Dr. Megan’s Dispensary
Many people ask which supplements I recommend as a specialized clinical pharmacist.
If you want to buy high-quality supplements I recommend, click below. I will receive a small percentage if you buy supplements from this highly respected online store, so thank you for supporting me in my mission to ease the suffering of prednisone patients!
I only recommend dietary supplements from high-quality manufacturers made with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. I included instructions for how often I recommend you take them.
All the Nutrition You Need While on Prednisone
Nutranize Zone: the Prednisone Vitamin
People on prednisone suffer from many symptoms. Here are a few supplements I find beneficial:
- Calcium + vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis.
- Melatonin for restful sleep and a calm mood.
- Chromium picolinate for hunger cravings and to prevent weight gain.
- Cinnamon and berberine for blood sugar regulation.
- Prednisone causes the body to lose other nutrients which need to be replenished, such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
You may notice that all of these ingredients are in Nutranize® Zone, the dietary supplement I created for people on prednisone. I intentionally included all the nutrients prednisone steals, plus more to help combat the miserable effects of prednisone. I wanted a product that was the ONLY supplement I needed while on prednisone. This is the Prednisone Vitamin you’ve been looking for!
If you’d prefer to buy the ingredients individually instead of all-in-one, click here for my Nutranize Protocol. For example, if you are sensitive to one of the ingredients in Nutranize Zone and need the others, check out this protocol to find out which nutrients you need while on prednisone.
Nutranize Protocol: replace the ingredients in Nutranize Zone
Here are my Supplement Protocols:
These are the vitamins, herbs, and supplements I recommend for people currently taking prednisone (or other steroids like methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone, or dexamethasone).
Quiz Result Recommendations
Have you taken my Quiz to find out what your #1 Mistake is while taking prednisone? If not, take it!
If so, here are the supplements I recommend based on your quiz result (HG, BL, TT, or SH).
HG
Prednisone Weight Support for HG
- Chromium picolinate supports proper insulin and blood sugar balance, which helps you feel less hangry.
- Cinnamon helps your body use the sugar in the blood properly.
- Berberine has pretty remarkable evidence for supporting not only stable blood sugars, but also blood pressure and cholesterol.
These ingredients are included in Nutranize Zone to support a healthy weight while on Prednisone.
With a Quiz Result of HG, that means High Glucocorticoid side effects are your biggest problem.
The supplements below can support a stable blood sugar, which can decrease cravings. This can lead to a more stable weight, stopping the gain and potentially leading to weight loss.
BL
Bone Support for BL: get the supplements you need!
It’s important to have all the ingredients to build bones back up from taking prednisone causing bone loss.
Collagen: Muscle, Skin & Bone Support for BL
Prednisone often causes changes related to collagen, such as bone loss, muscle loss, stretch marks, and many others. Here are some helpful collagen options.
SH
Sleep Support for SH
Prednisone causing insomnia is the #1 tweeted side effect! These ingredients can help support restful sleep and more steady moods.
TT
Prednisone Tapering & Recovery for TT
Adrenal Recovery for TT
Licorice Root may be helpful once you’re fully off prednisone.
Condition-Specific Supplement Recommendations
Check out which vitamins and supplements I recommend for specific conditions. Some include links to clinical literature to support conditions of people on prednisone.
Autoimmune Support
Prednisone is often prescribed for autoimmune conditions. These ingredients can help support a healthy immune system.
Hair Loss
Platelet Protocol
Many people take prednisone for ITP (immune thromobocytopenia), like me, and want support for platelets. These supplements have evidence to support platelet production.
For people with ITP, the following supplements have been shown to boost platelets:
- Melatonin up to 20 mg every night
- Berberine
- Papaya Leaf Extract
Nutranize Zone Ingredients for Tacrolimus (Prograf) Patients
I wouldn’t recommend Zone if you’re taking tacrolimus as there may be a drug interaction. The levels of tacrolimus might change too much and not work to prevent your transplant from rejecting. We don’t want that.
So instead, I recommend an alternative. Since I can’t give you the all-in-one solution that is Zone, I’ve got a list of a few other supplements you can take instead. This should fit the bill for the vitamin and mineral supplement that your specialist recommended.
I included a list of the most important ingredients to prioritize if the cost is an issue. The one thing to note about this list, is that many of the bottles contain more than one month supply, so it might put the price in perspective. Plus, I give you 10% off!
