Has your doctor (GP, rheumy, ophthalmologist) eve... - PMRGCAuk
Has your doctor (GP, rheumy, ophthalmologist) ever warned you about prednisolone raising your blood sugar levels?
Please select one:
I found out from internet blood test border line last month recheck end of this month
I don't know what's going on, but I received this post/poll 8 times! I only replied once. 
Really sorry - the server went bonkers for a few minutes!
Yes & he's done random Blood Sugar Levels & they've always been fine.
I'm also on Methotrexate & the Routine Monthly Blood Tests have also requested a Blood Sugar Level a couple of months ago too!
It has never been mentioned either by my GPs nor consultants. I did however find out from research on the 'net'
Only know from what I've read on here, which seems to be the case, for me anyway, for most of the important and significant things I need to know about PMR and treatment.
Jackie
Yes, my doctor did say about blood sugars because I have type 2 diabetes and have had to go on med for diabetes because of the pred raising them, shame cos was doing well before my GCA diagnosis
This is the second time that I have been diagnosed with PMR.. The first time was approx. 20 years ago when I was in my mid 40s. The Rhumy tried to diagnose anything else and then gave up and called it PMR. I was on Pred and methotrexate for quite a while and it did bring great relief, but I then had to come off pred quickly as my blood sugars went through the roof!! I was then diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which was not responding to tablets and I now take insulin. I was not warned of this side effect by either the rhummy or my GP. I survived with a few blitches, that but now the symptoms have returned. Not as bad as the first time thank goodness. and I am back on Pred. Down to 13 mg now from 25mg in 2 months, but I am worried about my blood sugars. I am trying very hard to follow a low carb diet , difficult, but blood sugars look OK
Hope this helps Lynne
Thanks for your responses. Keep the votes coming!
I had a blood test at the beginning of January 2015 to confirm I had PMR. My doctor put me on 15 mg without a face to face appointment. Since then I have had no advice other than to drop from 15 mg to 10 mg at one go. I persuaded him to let me drop at a slower rate following the invaluable information I have had from this forum. Since then I have been on my own. I think I must be his only PMR patient as he had to look up his manual on the only visit I have had with him. I keep him informed as to what I am doing by letter when I ask for more Pred.
I was about to ask the forum advisers if I should be getting any or what tests almost four months on since my diagnosis. Any advice would be welcome about what I should do in the future.
Hi Patricia - sorry to hear about your plight. Can't really answer in detail here because it's a poll. Please do a post and we can get you lots of replies.
I was informed right from the start about the correlation between Pred and raised blood sugars, I suspect partly because I was already on Metformin tablets and partly because I was started on 60mg Pred due to suspected GCA. I was transferred to insulin pens to compete with the higher levels of sugar and remain there some 2 years later.
I have fasting and random blood sugars done every 3 months at present.
Diagnosed with PMR and GCA. I was told immediately of common side effects of Prednisolone and my blood sugars were monitored regularly. Due to high doses and many flare ups I did develop Type 2 Diabetes. However, I found this easy to deal ( unlike PMR GCA ) with and got my blood sugars down quite quick.
On Pred since July for pmr & gca and by August high blood sugars and by September on Metformin. Not advised by anyone this would happen at the time. Type 2 diabetes diagnosed but still not controlled yet despite change in diet and Metformin.
Yes but he did not check my levels till I had been 60 mg of prednisone for almost three months by then blood sugar was 38 I was very sick ended up in emerg and in hospital 2 weeks as blood surgars unstable lost my vision and had flare with my GCA I had to be taught how to test my blood and give myself injections once I started to reduce prednisone the amount of insulin I needed was less. Currently I am on 5 mg of prednisone and take 500 mg of metformin twice a day for diabetics, have permanent partial loss of vision in one eye and have to take immune sparing drug plaquinel as on the metho I lost my hair I am 61 and have had giant cell for one very long year
No mention of possibility of type 2 diabetes has ever been mentioned. Only seen my doctor once in five months at the beginning. Just repeat prescriptions for prednisolone Adcal D3 and alendronic acid. Everything else I have learnt is from this site
Yes both have warned me about this, and blood work regularly to monitor this, but I seem to get mostly low blood sugar levels, I can feel it coming on and drink a glass of juice.
Both my GP, Eye Doctor, and Rheumy did talk about Blood Glucose/Diabetes and Prednisone. I am (and was) a type two diabetic. I control my carbs and that helps keep the glucose in line. I have GCA/PMR. Hope this helps.
Enan
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