Anyone developed type 2 diabetes from steroids? wondering if maybe this is a developing problem for me - I have a high dose steroid inhaler.

[Ladypig8]

just wondered if anyone had experienced this? I’ve just had a short course of prednisolone and feeling very fatigued.

[Caspiana]

Hello there. Have you actually been diagnosed with diabetes? I don't have it but a few of my lung transplant friends do have Steroid Induced Diabetes from taking tablets. High doses of steroids can cause all sorts of havoc, not necessarily diabetes. Maybe get checked out of you are concerned. I hope it's not though.

[Ladypig8 in reply to Caspiana]

Thanks very much - no I haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, I seem to always struggle with fairly significant fatigue and lightheadedness after a week or more of presnisolone and often it lingers for a month or so. It definitely seems to cause havoc! This time a week of prednisolone also made me very anxious which it hasn’t before.

[Caspiana in reply to Ladypig8]

Is this just your inhaler or do you take Pred orally as well? It's really not a nice drug to have to take. 😣

[Ladypig8 in reply to Caspiana]

I am on Fostair inhaler on MART regime always but have prednisolone occasionally for a week or maybe more when I have a flare up. Yes it really is a very strange drug 😬

[Caspiana in reply to Ladypig8]

I have to take oral Pred for the rest of my life. It really is no fun but it keeps inflammation down. I have just learnt to live with it. 😔I hope things improve for you soon. xx

[Profil123]

yes i developed type 2 ,

[EllenBristol]

you do t normally get diabetes from just taking a steroid inhaler it’s usually due to long term steriod tablets. Have you been diagnosed with diabetes as if you have it could be totally unrelated

[Ladypig8 in reply to EllenBristol]

Thanks very much - no I haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, just trying to work out why I’m getting these symptoms but it does sound like it’s highly unlikely to be happening unless I need to go on a daily dose of prednisolone in the future.

[Chip_y2kuk]

That's more likely to be adrenal fatigue.... how high a dose are we talking of prednisolone and how high a dose is your steroid inhaler?

Diabetes normally causes unquenchable thirst (but so do steroids) and also frequent need to pee.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Sorry to be picky but while I assume you mean the fatigue Ladypig8 describes is related to possible adrenal issues/adrenal insufficiency/adrenal suppression, I try to stay away from the term 'adrenal fatigue' to refer to that. If people start googling 'adrenal fatigue' it will get mixed up with some odd stuff there isn't much evidence for.

[Ladypig8 in reply to Lysistrata]

Thanks very much for this - seems likely it is something like this and me worrying about diabetes probably a red herring as I’m not on a regular dose.

[Ladypig8 in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Thanks very much - I have a steroid card as my inhaler is a high dose plus steroid nasal spray but I was only on prednisolone for a week recently due to a flare up and was on it earlier in the year for 2 weeks for another flare up. It sounds like as I’m not overly thirsty it is much more likely to be something to do with adrenal something. I’ve experienced this before after a few weeks of prednisolone, it eventually passed, I just felt very lightheaded and out of it and fatigue etc.

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to Ladypig8]

That's sounds like "Adrenal issues" ( I won't say fatigue again because Lysistrata will be on me)

But yes feeling "out of it" and the worst tiredness you ever had all the time certainly sounds like an adrenal problem.... however if your on a fair whack of inhaled steroids and you've taken a fair whack of oral steroids it's likely your adrenal glands will need time to fire back up

Cortisol is the body's natural steroid and is involved in all kinds: stress, blood sugar, blood pressure .... being the ones i remember. Unfortunately if you take a decent dose of steroids (inhaled or tablet) your adrenal glands don't need to produce as much cortisol and although they do respond in stress, they respond slower and not as well (because they aren't used to working as hard)

Cortisol production switches off late afternoon/early evening and ramps up early of a morning ... reaching peak about 8:30-9am....

It's also believed to be part of the reason that a person with cold/viral illness is exhausted earlier in the day (because they use up there cortisol faster because they are working harder during this time of "stress")

I do find it quite intriguing

I read a research paper on a group that there looking at what turned on cortisol production and how they could in turn "switch it on" and never turn it off to help people with chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis/asthma ....

it seems a long way off but I remember a doctor saying to me some 20 years ago "coughing isn't a symptom of asthma, maybe it should be but it isnt" ... now its a whole subtype of asthma... so we are learning all the time

Chip

[MikeWhite]

yes Pred has given me…

Adrenal suppression

Steroid induced diabetes (type2)

Low testosterone

Hypertension

Hypothyroidism

[Ladypig8 in reply to MikeWhite]

Thanks very much - it seems to be the wonder drug but causes so many problems, I’ve never struggled with psychological symptoms before but this last time I was very very anxious, never happened previously

[shirl13]

I've taken oral steroids daily since 1991. I was diagnosed diabetic 2003 and told it was because of steroids. I take 20mg maintenance dose daily. It's also caused osteoporosis, muscle wastage, thinning skin but am still here. Also on 3 inhalers. Have been on inhalers since 1967 and oral steroids over the years but problems have only occurred since being on oral steroids continuously

[Ladypig8 in reply to shirl13]

Thanks very much - it really is a life saver but also causes many problems, I have very mixed feelings about it but ultimately I’m very grateful it’s an option that’s always available.

[Sparkimoore]

I did too..

[Patk1]

U can develop steroid induced diabetes but fatigue is likely to b related to exacerbation that steroids were given for

[Ladypig8 in reply to Patk1]

Thanks very much - I never considered it could just be fatigue from having a flare up.