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Advice needed re steroids

LittleSue

Well-Known Member
Messages
647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi all

Long story short, i've started steroid eye drops today, hourly for the first day, then 4 times daily for two weeks.

After the third hourly dose my bg is aleady 19.7 eek!

Has anyone else been on this and whats the best way to control bg? I've left a message on my pump nurse's mobile but not sure if she'll respond before Tuesday. (This had to happen over a holiday weekend, didn't it!)

Thank in anticipation

Sue





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Edited to say obviously I need more insulin, what I need to know is it best just to correct frequently, increase basal (as well, or instead?) and still avoid hypos overnight as the steroids wear off???


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Hi

Poor you !!! I hope the steroid causing your bg level to elevate wont last for days.

My own gut feeling if this was me would be to correct using my insulin pen and not rely on the pump as the correction would most likely take about 4 hours and going without eating any carb. At least insulin delivered by pen works fairly quick. I would also increase my TBR as well probably by double and just keep testing my bg levels and hope that they would return to some sort of normaility.

Nice to see you post again Sue
 
Hi
I use a pump and take steroids for my asthma. I normally increase my basal during the day to at least 180% it is a bit trial and error for the first few days. I usually find I still need more at night but probably about 150%. A couple of days after I stop my steroids the dose I need goes back to normal. You may need more or less but you can still use correctional doses. I wouldn't try and manage with my pen as I used to do that before I was on the pump and it was a disaster it ended in ketoacidosis.
Good luck but remember what works for me may not you x
 
Hello again iHs, nice to hear from you again too.

Good idea about using a pen. Usually pump corrections work well for me - down to 5.9 now but will keep a pen/syringe in mind & handy in case needed.

The pump nurse has txt me to do corrections and maybe temp basal too. I'm cautious about night hypos as evening steroids wear off, so will test lots tonight.

I think things will change when I switch to 4 times daily steroids, more of a peak/trough pattern?

The eye doctor today was a refreshing change. He expressed great respect for type 1s, people dont understand whats involved, etc. He was horrified that my appt had been deferred 3 times and with it this latest diagnosis & treatment. This eye problem may have caused severe headaches that had me off sick 3 months, depressed and under attendance monitoring at work.... Happily, he was able to open the treatment suite specially for me to avoid further delay.



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Hi Beanpole

Wow 180%? Don't think I've needed more than 130% before, but useful to know it might take that much and may take a couple of days to wear off after stopping.

The pump correction worked, also put on a slight basal increase and came down to 3.8.

Isn't this fun... not!

Sue


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Had a good night, considering. With a small increase to my basal I woke twice to test, no corrections needed, and 6.8 before breakfast. Maybe yesterdays high bg was as much the stress of the unexpected, potentially sight-threatening diagnosis and discomfort of treatment as the steroids. We'll see how things go in the next few days.


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VickiT11979 said:
iHs, can I ask why a pen would correct a high BG quicker than a pump would? Isn't it all subcutaneously injected?
Click to expand...

Dont know why exactly but my bg levels appear to drop quicker with a pen than relying on the pump. But I am talking about very high bg levels which make me feel very anxious as I want to make sure that they drop so by using a pen at least I have some peace of mind instead of hoping that my infusion set is ok and absorbing insulin. When I have used the pump to correct a high bg level there have been times when the correction hasnt done anything so that's why I keep my pen on me instead of mucking about using a syringe.
 
Hi sue
sorry only just saw your post. 180% is a lot I know and at first I was a bit scared to keep increasing my temp basal. I do take high doses of steroids which completely wreck my control.
If I get admitted for my asthma the respiratory doctors have no idea how to manage my diabetes. Pre pump it would end up with ketoacidisis. At least with the pump I'm in control.
Stick with it x


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