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Prednisolone and high sugar readings

C

Cg72

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia rheumatica 2 weeks ago and prescribed the steroid prednisolone currently at 15mg per morning. I have just read my sugars 3 hours post meal and have a reading of 24 on my blood monitor kit. I HAVE to use the prednisolone but obviously with the readings this high I'm concerned especially as the norm treatment for the PMR is for 1 year or more. I am due back to gp in two weeks but I was wondering if anyone firstly:

has managed to use both steroids and keep sugars in range?

And secondly which is the best eating plan these days for diabetics to use?

Many thanks in advance
 
Cg72 said:
I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia rheumatica 2 weeks ago and prescribed the steroid prednisolone currently at 15mg per morning. I have just read my sugars 3 hours post meal and have a reading of 24 on my blood monitor kit. I HAVE to use the prednisolone but obviously with the readings this high I'm concerned especially as the norm treatment for the PMR is for 1 year or more. I am due back to gp in two weeks but I was wondering if anyone firstly:

has managed to use both steroids and keep sugars in range?

And secondly which is the best eating plan these days for diabetics to use?

Many thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Hello there Cg72 - Sorry about your diagnosis with Polymyalgia rheumatica. I can't think of anyone currently around with PMR, but there are a few members who do or did take prednisolone, alongside their diabetes.

As you have found, steroid medications do tent to elevate the blood sugars to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the person, their condition and treatment regime. It could be helpful to others responding to understand what, if any, medications you already take for your diabetes, as that could well influence any suggestions or opinions they offer.

As for earting? A number of T2s have found trimming back on their carb consumption has helped their diabetes enormously. How you might go about that could be influenced again by the sort of medication you are already taking and potentially any other health conditions.

I'll tag in @JohnEGreen , @pleinster, @Pipp whom I believe have all taken steroids at one time or another. I'll also tag in @poshtotty because her story with Rheumatoid Arthritis is quite astonishing. I wholly appreciate PMR and RA are not the same, but they are similar.

If you care to look, PoshTotty outlined her diabetes journey here: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/my-life-since-discovering-lchf.66929/
 
Cg72 said:
I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia rheumatica 2 weeks ago and prescribed the steroid prednisolone currently at 15mg per morning. I have just read my sugars 3 hours post meal and have a reading of 24 on my blood monitor kit. I HAVE to use the prednisolone but obviously with the readings this high I'm concerned especially as the norm treatment for the PMR is for 1 year or more. I am due back to gp in two weeks but I was wondering if anyone firstly:

has managed to use both steroids and keep sugars in range?

And secondly which is the best eating plan these days for diabetics to use?

Many thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Hi there

I'm one of the unfortunates on prednisolone - I have myasthenia gravis. I can sympathise with your plight - unfortunately I know from experience and also from a friend of mine (who is type 2 but is insulin dependent) that they can seriously mess with your sugars. When I was diagnosed I had a reading of 29.0 - ouch! This was in August last year. I'm currently on a dose of 13.5mg every morning - my consultant is bringing me down 1mg at a time per month - at this rate its going to take a year to get off the things! I have found that exercise is a big help - particularly walking in the evening when my levels are likely to be higher. I've unfortunately had to go back on medication to due my HBAC1 creeping up - but I have to be philosophical about this.

I tested my levels last night when I got in from work - bearing in mind this was 7pm. They were reading at 9.5 - and I have less than 100g of carbs a day. Unfortunately the steroids seem to affect your BS levels from about mid-afternoon onwards. As low carb as possible is the way to go. Avoid bread and cereals like the plague - I tend to find bread spikes my levels for hours afterwards - even small wholemeal buns. Potatoes not quite so much - but I only have 4 small potatoes when I'm at the parents for dinner - and that's only once a week. Here's hoping you have success.
 
Thanks for tagging me @DCUKmod .

Not sure if my experience will be of use to @Cg72 . I have to have courses of steroids from time to time, perhaps 3 or 4 times a year, to control extreme allergic conditions. I do gain weight, up to half a stone in three weeks, and I have swelling in fingers, face and feet. They do control the allergies though. It can take twice as long as I have been taking the steroids for the weight to be levelled out again. I do find my mood changes with them. Lets just say I have very litte patience when taking them. Whether that is due to the meds or my discomfort I don't know.
 
Hi I like Nicksu have MG so have been on Preds for a long time I have recently stepped my dose down to 10 mg a day but neurologist says that is probably as low as I can go for some while.

I am surprised that you are on 15 mg not 30 as is more usual with PMR I can only think your consultant has taken D into account.

With PMR they normaly hope to see improvement quite rapidly then would start to step it down to a maintenance dose and then see how it goes. Moving towards getting off them altogether over a period of time.

And yes though preds do up your levels I personally have found with strict control of carbs my blood sugar levels reduced even while still on preds but it takes time. I cannot say absolutely that it would be the case for every one. But I know that it is possible.

As for diet all I can say is LC high fat or medium fat did help me.
 
Thank you all for your replies folks. Much appreciated. Looks like low carb high to med fat is the way in going to have to go now then to try and keep within a better range.
Thanks again all
 
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