When I saw my doc this week she mentioned that one of the things she was concerned with monitoring while I'm on Pred is the development of diabetes. It concerned me because I don't have diabetes now, nor has anyone in my family ever had it.
I thought it was interesting and important to know about. I'm not sure if there have been posts about it before...I didn't see any.
I found a post at:http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/25470.htm
Answering a question as to whether diabetes brought on by pred use would go away after going off pred. I pasted the answer below.
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The answer to this question is that "it depends." Prednisone is a synthetic version of the hormone cortisol made by the adrenal gland. One of cortisol`s normal actions and an action of prednisone is to shift the exchange of sugar from one tissue to another in a way that can result in a rise in the blood sugar. If all the other mechanisms regulating blood sugar are working okay, they will act to balance out (or compensate for) this steroid effect: the tendency for the blood sugar to rise may never be apparent in that individual. If very high doses of prednisone are used or if those balancing mechanisms are not working fully, then it is more likely that a rise in the blood sugar will occur. Sometimes those balancing mechanisms (like the ability to produce insulin in the pancreas and to respond to the insulin in other tissues) may be in the middle of a long-term decline. That means the person might have been moving in the direction of developing diabetes anyway. So it depends on the exact mixture of these different effects whether things will go entirely back to normal when the prednisone is stopped. The majority of people treated with prednisone do not develop diabetes while on the drug. Many who do will have the blood sugars return to normal when the drug is stopped. Even if the blood sugar does go back to normal, however, I would use developing diabetes while on prednisone as a warning sign of greater risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. That means making an extra effort to maintain healthy weight, eating habits and exercise.
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Take care all....Kathy
Hi, Kathy -
I'd suggest that you google "chromium picolinate and corticosteroid induced diabetes". It appears that part of the reason the blood sugar goes out of control with prednisone is that the drug depletes the chromium in your system (chromium helps insulin do its job in regulating the blood sugar), so taking chromium picolinate and biotin daily can help keep the insulin working properly.
It has certainly helped me. I take 600 mcg chromium picolinate & 250 mcg of biotin daily, but not within a few hours of taking calcium.
Thanks for the info kathy, we really need to be aware of what can happen, before it happens! Ruth, I already got the chrominum last time you mentioned it Ruth, but I have been off supplements for a while, hope to be able to start on them again soon. My Mega B supplement has VitH Biotin but only 50mcg so I guess I need an additional pill of it.Hi
I guess i'm one of those who has develop diabetes. I am now taking insulin 4 times a day and finally have it down to a good level. We have never had diabetes in my family that I know of. My brother started with it a couple of years ago but was on the pills and is now off the pills but watches his diet. I should be so lucky.lol Oh well one learns to adapt. This is from someone who had an aversion to needles and would almost faint when having to have a shot.lol Since I have hit 65 it seems my whole body has gone to pots. Well maybe it was before that but everything is coming to light now. I used to smoke but quit that over 11 yrs. ago because of a breathing problem. Since I quit it seems everything has gone wrong with the old body. I hope every one is doing all right.
Anna
Speaking of "going to pot", wasn't there someone in this group who was going to try smoking pot to see if it would help with PMR? I don't think we ever got a "report" back on that experiment!Did I mention I HATE PILLS!!!!!!
600 mg of chromium picolinate, but not within a few hours of taking calcium. Oh my goodness!!!!! I have a hard enough time remembering to take my calcium
Anna, I'm so sorry to hear about the diabetes. I'm hoping that you're still on the pred and it will go away when you come off of it. Thanks for letting me know. Take care all and thanks for the good info! Kathy I'm sorry to hear Betsy, you threw me...I'm looking for who's in jail
Took me a while but I figured it out.
