Predinisone is NOT good for diabetics!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dave   _ on September 8, 2009 at 1:40pm

I was given Pred for hives and had to stop it after about a week. I couldn't get my bg's down no matter what. Same thing with steroid shots in my neck for pinched nerve. I spent 10 days over 200 despite taking THREE TIMES the usual amount of insulin per day.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ErinArg on September 8, 2009 at 1:44pm

Oh, I'm SO glad it was not just me. No, not glad that you too had highs, but you know what I mean. The doctor very, VERY casually said "you may experience some high blood sugar readings..." I was SO not prepared for the highs I got! Have you ever seen a list of meds NOT recommended for diabetics? I imagine there is one somewhere out there, but never thought to search for something. You live and learn, huh?

Hope you're well Dave - thx.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dave   _ on September 8, 2009 at 1:49pm

Yup! (on the live and learn)

I'm doing fine--just came from my 4-month appt with my endo and got great news...A1c is 6.0. Hip hip hooray!! Last time it was 6.2 and before that my worst in many years-- 6.5. I had fully expected this A1c to come in at around 6.3+, so I was shocked when they gave me the number today.

The pain doc that did my 3 neck shots also doesn't realize just how high the shots make my bg's go up...but you can bet I let her know, and she was surprised. sigh.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cathy on September 8, 2009 at 7:36pm

I am like you Dave I took it for hives too. Boy oh boy did my sugars go through the roof. Mine was all up in the 300's. At the time I was not on my pump so I had to constantly check and take a shot. I just felt like crap for 10 days.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dave   _ on September 8, 2009 at 7:49pm

Aww, sorry to hear that. I'm telling you, the hives I had were the most miserable experience of my life--it was worse than pain. If I have bad enough pain I can get relief thru meds or surgery, but the hives drove me crazy for 7 months. I went to several doctors and nothing really worked. I got a little relief from 12 Benadryl a day and Zyrtec, and some other pills that I forgot the name of. The Pred helped too, but I told the doc I wasn't about to let my bg's go crazy despite the fact the Pred helped the hives. After a few months I was beginning to think this was going to be a permanent condition, which is quite a terrifying thought because I couldn't sit still, I had a difficult time sleeping (well, getting to sleep). In the morning, I'd get a fresh batch of them usually right after I got up. They were "pressure" hives according to the allergist--they were the worst where pressure was on my skin like my rear when sitting, etc. They were so large they grew together like islands floating together on the ocean. I sprayed lidocaine, I had all sorts of creams, ointments, you name it, I tried it. I found one thing that made me forget I had them for a while--I discovered that when I played a high intensity video game ( a shoot em up game called Resistance Fall of Man) my mind was so preoccupied with the game, I'd not feel the itching. No other diversion helped like that video game.

All of this happened 10 days after surgery on my neck and we still don't really know what actually caused the hives. I read a lot on line about hives and found that others got their hives following surgery too...

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bob McAdams on September 8, 2009 at 1:49pm

Same with me, I took it for a bad rash (Which it helped) but paid a very high T1 price!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Joanne on September 8, 2009 at 2:47pm

Just went thru this after I got a cortisone shot in my knee. My knee is feeling better which is good cuz it was very painful but I traded that for elevated BS's. Nothing I did really helped. It has to run its course. Any type of steroid whether oral or injection will do this. You trade one problem for another. I had a whole week of BS's all over 200. I guess you have to decide before you take any and be prepared for what comes after. My BS this AM was 179 so its still coming down but my knee feels alot better.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mommy and the monkeys on September 8, 2009 at 3:29pm

I had to take Prednisone after my surgery ... my basal had to be increased 180%. After 2 days they pulled me off of it.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Di on September 8, 2009 at 4:11pm

Yes! Someone I work with was given this last year for the same sort of symptoms you mentioned and her BG was through the roof! She could've written your post!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Frank Olsen on September 8, 2009 at 5:00pm

Prednisone is sometimes a necessary drug. There are many drugs and even vitamin/supplements that affect insulin requirements, I have trouble with niacin and Bg but for cholesterol improvement I feel the benefits out-way the cons. I bet non-diabetic insulin requirements are also raised on prednisone, it's just they adjust automatically. We have to make those adjustments all the time, granted it's hard and most of the time not predictable. Don't give up on a powerful, effective drug just because Bg is harder to control. Maybe the benefits of the drug are more important than the Bg control. Weigh the pros and cons. Granted sustained hyperglycemia is also a bad thing, it's a tough call.
Good luck

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by rick phillips on September 8, 2009 at 7:09pm

I am currently on Pred, and I am having the same difficulties. The Rhuemy is like well dude, the RA is making you miserable, so what do you want to do? I biked 4 1/2 miles and walked two miles and my BG is over 300. Well ok, I was able to walk and ride a bike, I could not do that last week. So what how am I doing? I am using about 35% more insulin every day and how long will I do it? I am scheduled for three weeks, will I keep going? depends on if I get sick of being sick I guess. DTK anyone?

rick phillips

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dave   _ on September 8, 2009 at 7:24pm

wow, biking when 300 is NOT good for you, Rick. That can exacerbate, rather than mitigate, high bg's.

I did 300% TDD for 10 days and STILL had bg's in the 200's. It was insane (from a steroid shot to the neck, which I mentioned earlier IIRC)

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last