There are a variety of supplements that are only available through your doctor with a prescription, such as NicAzel, higher dosages of vitamin B6 for nausea, Niaspan (niacin), Rozerem (which acts somewhat similar to melatonin), and some omega-3s. Supplements can turn into prescription drugs when higher doses are needed or an alternative form is created that may work the same as or better than the over-the-counter (OTC) version.
My advice: Pick the cheapest one (usually OTC) and see if it works first. If not, then you might want to try the more expensive product. For example, OTC melatonin and fish oil work just fine and generally have good quality control. But prescription Niaspan is much easier to take than OTC niacin pills and has fewer side effects (although the latest research suggests niacin might not be as great for heart disease as was once thought, so I wouldn’t bother). In some cases, like with B6, you can just take a few more OTC pills to match the prescription dosage. In other cases, such as with NicAzel, it is tough to find OTC products with the same combination of ingredients that are proven to be beneficial in studies. Again, this book will help guide you in regard to dosage and effective and noneffective products. And remember: Just because a doctor is offering a product does not mean you should get it or that it has good quality control.
“Medical food” is a special category where some supplements become pseudo prescriptions, meaning they’re recommended by a doctor (although you may not need an actual prescription) and supposed to be used under a doctor’s supervision. But many of these items aren’t much better than less expensive nonmedical food supplements, plus they don’t undergo any FDA evaluation. For the most part, these “medical foods” are really just a way to overcharge patients (of course, there are exceptions, which I mention in some parts of this blog).
The Supplement Handbook - Mark Moyad
