Steroid induced diabetes

[musclesinflamed]

I haven't seen too much about steroid induced diabetes. I was diagnosed with diabetes shortly after being put on Prednisone for PMR. It definitely changed my eating habits but I was able to control it with few carbs and more exercise. I was told that it might clear out as I taper off the steroids. I'm now at 3mg of Prednisone and my A1C has dropped to where I'm "post diabetic". I'm keeping up the increased exercise which has become more difficult with weakness levels I'm experiencing. I'm also slowly increasing my carb intake which I hope will mitigate the weakness. Just wanted to share.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

You may not have seen much, but now you have written there are plenty of related posts to view and it’s often discussed in here.

Well done on reversing it. .. and as stated in your other post, would hazard a guess your adrenals are part of the reason you are struggling.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"I haven't seen too much about steroid induced diabetes"

Only because you haven't read all the posts!! Now you have posted you will see at least 10 related posts and that is just the top 10! It is mentioned a great deal - mostly in relation to the advantages of low carb eating when on pred.

It is probably not a lack of carbs causing your weakness but the effects of a low pred dose that isn't yet being topped up by endogenous cortisol.

[MaritimeMags]

You say you were diagnosed with induced Diabetes shortly after being put on Pred. Can Pred be a contributory factor that fast? My GP did not seem to worry about me developing Diabetes until I had been taking Pred for five years and then she just warned that I was pre-Diabetic according to my blood tests and gave appropriate advice to prevent.

As to exercise, there are good days and there are bad. Yes, with inflammation, we do not always feel comfortable exercising. There are very suitable exercises which can be found on PMRGCA UK website.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MaritimeMags]

Depends what shortly means doesn't it? And how it was diagnosed. If a doctor just did random or fasting blood sugars they can appear very high very quickly if the timing coincides with spikes being released by the liver. If it was based on Hba1c then it could be obvious in 3 to 6 months, But if no checks had been made previously - maybe the patient was on the cusp of being diabetic anyway and pred just tipped them over the edge.

[Pixix]

I’m surprised you haven’t seen it, lots of us have/had this issue. If you look at FAQs &. Search, you will find a lot of posts! I reversed mine in 3 months, & it’s still OK after 3 years.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Pixix]

Actually there isn't a Diabetes section in the FAQs.. although your post is included in the Weight Loss section.. but agree a search would have brough up lots of posts.. as can be seen by the related posts.

[Pixix in reply to DorsetLady]

D’you know, I’m sorry… I didn’t check. It’s just that it comes up frequently, & I thought there would be!! I think I mentioned it, too, to spread the word that it exists, & that, like Google, you can search on this site, but, unlike Google, you are likely to find lots of interesting posts & advice & great information!! S xx

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Pixix]

No need to apologise, I thought same as you.. not sure why it doesn't have a dedicated section... but as it's covered elsewhere, it can be found.

As I said the search does bring up a lot of posts... some more relevant than others - but that's another subject altogether!😊

[Pixix in reply to DorsetLady]

Absolutely! I think a ‘banner’ at the top where you post advertising the FAQs and the ‘Search field’ may be good, perhaps!! S x

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Pixix]

FAQs is specific to PMRGCAuk forum, whereas the Search is HU wide ... so we could end up muddying the waters.

As PMRpro and I read all posts/replies probably easier for us to direct people as and when.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

You can restrict the Search to your community - unless they have changed it!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

No they haven’t changed it and there us a pop-up explanation how to use- although they seem to have fiddled with alerts set up when you select them. Not sure you bother.

Have pm’d

[Pixix in reply to DorsetLady]

I didn’t realise that, every day is a school day!

[Exflex]

at 1mg and below I released the brakes and began eating ‘normally’. At my annual MOT in Jan this year I was diagnosed preD with HbA1c of 44. I’m now really strict with carbs. The issue is visceral fat which (esp around liver and pancreas) that leads to insulin resistance.