Diabetes and PMR, does the steroids increase blood sugar by much and what do you do to reduce it? high blood pressure, does it rise also?

[Sue8]

I am on meds for high blood pressure, also newly diagnosed diabetic on meds type 2 and now diagnosed with PMR and on 20mg prednisolone daily. really worried what my health state is getting in to.

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member]

Hi Sue, sorry to hear you have type 2 diabetes as w

ell as PMR. It's true that blood sugars may go up. My type2 diabetes was a leaving present from the PMR. You should eliminate all simple carbs (generally white foods) from your diet as much as possible, and reduce your carbs intake generally while on the steroids. This is quite difficult to do, do make sure you give yourself an occasional treat, whether it's dark chocolate or ice cream. Also, the combination of saturated fats and sugar is bad for diabetics, so snack healthily on things like walnuts and pumpkin seeds. It's a bore, but your body gets used to it and I don't even fancy cakes and puds any more. Don't worry too much - the PMR will pass, it does in the majority of cases.

[Sue8 in reply to Polywotsit]

Thank you, got my next hb1ac in 3 weeks so a bit concerned what it will be and maybe my metformin will be increased. I have suffered with all this pain for a couple of years now but only just got diagnosed 2 days ago after trying a reducing dose steroid. Once they were done ithe pain was back with a vengance. I was glucose impaired for a few years before becoming type 2 4 months ago. I also take meds for high blood pressure and have done for several yrs. I read that this PMR is more in the elderly but I am not quite 49 yet and already take 7 tabs a day. My last c-reactive protien was 24 and has been for about 2 yrs highest has been 29 so its stable but high. So glad I found this group.

[Hidden]

Hi Sue,

There's not much I can offer as advice when reading Kate's. The so called "modern diet" contains the two major destroyers of health - refined sugar and added salt. Even in the best of health, our body finds it very hard to deal with both. Introduce steroids into the picture and we are left with virtually no defence. I, myself eat a very plain diet. Fish, meat, lots of green veges, no saturated fat. Wholemeal bread. I cook with rapeseed or sunflower oils and olive oil. As little saturated fat as possible. No white flour. I guess I could go on for ever. You probably are already on quite a strict diet and therefore have an advantage when planning your regime. I am lactose intolerant and have citric acid allergy on top of all the rest.

18 months on and I am still quite slim, I feel I am starting to win this contest. It had been hard at times, but it gets better. 7mg on tuesday, I hope.

Pats.

[Sue8 in reply to Hidden]

I try to eat healthy but have a large family and can be hard some days. I have cut out the snacking and eating 3 times a day whether hungry or not to keep my blood sugars as level as possible. I can't have wholemeal all the time as I also have IBS. I am not slim and haven't been for over 25yrs now lol but since the diabetes have managed to lose a stone so far. I just seem to be falling a part before I am even 50 lol. I tell you what though, yesterday was the first time in a few years that I had energy to function like a normal busy mum and it felt good

[Hidden]

Hi Sue,

I read your reply with much sympathy. There seems to be so much for you to handle that it is wonderful that you are losing weight. You need help from a good dietician and I guess you surely must be getting this. If not, why not?

One thing I picked up on in your blog was IBS. I suffered from this for years. All the worst side effects possible. My G.P, said I suffered from stress and that was the cause. I attended his clinic to learn how to de-stress myself, useless! On a visit to my local chemists I picked up a booklet on IBS. The information within told of the many causes of IBS. One was lactose intolerance. About two weeks later I had stopped treating the bathroom as my second home. Why? I had stopped drinking milk and all it's by-products. This was my story. I realise it might not be yours. I can still have milk, but in small amounts. Small amounts of hard cheese, low fat yoghurt and the occasional icecream and dark chocolate.

If you could find the cause of your IBS things would be much easier. When I had IBS I couldn't eat wholemeal bread at all.

So glad about your yesterday!

Pats.

