Do oral steroids raise your blood sugar?

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Emilymay

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Been feeling ill for weeks so went the doctors yesterday and was diagnosed with a chest infection, due to having asthma also I was given a course of oral steroids for 5 days.

Took my first 8 tablets of steroids this morning and checked my blood sugar and it’s 9.0!! My blood sugar is never that high (even after eating sugar!) and especially not that high before eating. I did read that oral steroids raise your blood sugar but do they really raise your sugars that high?? :(

Is it worth not taking the steroids and seeing if the antibiotics work on their own? Or will it go back down after the steroid course is finished?
I’m a bit worried about continuing to take the steroids.
 
Steroids unfortunately increase insulin resistance in diabetics and non-diabetics alike. All you can do is monitor your bloods and if you are consistently in the teens ring your GP or 111. I would not advise stopping as my experience with some antibiotics over the past year has been rather worse than the effect of steroids! Steroids can also increase the appetite so be aware of this.
 
MikeyBikey said:
Steroids unfortunately increase insulin resistance in diabetics and non-diabetics alike. All you can do is monitor your bloods and if you are consistently in the teens ring your GP or 111. I would not advise stopping as my experience with some antibiotics over the past year has been rather worse than the effect of steroids! Steroids can also increase the appetite so be aware of this.
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Only 9 so far but this was the first time testing (about 4 hours post taking the steroids) I’ll see what it’s doing in about an hour and half when I finish my lunch.
Thank you for your response.
 
I have found both can raise my blood sugars unfortunately.
It’s one of those things you will just have to manage as if you’ve been prescribed them you will need them to get better.
Hope they kick in soon and don’t impact your levels too much
 
Yes beware of weight gain as well, my other half was on steroids for 3 months and started to put weight on immediately and is really struggling to lose it again.
 
11.2 2 hours post meal!! It was only eggs on low carb toast. 1.5g of carbs that meal and it’s still spiked to 11.2
 
Emilymay said:
11.2 2 hours post meal!! It was only eggs on low carb toast. 1.5g of carbs that meal and it’s still spiked to 11.2
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What were you before you ate?
Are you sure of the carbs in the toast, I know there are some low carb breads but never seen one that low, are you looking at the carb not just the sugar in the nutritional information.
 
Normally one slice of bread is 12-18gs of carbs, what have is 15g a slice so 1.5 units for me. Is that what you mean?
 
Steroids can make the liver produce more glucose (As has already been said, they increase insulin resistance), so even if you haven't had many carbs your body may be pumping out more glucose than you can deal with.
 
Emilymay said:
Been feeling ill for weeks so went the doctors yesterday and was diagnosed with a chest infection, due to having asthma also I was given a course of oral steroids for 5 days.

Took my first 8 tablets of steroids this morning and checked my blood sugar and it’s 9.0!! My blood sugar is never that high (even after eating sugar!) and especially not that high before eating. I did read that oral steroids raise your blood sugar but do they really raise your sugars that high?? :(

Is it worth not taking the steroids and seeing if the antibiotics work on their own? Or will it go back down after the steroid course is finished?
I’m a bit worried about continuing to take the steroids.
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Hi Emily, I was on prednisolone for ages, and two side effects I'd rather not have had was higher BG and weight gain. I don't know which ones you are on but some you have to have a reducing dose until you can stop altogether. Eating pretty much what you described I was peaking in the low 20's two hours after a meal and not dropping below 10 other times. Since finishing the steroids my sugars are still bouncing around a bit but as I am now on Insulin I am still experimenting to find the correct dose for me. At least now I am often around the 8 mark or lower, especially before breakfast.
From experience I expect your Sugars will go back to normal when you stop the steroids.
 
And - sorry! - but the chest infection will increase your blood glucose anyway before you start taking any drugs to try and get rid of it. Don't stop the steroids is my thought whatever side effects they may have - its only a few days. When you already have chronic asthma really really getting rid of additional lung problems is far more important than a temporary increase in blood glucose.
 
Sorry to hear about the rises in your glucose levels with the steroids @Emilymay

Hope the course of steroids help with your chest infection. Are you on antibiotics as well?

Get well soon!
 
@Emilymay how are you getting on?
Hope you feel better
 
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