I have been feeling dizzy and shaky all week and it gets worse if I eat anything sweet or white bread etc. I am wondering if the prednisone is affecting my blood sugar levels. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I recently lost 10 lbs, but I have been dieting so that may be nothing of concern. Just doing the weightwatchers diet so it is well-balanced.
Regarding prednisone induced diabetes,the information I have seen suggests that diabetes can be induced as a result of taking predinsone but that diebetes so induced is transient in nature, except where physicians respond by treating with insulin. In those cases, what would have otherwise been as temporary condition evolves into a chronic condition requiring life-time insulin therapy. Is this true? Would a person who developed diabetes as a result of taking prednisone been predisposed to developing diabetes anyway? Would the diabetes have resolved if insulin therapy ahd not been started?
Prednisone is a drug which is similar to the hormone cortisone or cortisol produced by the adrenal gland. These are all members of the molecules referred to as glucocorticoids, which are frequently used for treatment because they reduce inflammation but were named based on their action on glucose or sugar. All act in the direction of raising blood sugar. They are likely to cause abnormalities in blood sugar primarily in people predisposed to diabetes when used at lower doses. The higher the dose used, the more likely blood sugar will become abnormal and that effect may then be seen in people with less of a predisposition to diabetes. The use of insulin does not alter the likelihood that diabetes made manifest when these drugs are used will be permanent. It may be the other way round: insulin is likely to be used in those with the most severe abnormalities in blood sugar resulting from the prednisone and those are the ones who are likely to need ongoing treatment for diabetes. Please recognize however that the insulin DID NOT CAUSE that situation - its use is a result of that situation.
Very often steroid-induced diabetes goes away when you quit taking the steroids. If you have to continue with steroids long-term, the diabetes may remain. Sometimes steroid-induced diabetes is an early indicator and the person will develop diabetes later in life even when not taking steroids.
Steroids are very effective medications for inflammation and immune disorders. Because of their side effects, doctors usually prescribe the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time.
Complex and multifactorial metabolic changes lead to damage and function impairment of many organs, most importantly the cardiovascular system. This leads to substantially increased morbidity and mortality in both Type 1 and Type 2 patients, but the two have quite different origins and treatments despite the similarity in complications which often confuse even diabetics.