I started taking prprednisolone about5 or 6 weeks ago. Since then my blood sugars are ridiculously high. My gp gave me another medication to counteract the effect the pred was having on my diabetes. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be having any effect. I expressed my concern to my gp about the effect pred was having on me and he said he wouldn't take me off the pred due to the risk of blindness. I haven't seen a rhumy to have a definitive diagnosis of PMR so although my pain is hugely improved I'm still not sure if it is PMR or not. I have had fibromyalgia for about 12 years and brought up PMR to my gp as I was feeling so much worse, had loss of appetite and couldn't raise my left arm.
Hello Deborah, I understand it is a tricky balancing act keeping blood sugar levels within the normal range girl type 1 diabetics whilst also on preds, but it's a case of hanging on in there and looking after your diet.
pmr pain is very unique so I suspect you have been able to tell the difference between PMR pain and fibromyalgia pain, also I assume you had a ESR/CRP blood test that revealed high inflamation levels and this helped your GP diagnose PMR. Whatever your outcome do not stop taking your preds, you will need to be weaned off them and simply stopping them could cause problems.
all the best, christina
Hi Deborah,
I developed Type 11 Diabetes from the prednisone. My BGL's rise after I have taken the pred then settle down again later in the day. It took me a long, long time to come to terms with having diabetes and as a result i have done a lot of research and even changed GP's as the new chap has done studies in Diabetes and has a diabetic nurse in the clinic. One of the things that I have learnt is that we must protect our body tissue. High BGL will do damage and therefore they need to be controlled. Even a BGL of 7.2 mmol if left untreated can be causing problems. Deborah if your GP does not know how to manage your Diabetes then you need to go to someone who does. You could get a referral to an endocronologsist who is the person who specialises in Diabetes or perhaps you could find a new GP who has an interest in Diabetes. Here in Australia we have Diabetic nurse educators who can advise you on treatment. Don't stress out just do some research Do you have a Diabetic Association in your country?. If you do contact them. You will be OK.
I wish you well.
Warm Regards
Kathy
You don't say what dose you are on - but if the pain responded to a dose of 15-20mg then it is pretty likely it is PMR rather than fibromyalgia which doesn't respond to pred.
I have to say - I'm a trifle mystified by his "risk of blindness" statement. If you are on the correct dose for PMR (starting at up to 20mg) then that wouldn't protect you against the blindness associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA) which requires a dose of at least 40mg, sometimes higher to protect a patient at risk from that. If all you have at present is signs and symptoms of PMR there is no need to be on the very high doses - but if he has put you on that then there is no wonder your BS is haywire. If you have GCA then you need to be in the hands of a specialist not a GP anyway. In fact - I think you need to be in the hands of a specialist even if you have "just" PMR if the pred is messing up your BS so badly.
Have you tried being extra good about carbs? I know the modern concept is a "healthy balanced diet" and not restricting carbs - but it is eating carbs that leads to higher BS, remove the carbs and the BS won't be so high. The American Diabetic Association is now advocating the low carb diet approach to managing diabetes in the short term - they seem to think it is a difficult diet to follow! I don't quite understand why since that is the sort of diet I have used for the last 2 years to lose weight while still on pred and I don't feel deprived and longing for things I rarely eat! There's a blog called Diabetic Mediterranean diet blog by a Dr Steve Parker who is also a diabetic - google it and have a read.
To counteract the possibilities of diabetes my gp has me on metformin. My tests show that I am under normal sugar rates. This has worked for me for about 2 years now.
Do you mean he has given you metformin "just in case"?
I have been on pred for 5 years - I have never had an abnormal BS even before I cut carbs. By no means everyone develops pre-diabetes on pred - same as with osteoporosis, only about half of people lose bone density and I will consider extra medication as and when it is shown to be needed. Same with cholesterol if it comes to that - I had raised cholesterol due to pred and was inveigled into taking a statin. In a week I was far worse than I had ever been with PMR and heading for a wheelchair so I stopped taking it. That was when I cut the carbs - which is actually the best dietetic approach to reducing cholesterol. It worked and my cholesterol is now just within acceptable limits. "Just" because I have an exceptionally high HDL counting towards the total.
Hey Eileeen, thanks for the wonderful stuff you post - I've been doing a LOT of reading on diet and autoimmune conditions and all of them point to the little to no carb lifestyle. I've realised just how many carbs I eat - my diet is based on grains of one sort or another - eek. I was a chef in a past life and I'm very interested in food/diet so it's not a lack of skill but I'm really struggling to commit to no carbs. It's not helped by the fact my wonderful man has the taste buds of a 5 year old and refused to eat any veggies that are not peas, carrots or potato!
I cut out all sugar and processed food on 1 Jan - that was easy in comparison!
I'd started losing weight at that point, but now the pred is really kicking in and I'm bloated and I'm getting the chipmunk face etc etc It makes me feel that there's no point trying to watch the weight.
I have high choleserol and I did start on statins once (well before PMR) and I had terrible side effects - pain in my legs and complete brain fog. Couldn't get off them fast enough.
These days I've cut out omega 6 (artifical polyunsaturated oils and fats mostly found in processed food) and stopped worrying about saturated fat - I'll see how that works out!
What are you complaining about? My man doesn't even eat peas and carrots except under protest and potatoes only come as chips (french fries)...
Solved by the occasional meal where we both eat the same meat, me with salad or veggies and him with chips. Otherwise 2 different meat/fish options and the same accompaniments - to him fish is only acceptable as cod deep fried in batter or fish fingers. I eat well - he's happy...
Yeah... the dreaded hot chips will be the death of me (actually him!). I refuse to let him have them. lol
To be fair he's improving (very slowly) when we met 6 years ago he didn't eat anything healthy at all. Pizza (ONLY ham and pineapple!), hamburgers (ONLY fast food types) hot chips.....crisps... lollies.... ugghhhh
Last night I made a "meat" pie - hid a million veggies in it and served it with a pile of green food - told him he had to eat the green food if he wanted another slice of pie! Like I said, a 5 year old. lol .....oh, and he protested that it was home made wholemeal pastry, not bought puff pastry!
Hi Eileen and flipdover, I have the same problem here. Bob my husband is a good old Yorkshire man, comes from Doncaster. Wow betide I serve him vegetables. Firstly salad is for rabbits! And vegetables are rubbish! Only meat and potato pie for him. Over the years he has improved but as you say it's abit like having a 5 year old and telling them that if they don't eat their dinner then they don't get any pudding. Regards, christina
It was better until he had cancer 21 years ago - most of what he'd eaten before that I had cooked was then rejected because the chemo has altered his sense of taste. He went back to comfort food - we were living in the UK so it was easy and the girls were teenagers so were pretty picky anyway. He eats very very little - one small slice of toast for breakfast, often not even that, lunch is a roll with butter and hand, ONE small lettuce leaf or tomato. And salad cream. He struggles to eat one 4oz burger. So refusing chips in this case would be me starving him!
Yes - pizza is ham and mushroom (pineapple is unusual here in Italy), crisps yes, chocolate is a new addition. Wholemeal pastry? You evil person - don't tell me you make wholemeal bread and expect him to eat it too?
Obviously twins separated at birth...
Deborah,
Do not know what you are eating but try to stay away from refined carbohydrate products ( like sugars) . Eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice. If you are in the States, stay away from sodas. Eat more of the good fats and proteins but remember that fats have double calories, 9 per gram versus 4 grams for carbs and protein.
As suggrested above, get under the care of a doctor who understands diabetes. An endocrinologist should have a good background for taking care of both PMR and diabetes.
Charlie 44644
LOL, I do!!!