[Sue8 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for replying, I feel very alone with this PMR as no one has heard of it. I only found out about a year ago that I had IBS after years of visits to the GP for the pain I was getting straight between my legs stopping me dead in my tracks sometimes then the violent cramps. I had gone for something different as I felt so ill and that's when he told me casually dropping it in the conversation. I had also asked him about Fibromyalgia as my tiredness was to the extreme and I could not function properly. He sent me home to look up chronic fatigue syndrome and to go back with my thoughts yes honestly he did. Anyway the tiredness got the better of me one day so a different doc at the surgery had loads of bloods done and my diabetes was detected and it was this doc that said about PMR. I actually feels loads better and slept well again last night. As for a dietician, nope all I see is the practice nurse who is crap to be honest, well the last one was.

Weighed myself this morning and I have now officially lost 1st 1lb and I am so chuffed. Another 4 stone would be great but doubt that will happen so taking everyday as it comes and 1 stone at a time so 13lb to go and counting :))

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member]

Brilliant work on the weight loss Sue! And great that you are sleeping better. I read my first post to you again and it sounds a bit self-satisfied. I didn't want it to sound like that! Changing one's diet longterm in modern Britain is a one of the hardest things. We can't live on rabbit food especially when we are cooking for a family. I'm cooking for my grandsons three days a week and that left-over pizza is much more likely to find its way into my tum than into the bin. I can't throw food away! And going out to eat now I have diabetes is a nightmare. I just take the metformin and hope for the best. But I can honestly say that I used to be a carbs junkie and I have just about cured myself of that. Just every now and again a huge pile of spaghetti gets the better of me. 0

[Sue8 in reply to Polywotsit]

Thank you, I am pleased with myself though am really hoping the steroids don't put it back on me.

Carbs are my nightmare as I love bread but I am really trying to cut it down to only have it once a day. Yes it's hard when cooking for a large family, I cook for 7 most days as I still have 5 offspring living at home all with different tastes in food. My other downfall was my very sweet tooth but have found since eating 3 times a day has stopped the craving.

I will start a blog on here I think though not really blogged before but will give it a go.

[Hidden in reply to Sue8]

Hi Sue,

You're losing weight whilst cooking for 7. You must have loads of will power! Well done.

I get the bulk of my carbs, not from wholemeal bread, but from potatoes, but I never peel them. Just take off the scarred parts. Some folks find this distasteful, but my partner and I prefer them that way. Roasted, chipped and in stews etc. If the skins are left on they become unrefined carbs. Plus , all the goodness in potatoes is in the skin.

I have also found that a good way to combat weight gain caused by pred. is to drink lots of water. I buy the sparkling as I don't like still water. I try to drink about 3 pints a day. It will flush out of your body all the baddies that pred. makes you store. Like salt and sugar. Also it's good for your skin and hair and is a great help to your kidneys. I also drink quite a lot of tea. I can promise that all this fluid has never made me put on weight.

I do eat white rice as well, and I realise that it might not be advisable for you, but I always put veges like peas and bean sprouts in with it and I would guess this helps make it more like unrefined.

Pats.

[Sue8 in reply to Hidden]

I have little to no will power, i try to keep busy during the day so I don't snack and my sweet cravings have gone so don't sit with choc any more in the evening. That is brill info about potatoes thank you as I do like my spuds. I have an Actifry which is fantastic so use that for roast spuds etc or even rings of new pots with skin on are lovely done in it. I do drink water through the day but not a big fan of hot beverages, I use a cup not a mug and only have possibly max of 4 per day. Sue x

[wrongtrousers]

HI,

Both my daughter and I who have PMRGC have steroid induced diabetes. My blood sugar level has come down dramatically as I have reduced the steroids

My daughter is still very high.

My big help was cutting the carbs and having more protein........this reduced my blood pressure too...Grace x.

[Sue8 in reply to wrongtrousers]

I was diagnosed with diabetes months before the PMR and they did not want to treat me for the PMR cos of it increasing my sugar levels but in the end they had no choice as the PMR was interferring with everyday stuff. Just had my hb1ac this mornign so will be interesting on what level it comes back as.

[PMRandRA]

Hi. My blood sugars rose by about 2 points, not much but enough for my doctor to have an apoplexy. I gained tons of wright, then discovered the 8 week blood sugar diet. I lost 2 stone, went into diabetic remission, came off all diabetic drugs and I am winning. 😂 I highly recommend the way of eating, and it costs nothing apart from abput £3.00 ish for the book and it is somple. Hope this gives you hope. Oh. I am 68!