Sugar and sweats

[Blackeye-susan]

I suspect that every time I eat a sugary or high starch food, I get a horrible drenching sweat. I never had this before I had PMR and was wondering if anyone else noticed this correlation? I am not sure if it is just a coincidence or PMR or the prednisone affecting my endocrine system. Any thoughts?

[piglette]

In my case the sweats started soon after I started the steroids. They tended to be mainly in the evening, but I had given up simple carbs, but I could imagine there may be a link.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Could be alongside a spike in blood sugar I suppose.

[Iloveholidays]

This happened to me when first diagnosed and on 15mg so I avoided sweet things. I still have occasional break out in sweat but not necessarily at the same time as eating. Hope that helps.

[Lochy]

I had exactly the same thing for the first few years after diagnosis. As soon as I ate bread etc I broke out in a sweat. Think it probably is the carbohydrate sugar spike. Diet changes helped. 6.5 years later and I’m now on 4mg - feel like I’ve been at this game forever - it happens far less even though I’m not as good with my dietary choices

[Blackeye-susan in reply to Lochy]

thank you for sharing. I am going to limit my sugar and carbs too. See if that helps.

[Bluemoonbrummie]

Hi I’ve been having some hot sweats - and had assumed it was one of the side effects of prednisolone. Often in the evening.

[Bennijax]

yes, I am getting these. Also new eczema. I’ve cut out so much sugar and carbs I don’t know why these sweats and eczema have started. But I’m more and more sure it’s related to foods that contain higher than usual levels. I’m slow tapering from 8 to 7.5. Can’t think of anything else why.

This evening I will eat only broccoli and lamb chops and see if the sweats come on later,

[Blackeye-susan in reply to Bennijax]

Thank you for sharing. Let me know how the broccoli and chops work.

[ChefMamaJude]

It's an increase in sugar. I have diabetes and knew when I started sweating that I had a spike. So I invested in a tracker (poke the finger) and saw that it was high. Not more than 145 but still.

[Omakaat]

Awful feeling isn’t it? And my experiences fully corroborate all of the above. It is the sugar spike. Since I’ve been diagnosed with type2 diabetes, I have been poking my fingers a lot, and even on a ‘ nuns diet’, cutting out all the fun sugary or semi sugary food, the prednison makes my blood sugar spike in the afternoon. So that’s when the flushes start, at least for me. Reducing the carbohydrates, and completely abstain from them from late afternoon and all evening, has helped me with very much.

[Albyn32]

I have reactive hypoglycaemia (spelling?) Had it long before pmr and gca. I have found that the sugar spikes and forehead sweats and increases in heart rate are much worse since I started taking pred. A little improvement if I cut right back on carbs. I’m sure there is a connection between pred and sugar spikes heart rate and sweats.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Albyn32]

Hypo (low BS) or hyper (high)?

[Albyn32 in reply to PMRpro]

hypo low

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Albyn32]

I just wondered as you were talking about BS spikes

[Albyn32 in reply to PMRpro]

As it is reactive it reacts after I have eaten. Particularly in the morning after a night fast. Even lower glycemic things like porridge set it off. Before I knew what was wrong and learned about diet to control it, a really bad reaction would mean fight or flight mechanism, adrenalin the system and uncontrollable shaking for 10-15 mins.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Albyn32]

Ah so ...

[singingloud]

I woke this morning with sweats and it has only increased more over the past half hour. I’ve not eaten anything yet.

While on our river cruise, we went out walking on daily excursions and by the time we were back to the ship I was soaked and had to take my second shower of the day.

I never sweated like this before PMR and prednisone. I m sure they both factor into the sweating issues. Hope you improve with the help of all the great advice.

[Blackeye-susan in reply to singingloud]

thank you. I am going to cut my carbs and sugar. Since several noted it helped them. I guess l could walkaround in exercise clothes all the time, so people just think I am sweating because I just finished a cardio workout 🏃‍♀️ 😁. Have a great day!