Kathy hi Maybe after doing pot probably couldn't remember how to get back in here.lol When I saw my doc this week she mentioned that one of the things she was concerned with monitoring while I'm on Pred is the development of diabetes. It concerned me because I don't have diabetes now, nor has anyone in my family ever had it. I thought it was interesting and important to know about. I'm not sure if there have been posts about it before...I didn't see any. I found a post at:http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/25470.htm Answering a question as to whether diabetes brought on by pred use would go away after going off pred. I pasted the answer below. **************************************** The answer to this question is that "it depends." Prednisone is a synthetic version of the hormone cortisol made by the adrenal gland. One of cortisol`s normal actions and an action of prednisone is to shift the exchange of sugar from one tissue to another in a way that can result in a rise in the blood sugar. If all the other mechanisms regulating blood sugar are working okay, they will act to balance out (or compensate for) this steroid effect: the tendency for the blood sugar to rise may never be apparent in that individual. If very high doses of prednisone are used or if those balancing mechanisms are not working fully, then it is more likely that a rise in the blood sugar will occur. Sometimes those balancing mechanisms (like the ability to produce insulin in the pancreas and to respond to the insulin in other tissues) may be in the middle of a long-term decline. That means the person might have been moving in the direction of developing diabetes anyway. So it depends on the exact mixture of these different effects whether things will go entirely back to normal when the prednisone is stopped. The majority of people treated with prednisone do not develop diabetes while on the drug. Many who do will have the blood sugars return to normal when the drug is stopped. Even if the blood sugar does go back to normal, however, I would use developing diabetes while on prednisone as a warning sign of greater risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. That means making an extra effort to maintain healthy weight, eating habits and exercise. **************************************** Take care all....Kathy Folks, I've read in a couple of places that cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar levels. You can get capsules of it quite cheaply. I've started taking a 500mg one each day. Has anyone run across anything that will help the adrenals take over their job from pred? I recall someone mentioning a B-vitamin. Hi guys Ok it is fine to take all these OTC meds. but what are the side effects. I know I can't take to much calcium as it give me massive stomach cramps. I also have IBS. So have a very touchy stomach. Doc put me on Plaquinill and told me virtually no side effects. I had to get off as it was giving me awful stomach problems. It was helping me. I had a dream last night that I told my husband "I quit taking the insulin". I chuckle about it today but would love to get off all these meds. Let me know the side effect of the OTC meds and I might just consider trying them. I'm so glad it is helping you guys. I'm envious.lol Anna
Let's try this again!
Although I don't have arthritis, I'm on prednisone for COPD - only 15-20 mg/day. I was on 5 mg/day to every other day for a few weeks, and previous to that, I was on 'dosepaks' (in parens due to the fact that I used 5 mg tabs, starting at say 30 mg, and working down to 5) for several months prior to that, and my blood sugar, in September was randomly at 138, when I was hospitalized for an infection and copd flare. I was put on IV steroids, and my BG levels quickly exceeded 180 to 200 (fasting of 200). They gave me 2 units of insulin ONCE during the 4 days I was in, then after I got home, I started checking my sugars (I had a meter - had obtained it from a "flight for diabetes" kiosk at a local airshow featuring the only insulin dependent stunt pilot ever licensed by FAA - was going to use it to check my sugars (this was before hospital stay) since I was on pred and knew it raised sugars and was going to give it to friend for her to send to mission field if my sugars stayed ok for a month or so) and noticed they were extraordinarily high and kept getting higher (especially after I increased my pred to 15-20 mg/day), 200, 300, 400, etc. I finally got my doc to get concerned, and now am on 12 units of Lantus insulin/day. My numbers are still sometimes 'all over the map' and I found out just HOW illness can really mess them up! I've had a bad cold nearly bordering on pneumonia the last week or so, and my numbers, even WITH insulin, have been in the 200-300 range. Today was the first time in a week they've been under 150 average, and I had one 69 reading - dropped from 300 to that! I now know how one can feel with hypo - shakey, etc.
Granny,
Sorry you are now facing this issue as well as all the others. Your posting
may also help explain to some why the sugar free diet is so helpful while on
pred. I hope your blood sugars return to normal as you decrease your pred
dose. Living with diabetes really impacts everything you do.
pgr
She recommended B's, Omega's, Calcium and D. The B's & Omegas were for
the adrenals; the others to counteract other pred effects
pgrI was watching Oprah with Dr. Oz, I think that is his name. She had a very good show on health. There were several in the audiance who suffered from fibro and other illinesses. He recommended we take Vit A, B,C, D and E. And that most of us are not getting enough of D. I do take a Multi Vit, B with C, D, and 2,000mg of Vit C every day. He also has a new book on on the foods we need to eat to stay healthy. I started today on 1.25, I cut the 5mg in quarters. I know the no sugar diet has helped me so much. I see my Dr tomorrow and will see what he says. He wanted me to stay on 5mg. I know I am not the Dr, but I feel like I could cut down. I will see tomorrow what he says.
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