Update on my post about repeat prescription

[Phoebenooby]

Hi Dr rang today after my e- consult request to have my pred reinstated to a repeat script. Good news and bad……. Good news pred back on repeat and she added a 0.50mg tablet to my 5mg and 1mg prescription to enable me to cut into 0.25gm ! Bad news my bloods showed my sugar is at 6.00 so borderline pre diabetic…… I do eat fruit for breakfast but have done for a few years….. other than that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth….I have 0% fat yoghurt with it (trying to cut down on fat as diagnosed with blocked arteries a few weeks after PMR symptoms) but I think that contains more sugar…..🙈

[suzy1959]

Don't forget that you can get steroid induced diabetes. A nasty side effect.

[Phoebenooby in reply to suzy1959]

That’s what they said I have……I’ve had regular blood tests for 5 years as I have high BP and my blood sugar was always normal … I did have one high one in April at the hospital but the one I had in July was fine…

[Koalajane]

that is good. From a type 2 diabetic in remission I wonder if you can cut down on your carbs as the carbs turn to sugar.

[Phoebenooby in reply to Koalajane]

Yes that’s what I assume I will had to do, I said to the DR I hardly eat bread, she said that’s a starch not sugar! abut even I know carbs convert to sugar!

[MamaBeagle in reply to Phoebenooby]

I learnt about carbs and sugar when i was at school.and we did the difestve system!!! What do GPs learn exactly?..

[piglette]

I am glad you have managed to get back on a repeat prescription. A relief for you. You will be surprised at the things that contain sugar. I did read that 0% yogurt was a bit of a waste of space as far as nutrients are concerned. I don’t know how true that is.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

Dead useful though - mint in 0% Greek yoghurt with roasted aubergines - yum!!!!

[MamaBeagle in reply to PMRpro]

I just learnt this morning that Greek STYLE yoghurt isn"t much good compared to actual Greek yoghurt and that one of the best is Lidl's Greek yogurt is amongst the best.Sadly my nearest Lidl is miles away...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MamaBeagle]

Actually, the only difference should be that Greek-style is made anywhere except Greece!!! Otherwise the culture should be the same. It is a DOC-type designation, protected by law so only yog made in Greece can be Greek yoghurt.

My daughter has to go to Lidl on the way home from work - also miles from her, Aldis by the score though!!

[Phoebenooby in reply to PMRpro]

That’s useful to know, I shop in Tesco but I have a Lidl nearby…

[jayemmemm in reply to Phoebenooby]

I have used Tesco Greek Style for the last four years and am completely satisfied with it. It has about 7% fat and 4% carbs and serves well in protecting me from GI issues. It's also excellent with blueberries and raspberries.

[MamaBeagle in reply to jayemmemm]

Snap!

[Phoebenooby in reply to jayemmemm]

Is that zero fat or full fat?

[Phoebenooby in reply to jayemmemm]

sorry just reread it! So what is it labelled as? I use the tesco finest 0% fat at the moment as I was advised to cut back on fat due to my blockages but happy to have half fat yoghurt

[jayemmemm in reply to Phoebenooby]

It's in a blue and white patterned 1kg tub and the lid is labelled TESCO GREEK STYLE YOGURT with a small note under the title saying100% /british Milk. I believe there are smaller sizes available. Enjoy!

[LindyMc in reply to piglette]

If you want to have fruit for breakfast, stick with mostly berries and full fat yogurt and preferably some nuts or seeds on top as the fats and proteins that reduce sugar spikes. Go for whole grains eg brown rice and lentil pasta. Read up what the glucose goddess has to say about sugar hacks - amazing!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It isn't just sugar - it is all carbohydrates, especially simple ones like white bread, pasta, rice.

Try keeping a diary of what you eat, with weights and then work out how many grammes of carb you eat in a day. Most people get a shock!!

As for that doctor - really, I know they don't do much nutrition at medical school but that is ridiculous!!

[Phoebenooby in reply to PMRpro]

It never rains but it pours…..🙈

[harpsichor]

I also have steroid-induced pre-diabetes, and check in my « carbohydrates dictionary » on carb content of fruit - raspberries have the lowest carb content, and blueberries are quite low, as are strawberries. So I buy frozen raspberries and blueberries and unfreeze them for breakfast every morning with 5% Greek yoghurt. I understand you feel you need to keep to 0% yoghurt because of the blocked arteries, but I would have thought it did have nutritional value - not only because of the calcium but because of the good effect it would have on the gut biome. I also scatter pumpkin seeds and milled flax seeds on it, and it’s my favourite meal of the day!

[Polygolfer]

One of the known side effects of steroids is a rise in blood sugar that can lead to type 2 diabetes…

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Polygolfer]

No, not Type 2 diabetes, it is specifically steroid-induced diabetes which is different unless you go on to develop insulin resistance which may never happen.

[Polygolfer in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, long term steroids use can develop into type 2 diabetes for life

[Phoebenooby in reply to Polygolfer]

My dr said it should go once I’m off the steroids? 😳

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Phoebenooby]

See my response to polygolfer - don't worry, it almost certainly will go away. Have you cut your carbs drastically? That should help too Koalajane reversed her Type 2 doing that.

[Phoebenooby in reply to PMRpro]

I only got the results yesterday …. my numbers have always been normal but when my blood was tested in hospital prior to a PET scan ( blocked arteries) it was 7.8….. I was shocked and immediately cut down on carbs and sugar, not that I eat that much, Even though my GP gets the results etc no one took any notice of the result. My next blood test was back to normal, so I sort of relaxed on the cutting out….hence it’s gone back up!! So I’m pretty sure I can get it back to a normal reading. Not being tested again for 2 months. Thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Phoebenooby]

Was that 7.8 fasting? If you were on pred then it was probably a spike that coincided with the sample being taken - it is a bit hit or miss. If you were on pred then the PET scan may not have been entirely accurate - the pred suppresses the inflammation signal in the scan.

[Phoebenooby in reply to PMRpro]

Hi, they knew I was on Pred , I was allowed to eat and drink early morning so took my pred, wasn’t allowed anything else even chewing gum until after the scan. the scan was done about 4.30pm and the blood test was done just before they administered the tracer. The scan was to find out what was blocking my femoral arteries, they said there was no calcification so they said possibly focal vasculitis May or may not be caused by PMR inflammation. That was in April and I’m no further forward!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Polygolfer]

Not necessarily. Only if the person develops insulin resistance in the meantime and that doesn't necessarily happen. Steroid induced diabetes will go away as the dose falls.

[Polygolfer]

Every person is different, that’s why in most posts people say ‘can’, ‘might’, ‘could’ etc. Most times unpredictable unless the person is already pre-diabetic, obese, etc etc.