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Tips for Diabetics taking Steroid Medications

As a diabetic, you may find that certain medications will affect your blood glucose levels. For instance, certain mental health drugs will affect blood glucose levels. Well, there is another group of drugs that will also largely affect your glucose levels, and those medications are steroids. Steroids, such as prednisone, depomedrol, and cortisone will likely make your blood sugar rise above normal.

Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs that are used to help people get well from serious illnesses. For instance, if you have a bad case of asthma or pneumonia, your doctor might put you on steroids for a few days to bring down the inflammation that is going on in your lungs. The following tips will help you to manage your diabetes while taking steroids.

1. Blood glucose levels. First, you should understand why steroids will make your blood sugars go up above normal. Steroids act the same way as your stress hormones do. When you are under stress you have a steroid hormone that will bump up every organ system in your body. Your circulation will increase, and you will notice this by the flushed color of your face. Your blood pressure will be elevated and your blood glucose level will increase. When your stress hormone acts this way, it signals your autonomic nervous system to get ready for a fight or flight situation. Steroids act much the same way. You may find that you become very nervous, and you may feel like you want to jump out of your skin, due to anxiety. Your body reacts to steroids much the same way as your body would react if a big bear or tiger suddenly were going to attack you. Your blood glucose is high because steroids tell your liver to produce more convert glycogen into glucose, and steroids also block insulin from transporting glucose into the cells.

2. Insulin. If you take insulin, remind your doctor that you do take insulin. You may feel that your doctor knows you take insulin, but don’t assume that your doctor will remember it. You may be seeing a different doctor than the doctor that prescribed insulin to you. You need to be proactive and if you are on insulin, you may remind him/her that you take insulin. Your doctor may continue to prescribe steroid drugs, or he/she may order you something else in place of steroids.

3. Glucose meter. If you have diabetes and you are taking steroids for some reason, you will need to test your blood glucose levels fairly frequently with a glucometer. Keep track of the glucometer readings and report elevations to your doctor to. It is important to make your doctor aware of your elevated blood glucose levels whether he/she addresses the issue or not. If your blood glucose levels continue to be very high, you might suggest that you are concerned about your glucose levels. Be sure to report any other manifestations of high glucose levels, such as weight loss, changes in vision, increased urination, and changes in mood.

4. Good news. The good news is that steroids are usually not given long term, so your doctor may feel for a short time, the benefits of steroid therapy outweighs the risks. When your doctor prescribes steroids for you, you will likely start with a low dose and build up over a few days and then cut down again until the tablets are gone. Usually by the time you are done with a round of steroids the worst of your illness is over.

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