Blood sugar levels

[dharkan]

Do any of the heart medicines increase blood sugar levels? I am on 80mg statin, entresto, Dapa, bisoprolol etc after a heart attack last year. Though my cholesterol has come down significantly but my blood sugar has gone up. Has any one had similar experience? I am quite strict and avoid any food with sugar except for fruits. I am also physically active. I am not able to understand why blood sugar is going up. Any suggestion or advice is welcome.

[Rose54]

Hi

The sugar in fruits can be very high so be careful

You need to watch the carbs as well as thay cause the blood divers to rise.

[Still_Breathing in reply to Rose54]

they natural sugars

[nellie237]

Statins..........the BHF/Medics acknowlege this, but they don't tend to mention it much, although it was mentioned in the last BHF on Statins video I watched within the last year. (blink and you'll miss it)

I don't know about the others I'm afraid

[SmokeAKipper]

sugar in breads of all types when broken down ... good video on YouTube about blood sugar would suggest looking maybe see dietitian

[CyclingTime]

I asked the doctor two weeks ago as mkne had gone slightly high and she said she had never heard of statins causing that issue

[Zbignieva in reply to CyclingTime]

It is even mentioned in the NICE guidelines, which GPS should use.

nice.org.uk/donotdo/do-not-...

[CyclingTime in reply to Zbignieva]

yes I had read it somewhere hence me asking her. Doctors are like mechanics sone good some not do good but your never sure which you are getting!

[AlfredV in reply to CyclingTime]

it is listed as a common side effect in the patient information leaflet. I'd be a little concerned with your doctor's response.

[CyclingTime in reply to AlfredV]

well luckily my level had dropped on the last check but on the next one I wont let their lack of knowledge deter me if it has raised again! Thanks everyone

[Zbignieva]

Yes statins can slightly raise blood glucose levels in people with diabetes, especially when on the highest dose.

[Silvertail]

I'd like to know too. I've been told I'm pre-diabetic and my cardiologist says he "expects" me to develop diabetes. Very cheery, I must say. Also, my thyroid blood tests are a "bit out", so my GP gave me levethyroxine tabs so I wouldn't get so tired. (I'm still getting very tired.) It seems the older we get the more meds we accumulate.

[Silvasava]

BHF list the meds that can raise blood sugar levels, there's about 5 of them! Dapagliflozin excretes sugar in your urine. My readings have gone up but still within the parameters for my age.

As previously stated, natural sugars are still sugars and carbohydrates are converted to sugars too so diet needs to be under control.

[Sewingpumpkin]

If you haven’t already done so it may be worth looking at the diabetes.org.uk site. It helped me get my diabetes under control as I developed it after my ha and Bypass surgery.

[Nobo12 in reply to Sewingpumpkin]

Hi, can I just ask how soon you developed diabetes? I had a triple heart bypass in December. Came home with the usual medication. Now by chance after bloods taken for something else I have been diagnosed as diabetic. My sugars were 86. I’m sure sugars would have been checked in December before surgery. I was diagnosed exactly 2 years ago with UAT and it’s all gone downhill since. The nurse did say that diabetes goes hand in hand with UAT but I never knew about the heart medication.

[Hidden in reply to Nobo12]

A low blood count can also have an effect on blood sugar levels. I was 6 months post surgery when routine (mot) tests showed I'd become pre diabetic. Ask for regular blood tests to ensure any diet changes are actually reducing your sugar levels. Speak to a dietician, if you can, to get a professional opinion on your circumstances, we're all different and one size doesn't fit all when it comes to the usual prescribed path. The good news is levels, can be reduced with the right lifestyle and diet changes.

[Sewingpumpkin in reply to Nobo12]

We are not entirely sure. I developed a wound infection 6 weeks after surgery which would not heal. I was diagnosed as diabetic about 6 weeks after that. I was pre-diabetic prior to this.

I have been told that it could have been the shock of the ha and surgery which triggered the diabetes. My liver was also struggling directly after the heart attack and they took my off statins a couple of days after putting me on them. Both diabetes and heart disease run in my family I have since found out. If I’d know this I’d have eaten a few less cakes and chip butties 😀

[richard_jw]

here is an article from Mayo clinic on the side effects of statins. the relevant bit is as follows

"It's possible your blood sugar (blood glucose) level may increase when you take a statin, which may lead to developing type 2 diabetes. The risk is small but important enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on statin labels regarding blood glucose levels and diabetes.

The increase generally occurs when blood sugar levels are already higher than normal and fall in the prediabetes or diabetes range when you begin taking a statin.

Statins prevent heart attacks in people with diabetes. The relevance of the mild increase in sugar values with statins observed in some people is unclear. The benefit of taking statins likely outweighs the small risk to have the blood sugar level go up. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.."

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con....

[Judithdalston]

I am a insulin dependent diabetic ( as a result of sepsis and acute pancreatitis) and found my blood sugar was rising without a change of diet/exercise… tracked it down to a increased dose of T3 thyroid drug. A rare side effect, which I didn’t seem to get from two of the drugs you mentioned, statins or bisoprolol. I had to come off statins as I had bad muscle pain etc, and my cholesterol levels are fine without them. But given up anything that raises blood sugar levels, as that is difficult to control even with drugs like metformin or gliclazide… for me this included tangerines. Everyone is different re blood sugar, for many years I kept a daily diary to track what drugs and foods, plus exercise I was taking and the blood sugar levels. From experience I would avoid anything raising sugar levels. Do different statins behave the same, if you want to continue with them perhaps try different ones?

[Qualipop]

I agree, husband is diabetic and has to be really careful with carbs especially potatoes ,rice, bread and pasta. He tries to swap to sweet potatoes ( doesn't really like them) and wholemeal pasta, rice and bread. If he has normal ones he has to reduce the amount a lot.

[Still_Breathing]

these guys have a different view to yours diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-di...

[Hannah-Hay]

I am on heart drugs Eplerenone, Entresto, Furosemide & Digoxin. I have noticed my sugar levels have increased but my Cardiologist won’t change them. I suspect he has found something I can tolerate so doesn’t want to upset anything. I have tried lots of different drugs & my body doesn’t like them. Many years ago I was out on a blood pressure drug called Indapamide & my sugar levels shot up. My GP changed to another blood pressure drug & that made such a difference - sugar levels dropped. Again in the past I was on a diuretic, the name of which I can’t remember & when taken off it my sugar levels dropped. I am convinced that some drugs can cause sugar levels to rise. I’m not on a statin so can’t comment on that drug.