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Steroid induced
- Thread starter Iodine
- Start date
- Status
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum
There are a few people who have posted in recent weeks but I can remember who they are specifically but if you use the search at the top right then some of their posts should pop up.
What treatment are you having for the diabetes.
I do not have a monitor on my arm yet. It is suppose to be delivered tomorrow. So l don’t know how my levels are doing. I have been on steroids for 35 years for an autoimmune disease. I am also on an immune suppressant drug. The diabetes did not raise it’s head until l had an adrenal crisis and they had to pump more steroids into me. From what l read if l could come off the steroids, (which l can’t) the diabetes would go away.
Proud to be erratic
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hello @Iodine, as @Leadinglights said a short while ago there are a small number of members here with steroid induced diabetes. A recent new member is @Carolmch and she posted under a title "Hi I am carol", starting on 6 Jan this year. A link to that brief exchange of posts is attached below.
I offered a little more info to @Carolmch about steroid induced diabetes having a diagnosis of Type 3e; that was at post #3. That might explain a tiny bit more.
I'm sorry you find yourself here in the 1st place but it does sound as though you are getting some of the right and necessary support:
3 units daily sounds like a basal or background insulin, (or possibly a mixed insulin). Do let us know exactly what your insulin is, including any letters or numbers in the insulin descriptor. What advice have you had, if any yet, about when to take this insulin? Has the possibility of going hypoglycaemic been explained along with guidance on precautions and possible response treatments?
That you are due to get a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) tomorrow is excellent. Once you know which, do let us know (probably the Abbott Freestyle Libre 2 or the Dexcom One ) and we can tailor any observations accordingly. Both have many similarities in how the sensor works and displays, but each also has several differences. Will you be monitoring your CGM sensor through your mobile phone or with a Manufacturer's hand held Reader? If you have an opportunity I'm in favour of having a Reader as well as a phone app; today's recharge is broadly extremely good and phone apps can provide a little more than a more basic Reader. But often the Reader can be quicker and simpler than a phone and app PLUS Readers are invariably more reliable than phones, which can be pushed into manufacturers upgrades that haven't always been compatible with the CGM app, causing hassle and (dis)tress
I'm slightly surprised about your comment that you don't know how your levels are doing. I had presumed you have been provided with a finger pricker and test meter alalready. This should be standard provision for anyone starting on insulin; it is also a legal requirement from the DVLA to have if you are driving (even with CGM). The CGM will reduce your need to finger prick and certainly make your monitoring a lot easier, but not totally remove the finger pricking remit.
CGM is a terrific aid but there are some limitations to using CGM and I think it helps to forewarn you of these and manage your expectations. A link to these limitations is given here:
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/cgm-limitations-and-precautions.108188/
I'm sorry to hear that; 35 yrs on steroids is a long time.
This is where my knowledge about your diagnosis and the medical aspects of your 2 co-morbidities is extremely thin/ weak. Because you are being treated for an autoimmune condition I just have no idea if your D can now ever go away. Has that been suggested by a Consultant or other specialist?
Meanwhile, Welcome to the Forum. I hope we can answer some of your questions particularly the pure D questions and thus help you grapple with these new intrusions into your daily living. Do ask - no question is considered stupid; we all know this is a most confusing and disconcerting time for those new to D.
The attachment is a picture of the pen box with the insulin. The monitor is:
FreeStyle Libre 3 System, Continuous Glucose Monitoring Package
I live in Folkston, Ga. and have to drive down into Florida to see an endocrinologist. He has not been very good about telling what to look out for or what to do. Thank you for all your information. My biggest problem is meals. I go on the net and ask for suggestions but most thinks require ingredients l don’t have and can’t find in this small one grocery store town.
I take the insulin after l eat breakfast in the mornings.
And no he did not give me anything to test my sugar before the monitor comes. I was on a monitor they put on 4 months ago and l wore it l think 2 weeks but it took almost 4 months to get a return appointment to have it checked.
Thanks again for your help/ information.
FreeStyle Libre 3 System, Continuous Glucose Monitoring Package
I live in Folkston, Ga. and have to drive down into Florida to see an endocrinologist. He has not been very good about telling what to look out for or what to do. Thank you for all your information. My biggest problem is meals. I go on the net and ask for suggestions but most thinks require ingredients l don’t have and can’t find in this small one grocery store town.
I take the insulin after l eat breakfast in the mornings.
And no he did not give me anything to test my sugar before the monitor comes. I was on a monitor they put on 4 months ago and l wore it l think 2 weeks but it took almost 4 months to get a return appointment to have it checked.
Thanks again for your help/ information.
Attachments
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Er, 3u of Fiasp only once per day? Never heard of a single other person with diabetes only using that tiny amount of fast acting insulin and nowt else to treat their diabetes successfully.
Meter did not come today. I was informed it will be here Monday. Thank all of you for your responses. I have been reading all l can find on google but you guys have added to that information.
I know you all must have gone thru what l am going through now. I lost a brother and a niece and a nephew to diabetes. My brother was 60, my niece and nephew were in their 40’s. So this disease does scare me. I do have a terminal lung disease but it does not scare me. I am on oxygen 24 hours a day. For some reason l feel more in control of it.
I know you all must have gone thru what l am going through now. I lost a brother and a niece and a nephew to diabetes. My brother was 60, my niece and nephew were in their 40’s. So this disease does scare me. I do have a terminal lung disease but it does not scare me. I am on oxygen 24 hours a day. For some reason l feel more in control of it.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sincere condolences for your losses @Iodine
Gosh that must really have been something to have to work through, losing all those people to diabetes
Hope you get on well with the Libre 3
It has taken a while for it to be made available in the UK, we have a member ( @Finn ) in Germany who was able to start on Libre 3 earlier. We should get a few more T1 members getting access to Libre 3 over the next year or so. So we will be interested to hear how you get on with it!
Gosh that must really have been something to have to work through, losing all those people to diabetes
Hope you get on well with the Libre 3
It has taken a while for it to be made available in the UK, we have a member ( @Finn ) in Germany who was able to start on Libre 3 earlier. We should get a few more T1 members getting access to Libre 3 over the next year or so. So we will be interested to hear how you get on with it!
Well l got my Libre 3. I have questions to ask your group. Last night the alarm went off twice because of low levels. Since my doctor never told me what to do when that happens l googled it. I ate a piece of hard candy each time. My question is, what can l do to keep it from going so low. I also notice through out the day it is all over the place nothing consistent. I can not be eating anything and it can go from normal to high. What causes that? I realize when l eat it goes up but when l don’t eat it hops all around. I realize with time l will figure out what l am eating that is causing it to jump. And l can adjust my eating. I want to thank you all for what information you can give me that makes my life easier.
I had read that from one of the people on this site so l made sure l put it on my right arm as l sleep on my left side. If l had a fingerprick test slip l could check it on the reader they sent me but l do not have any of those. I guess l can call the company and ask what l need to do to get some, so l can do finger pricks.
I’ve recently tapered off steroids (Predisolone) after 4 years for PMR. Diagnosed pre-diabetic with HbA1c of 44. Whilst on higher doses of Pred I was very strict with diet, but when I got to lower doses I foolishly became a bit blasé eating what I fancied, pizzas and stuff like that. I’m currently into a carb limited diet hoping I can control or reverse the numbers.
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