Prednisone & sweet smelling breath

[VicSat]

Thanks for replies. Blood test last week showed everything OK. Sweet breath is shown online as a known side effect of prednisolone .

[Hidden]

Glad you had blood test and were ok. 👍🌻

[PMRpro Ambassador]

That's fine then - as long as it was an Hba1c test and not just a random blood sugar they did.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

I hope it was hba1c too. A random blood glucose test for a random spikes doesn't work.

[SheffieldJane]

Better to be safe than sorry!

[Jackoh]

👍👍

[16denton]

Yes I’ve had this. My understanding is it’s caused through blood sugar levels raised by the preds. It certainly seems that way for me

[VicSat]

I have a particularly thorough GP who did an initial diagnosis, arranged a specialist appointment for the afternoon, and 2 days later GCA was confirmed. I caan't imagine her missing Hba1c.

I think 16denton has the answer

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to VicSat]

Exactly - but the Hba1c will show whether that raised BS due to pred is taking you in the direction of steroid-induced diabetes. It doesn't matter WHY your BS is raised, what matters is how much and what the potential damage is as a result. To get ketones on the breath usually means the level is very high - and it could be a problem.

[Hidden in reply to VicSat]

You are 3months into a long term relationship with pred and initially at high doses. You need your hba1c checked every 3mths to ensure your blood sugar isn't consistently in the higher levels. I have diabetes and know the sweet taste. I can do a finger prick test of blood glucose at various points in the day and have a massive swing high or low depending on pred timing, the food I have eaten and the exercise I do. The hba1c isn't just a snapshot at 4pm weds or whatever, it's a test of the past 90 to 120 days of the glucose level. A sort of average. If that "average" creeps up and up it does damage to kidneys, circulation, eyesight etc and makes your breath taste sweet. So if you haven't had a full blood test since diagnosed you need one just to ensure you aren't heading towards steroid induced diabetes.

[VicSat]

I've come down in 7 months from 60mg pednisolone to 8mg. I have blood tests every month. The last on 15 April. The GP told me today on the phone, in response to my question of posible/incipient diabetes, that all my results are inside the acceptable limits.

Of the blood test of 11/3/2020 I find 13 results, not one of Hb1ac. (although I do find a Mean cell Hb, and Mean Cell volume).

I ask for and receive a copy of my blood test results to check TSH, C-ReactiveProt, and Lithium. I am on Sheilding so someone will pick up my latest blood test on Friday.

If you tell me what to check for HB 1ac I would be grateful for that. (Being able to send attachments would make things easier.)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to VicSat]

It will be listed as Hba1c - but it is possible that if you are not diabetic they don't bother checking it.

They are doing a full blood count - so I would have thought it would be there, but in the UK they sometimes have a strange habit of only reporting what was requested even though the automated techniques do a lot more...