Supplements for pred use?

[Brenviking]

I take prednisolone daily - a consequence of this is I eternally seem to have a cough or cold. My immune system is obviously affected by the steroids.

Can anybody recommend any supplements that are good for a weakened immune system?

[emmasue]

I take Ad-cal as prescribed by my GP to help prevent bone loss. I also take a 1000mg vitamin C suppliment and a daily multivitamin (I do the first two in the morning and the multivitamin in the evening). This is all at the suggestion of my GP. Good luck.

[Hidden]

As far as I know exercise is the only way to improve your immune system, I believe cardio is the best.

If you are low in vitamins then supplements are ok however taking supplements when you don’t need them and especially exceeding recommended daily doses appears to increase your risks of certain cancers.

sciencebasedmedicine.org/vi...

[Matman]

Have you considered talking to your GP about the possibility of trying an ‘alternate day’ regime of pred? There has been some comments on this forum about taking pred every other day, rather than daily.

As Pred probably does reduce your immunity it’s possible that a one-day-on / one-day-off regime may help by (effectively) reducing your monthly Dose by 50%, providing an alternate day dose still controls your Asthma.

Vitamin C (via food sources) is useful but I would avoid it in supplement form altogether. One good way to take it is via Blackcurrents (3 times more Vit C that Oranges). Blackcuuants also contain natural phenolic compounds, in particular anthocyanins, and are considered a Super Food. I use an off-the-shelf dilutable Squash consisting of 50% Pure Blackcurrant / 50% Water, sold by Waitrose (likewise, I’d guess, sold by many other supermarkets).

Vit C in supplement form (especially above 250mg Per Day) has been found risky. Unlike drug companies, supplement companies have few regulations to adhere to and, frankly, it’s scandalous that they are allowed to sell high dosage Suppliments to the public when risk factors are known, but ignored.

Interestingly, Medical Grade Vit C is also used by some Cancer Doctors but in big dosage sizes (i.e. Grams of the stuff) though typically under strictly controlled clinical conditions, as an adjunct to medical treatment. This fact gives you an idea of how powerful (and risky) it can be.

To mitigate bone health issues arising from both Pred and Inhaled Steroids, I take the following a couple of times a week ‘not’ every day (in modest strength / dosage): Vit D, Vit K2.

Also Lycopean, as its had some good Press.

I drink milk and eat butter to help replace lost calcium resulting from oral and inhaled steroid use.

Note, if you like and use Butter, then paying a bit more for a decent organic brand obtained from grass-grazed cows can yield Vit K2, but I still like to top-up on it via a supplement as it helps keep calcium in the bones and out of the blood stream (where it can cause damage due to arterial calcification).

I also use Magnesium (known as a Master Nutrient). I prefer the citrate form. Plus Potassium, but definitely avoid Supplements where Potassium is concerned (dangerous in supplement form, especially above 100mg Daily). I stick to bananas and other high Potassium foods. One bite of banana provides around 100mg of Potassium but (in food form) the higher mg strength is not often an issue unless you have a particular sensitivity or medical condition. BTW some inhalers are serious potassium depleters, for example Fostair (due, I believe, to the Fomoterol).

Try grabbing a little sunshine too, both for Vit D and Nitric Oxide Production. Likewise, as already suggested, physical activity like walking / gardening or (if you can manage it) actual exercise is the best Suppliment of all.

Hope some of this helps.