
More concerning for Hoffart are the potential long-term consequences. He claims research indicates that extended statin use “lowers your sex hormones, increases your risk of type 2 diabetes and may cause dementia.”<\/p>\n
\n It’s quite a list of worries about one of Britain’s most prescribed medications.<\/p>\n