Type 1 Diabetes Steroids & Anti Biotics

[Barry Peters]

Help-I have just had a really nasty bug which necessitated taking a 5 day course of steroids and anti biotics....which resulted in having difficulty in controlling my blood sugar...question is, do the steriods and anti biotics cause issues with sugar levels and is this 'normal'?

 

[urbanracer]

We generally find that our blood sugars go high when we are ill anyway.

Don't know enough about steroids but antibiotics are not normally known to cause a reaction.

Most likely to be down to the illness itself I'd guess.

 

[GordonA]

I've had to take steroids a number of times over the last couple of years. Every time, my blood glucose goes through the roof (30 mmol/L). I was warned about that by my GP and pharmacist, though, so increased my pump's basal rate while taking the prednisolone, which helped a little. The Patient Information Leaflet did list "increase in diabetic conditions if already diabetic" as a potential side effect.

 

[noblehead]

It's likely the bug that is causing your elevated bg levels rather than the antibiotics as both illness and stress can impact on bg control, as a type 1 I've experienced this so many times.

 

[CarbsRok]

Steroids will increase your blood sugars quite a bit plus the infection. You will need to fire fight the blood sugar increase with extra insulin, making sure you have plenty of glucose handy when or if your numbers drop quickly once the course has finished.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I'm not allowed antibiotics in general so can't say either way, But steroids do raise blood sugar this is primarily the reason I am now T2/T3E after prolonged high doses.