Hi I am on 5 mg just starred down to 4 first week monday 4 rest of the week 5 2nd week monday 4 tuesday 4 rest of the week 5. I hope this is going to be slow enough. However I have been borderline type 2 diabetes for years, but since the PMR came along 2016 i have been on prednisolone started on 10 mg has anybody been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes since taking prednisolone.
Mike
Hi,
Best not to take lower dose on two consecutive days at the beginning - try something like this - although mine starts on a Sunday you can adapt it easily enough -
SLIGHTLY LONGER TAPER (7 weeks)
Week 1 -
Sun - new dose
Mon-Sat old dose
Week 2 -
Sun, Thurs new dose -
Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 3-
Sun, Tues, Thurs new dose -
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 4 -
Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs new dose -
Mon, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 5 -
Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri new dose
Mon, Sat old dose
Week 6 -
Sun -Fri inclusive new dose
Week 7 -
Every day new dose
Plus from 5mg it’s probably wisest to reduce by 1/2mg rather than1mg. That can be achieved by either cutting tablets ( if uncoated plain white ones) or a bit of mixing and matching with 1mg and 2.5mg.
Others will answer your diabetes question.
It's less Type 2 when you are on pred as steroid-induced diabetes which is a bit different mechanism. The pred makes your liver release random spikes of glucose and that adds to the Hba1c level. But the effect can be reduced by cutting carbs a lot - which is also the recommendation from the diabetes clinics these days. Have you not been told to do that by your doctor if they know you are borderline anyway?
Thank you PMR Pro i am due for a meeting with the diabetes nurse tomorrow, I thought it was today but I got it wrong its tomorrow must be the Pred affecting my memory or perhaps just old age.
Mike
I have this steroid-induced diabetes. I have fought it for about 6 years. As PMRpro suggests I have eliminated most carbs, even many higher glycemic and higher carb vegies. (After all these years) I have managed to lose 10% of my body weight and on many nights try to finish all eating by 5:00 PM or even 6:00 PM. Then I have a spoon of coconut oil with my Prednisone in the morning and don't eat again until late morning or early afternoon. (I believe that PMRpro does this semi-fast also.) It seems to help a lot. I also am now able to do resistance exercise (weight training). This also helps a lot. But as an aside, I have also (in 6 years) been able to taper my Prednisone to 3.25 mg. daily and increase my exercise. It's easier to coat your stomach for such a small prednisone does, than for a larger one. Therefore, maybe your journey will not result in as good a result as mine if you are on higher levels of Prednisone. I have been fighting it for a long time, and it seems that just recently I am winning the battle. But I hope that the incremental "wins" over the years have helped to save my body from some of the ravages of diabetes.
Hi Thank you for your reply, I started on 10 mg pred in 2016 and am just attempting to go down to 4 mg I am lucky as I am able to live an almost normal life, I sail a 35ft sailing boat on my own without much trouble, walk our dogs and actually feel quite fit but dare not reduce any quicker. tomorrow I see our diabetes nurse to see what I can eat etc to reduce my diabetes back to border line.
Mike
Hi yes, me, bit it is labelled as steroid indiced diabetes. On metformin as my blood sugar spikes up to 15 sometimes (should be around 5) Drs think it should go back to normal once i get off pred or reduce more - currently on 4mg and bloods getting less erratic, have also cut carbs drastically.
PMR with type 2 diabetes 
Low carb diets
ILL AGAIN :-(
PMA one month - Now Grade 2 Diabetes!
