Increased blood sugar

[JEY1]

Has anyone experienced increased blood sugar on Ibrance or Leprazole? Mine has increased considerably!

[JEY1]

Spelled it wrong! Oops!

[Hidden]

Hmmm....I did not, or not that I noticed on my labs... The only time my blood sugar increased due to anything related to treatment was after taking prednisone/steroids to pre-treat for allergies to CT contrast dye...You didn't happen to do this prior to labs, did you?

I do hope you get it sorted out...BTW, I do think there is some value to us having labs all the time, i.e. we really have instant feedback on lots of things going on in our bodies. If you have a blood sugar issue...unrelated to cancer/treatment...at least you can get on top of it quickly!

Again, best of luck with it...

Best, Lynn

[JEY1 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Lynn! I have been pre-diabetic for awhile, but nothing as high as I have had lately! The only explanation was when I was on steroids after IV chemo. Will definitely get it checked out further though!

[fchrist]

I am on Abraxane and Tecentriq and my blood glucose has slowly (over 5 months) gone from 89 to 123! I keep asking about it. My internist says they don't get worried until it goes over 150 fasted ,consistently. I don't like that. My oncologist is going to do an A1C test which shows a deeper level of sugar metabolism. I also notice that when I go in fasted it is higher than when I go in after eating. Something to research?

Frederica

[Hidden in reply to fchrist]

Frederica - It's interesting what you say about higher after fasting vs. not. I keep checking back on this thread because after I responded that I didn't have any problems, I realized that my BG actually is higher than I'd like it to be.

I didn't start "tracking" BG until a few months ago, and I've been in Ibrance for almost six years, so I have no idea what it was at the beginning. But after reading above/responding, I recalled that I had mentioned to my sister about a year ago that my BG was usually 105-110, which I thought was good, and she said, "No, that's pretty close to pre-diabetic"...Since I do intermittent fasting, I've generally not eaten about 12 hours before labs...

Historically, I've had issues with LOW blood sugar (to the point where I would faint, e.g. while driving!!!), so having diabetes never seemed like a possibility.

So this convo has triggered two thoughts: First, maybe my BG is higher due to fasting? OR maybe it's higher than it would otherwise be due to the meds?

I'll note that it has come down a bit, into the 90's, since I started exercising a lot...

But I'll keep an eye on it and maybe go in for labs next time after eating, not fasting..

Thanks for the insight..

Lynn

[Aquadog]

Yes, mine is high. Not dangerous level, but up from my normal range. I've heard of others with the same problem. My oncologist is aware, but not concerned. Mention it to your oncologist just as a FYI.

Take care,

Susan

[morty87 in reply to Aquadog]

My fasting glucose level hovers around 114. No one seems to be concerned other than I. I don't know.

[JeniMcC]

Hi JEY1 and All, I have been on 2 cycles of Ibrance and Letrozole so far. I also have type 1 diabetes and wear an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor (a Deccom G6), so I have a continuous stream of blood sugar data and can see in real time what is happening to my blood sugars. There are a few things I have noticed regarding my blood sugars while on Ibrance (vs my week off). First, my blood sugars definitely go up, averaging 50-100 mg/dL higher if I don’t intervene with some tried and true strategies. The most effective for me has been to stay extremely hydrated (I drink at least 6 liters of water per day to protect my kidneys) combined with daily exercise, preferably before I take my medications in the morning. If I miss my morning hike, my blood sugar is guaranteed to stay elevated all day while on Ibrance, vs easy to manage on my week off of Ibrance. The exercise always acts to buffer blood sugar fluctuations for at least 24 hrs under normal circumstances—but on Ibrance, if I don’t do it, I am really in trouble and it goes haywire. Second, I have noticed that on Ibrance, symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia (High and low blood sugars) are amplified and at least double. Hypoglycemia is actually painful, and shakiness is amplified. Hyperglycemia causes any nervy pain to escalate. All is much better with daily exercise and I see it as medicine. Third, I notice that I am much more sensitive to carbohydrates than before. I require more insulin to cover the same amount and type of carbohydrates than before. I eat a very good diet, typically with very little processed carbohydrates like bread or cereals. If I decide to eat a sandwich, though, the bread requires double my usual dose of insulin. I have mitigated this by staying away from processed carbohydrates, or by using exercise to bring it down after I eat it. I wouldn’t know any of this stuff without the constant feed of data from my Dexcom sensor, so I really feel compassion for you all who are only doing finger sticks or are getting an A1c. I don’t know why Ibrance raises our BG levels, but this is real. I can only guess as to why by knowing which interventions work best—exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps overall health and inflammation, resulting in better blood sugars. Good sources of carbohydrates, like vegetables and whole grains also help. Good luck to you all. Ask me any questions you have.

Jeni

[JEY1 in reply to JeniMcC]

Good information!! Thanks for sharing!

[fchrist]

Wow Jeni, what a wealth of information. Thank you so much.

It is very encouraging to hear that exercise is good medicine for high blood sugar. I think I will try to start my day off with more bouncing on my trampoline. I might even try it right before I go get my labs done. Since I only get them done once a week it will be a slow process but since this is a long-term deal I'll eventually have some good data points.

I also needed to hear that about refined carbs. I have definitely let myself have a few more bowls of cereal than I should lately but shredded wheat with a banana is so good!

I have a brother who is a veterinary oncologist. He knows a lot about lab work. I might ask him some of these questions. I'll let you guys know what I find out. (He always tells me if I were a dog my neutrophils are too low to get another dose of chemo, even tho they are always in range)