Steroids have been shown to cause vitamin D deficiency, possibly by increasing levels of an enzyme that inactivates the vitamin.
Corticosteroids and Nutrient Depletion
To add to that side-effect, they promote nutrient depletion. According to the Natural Medicines Database, corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone deplete calcium, vitamin D, chromium, zinc, potassium and magnesium from the bodies of those who use them.
Potassium is a very important nutrient in maintaining the level of fluid inside a cell. Steroids can deplete potassium. There is a delicate balance between potassium and sodium in and outside the cell that are critical for heart functions, nerve impulse transmission and muscle contractions.
Corticosteroids may increase the body's loss of magnesium. Some doctors recommend that people taking corticosteroids for more than two weeks supplement with 300–400 mg of magnesium per day. Magnesium has also been reported to interfere with the absorption of dexamethasone.
The endogenous serum metabolite of vitamin D (calcitriol, 1,25(OH)2 D3 ) is considered a true steroid hormone (D hormone), and like glucocorticoids (GCs) and gonadal hormones, may exert several immunomodulatory activities.
There really is a link between Vitamin D and Testosterone. One large-scale study showed a 30% increase in Total T after taking Vitamin D. Some data has even shown that just sunlight can increase Testosterone.
Laboratory studies reveal that steroids may increase 24-hydroxylase activity, thereby decreasing 25(OH)D levels (12–14). Recent literature in pulmonology, gastroenterology, and rheumatology has noted that patients treated with oral glucocorticoids have significantly lower levels of 25(OH)D (15–17).
Prednisone leads to a loss of potassium and vitamins B-6, B-12 and folic acid. It also interferes with vitamin D, which affects calcium metabolism. Zantac and other acid-suppressing drugs can make it difficult to absorb vitamin B-12. And hydralazine depletes B-6.
Steroids cause bone loss by a variety of mechanisms. They act to decrease absorption of calcium from the intestine, and increase urinary calcium loss. This leads to the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism, which results in bone resorption.
Corticosteroids (applies to prednisone) electrolyte imbalance. Corticosteroids can cause hypernatremia, hypokalemia, and fluid retention. These mineralocorticoid effects are most significant with fludrocortisone, followed by hydrocortisone and cortisone, then by prednisone and prednisolone.
Steroids have been shown to cause vitamin D deficiency, possibly by increasing levels of an enzyme that inactivates the vitamin.
Official answer. Prednisone does not usually cause sleepiness but may make you feel dizzy, irritable with mood swings, or cause you to have trouble sleeping (insomnia). If your dose is stopped too quickly or if you take prednisone for a long period of time you may feel severely fatigued.
Acute, generalized weakness, including weakness of the respiratory muscles, typically occurs 5-7 days after the onset of treatment with high-dose corticosteroids. Some case reports describe the development of muscle weakness after the administration of a single dose of corticosteroid.
Magnesium deficiency is diagnosed via a blood test and sometimes a urine test. Your doctor may order the blood test if you have symptoms such as weakness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if you have abnormal calcium or potassium levels.
Refining or processing of food may deplete magnesium content by nearly 85%. Furthermore, cooking, especially boiling of magnesium-rich foods, will result in significant loss of magnesium. The processing and cooking of food may therefore explain the apparently high prevalence of low magnesium intake in many populations.
Lack of vitamin B12 in your diet: People who don't eat enough foods that naturally have vitamin B12 or don't eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 can develop vitamin B12 deficiency. Gastritis: Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, and it's a common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.
[1] People who regularly take medications that suppress stomach acid for conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease—such as proton-pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, or other antacids—may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food.
Interactions between your drugs
No interactions were found between prednisone and Vitamin B12.
Vitamin D deficiency is the state of having inadequate amounts of vitamin D in your body, which may cause health problems like brittle bones and muscle weakness.
Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency, with young children and premenopausal women at the highest risk of iron deficiency [21, 22].