prednisone and CFRD

E

ej0820

New member
Hey guys!

So, I've been on prednisone for the last couple weeks. I was weaning down from 60 mg and am now at a stable 30mg a day (not weaning any further yet). My blood sugars are OUTRAGEOUS. I've been in touch every couple of days with endocrine and every time it's the same thing; increase the humalog and the lantus because my sugars are averaging 300-400 pre and post meals. NOTHING seems to help.

Everyone tells me not to get too concerned about my sugars spiking like this since it is due to the prednisone. They'll normal out once I'm off the prednisone and they always do. However, this is the second big dose like this of prednisone that I've been on in the last five months. Glucose in the 400s is bad regardless of the reason. It's not like my kidneys will resist damage "because it was the prednisone." My sugars are starting to cancel out the times that they're good with the times that they're bad because of these frequent prednisone doses. What can I do??

I'm so frustrated to the point of tears. I feel like I have NO CONTROL over my diabetes. I'm at the point where I don't want to eat ANYTHING anymore because I know my sugars will be unmanageable. On prednisone, it seems like insulin does nothing at all. The last time I was on prednisone, I ended up taking 50 units (that's right, 50) of humalog with a meal because of how badly prednisone spikes my sugars.

I'm scared and frustrated and at my wit's end. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to regulate sugars while on prednisone?? Diet and exercise alone are not helping.

Thanks.
 
E

ej0820

New member
Hey guys!

So, I've been on prednisone for the last couple weeks. I was weaning down from 60 mg and am now at a stable 30mg a day (not weaning any further yet). My blood sugars are OUTRAGEOUS. I've been in touch every couple of days with endocrine and every time it's the same thing; increase the humalog and the lantus because my sugars are averaging 300-400 pre and post meals. NOTHING seems to help.

Everyone tells me not to get too concerned about my sugars spiking like this since it is due to the prednisone. They'll normal out once I'm off the prednisone and they always do. However, this is the second big dose like this of prednisone that I've been on in the last five months. Glucose in the 400s is bad regardless of the reason. It's not like my kidneys will resist damage "because it was the prednisone." My sugars are starting to cancel out the times that they're good with the times that they're bad because of these frequent prednisone doses. What can I do??

I'm so frustrated to the point of tears. I feel like I have NO CONTROL over my diabetes. I'm at the point where I don't want to eat ANYTHING anymore because I know my sugars will be unmanageable. On prednisone, it seems like insulin does nothing at all. The last time I was on prednisone, I ended up taking 50 units (that's right, 50) of humalog with a meal because of how badly prednisone spikes my sugars.

I'm scared and frustrated and at my wit's end. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to regulate sugars while on prednisone?? Diet and exercise alone are not helping.

Thanks.
 
E

ej0820

New member
Hey guys!
<br />
<br />So, I've been on prednisone for the last couple weeks. I was weaning down from 60 mg and am now at a stable 30mg a day (not weaning any further yet). My blood sugars are OUTRAGEOUS. I've been in touch every couple of days with endocrine and every time it's the same thing; increase the humalog and the lantus because my sugars are averaging 300-400 pre and post meals. NOTHING seems to help.
<br />
<br />Everyone tells me not to get too concerned about my sugars spiking like this since it is due to the prednisone. They'll normal out once I'm off the prednisone and they always do. However, this is the second big dose like this of prednisone that I've been on in the last five months. Glucose in the 400s is bad regardless of the reason. It's not like my kidneys will resist damage "because it was the prednisone." My sugars are starting to cancel out the times that they're good with the times that they're bad because of these frequent prednisone doses. What can I do??
<br />
<br />I'm so frustrated to the point of tears. I feel like I have NO CONTROL over my diabetes. I'm at the point where I don't want to eat ANYTHING anymore because I know my sugars will be unmanageable. On prednisone, it seems like insulin does nothing at all. The last time I was on prednisone, I ended up taking 50 units (that's right, 50) of humalog with a meal because of how badly prednisone spikes my sugars.
<br />
<br />I'm scared and frustrated and at my wit's end. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to regulate sugars while on prednisone?? Diet and exercise alone are not helping.
<br />
<br />Thanks.
 
C

CountryGirl

New member
You need to keep going up on your lantus and keep going up and up. How much are you taking of the long acting right now? Do you take it in the morning or at night? I take mine in the morning its 26 units of Lantus, I also carb count and do a sliding scale. When my prednisone is higher my carb count and sliding scale go up but I definitely have to do BOTH! Are you doing both? My sliding scale is 1 humolog unit for every 50 over 150 and for every 50 over 180 at bedtime. Then my carb count is 1 unit for every 10 carbs.

I'm on pred all the time now, on 10mg because of tx but its only gotten worse and Ive needed more insulin with time. When I was on 60mg a day right after tx I was on something like 30 units of Lantus and then a carb count and sliding scale. The endocrin said not to be afraid to go up on the long acting aka Lantus.
 
C

CountryGirl

New member
You need to keep going up on your lantus and keep going up and up. How much are you taking of the long acting right now? Do you take it in the morning or at night? I take mine in the morning its 26 units of Lantus, I also carb count and do a sliding scale. When my prednisone is higher my carb count and sliding scale go up but I definitely have to do BOTH! Are you doing both? My sliding scale is 1 humolog unit for every 50 over 150 and for every 50 over 180 at bedtime. Then my carb count is 1 unit for every 10 carbs.

I'm on pred all the time now, on 10mg because of tx but its only gotten worse and Ive needed more insulin with time. When I was on 60mg a day right after tx I was on something like 30 units of Lantus and then a carb count and sliding scale. The endocrin said not to be afraid to go up on the long acting aka Lantus.
 
C

CountryGirl

New member
You need to keep going up on your lantus and keep going up and up. How much are you taking of the long acting right now? Do you take it in the morning or at night? I take mine in the morning its 26 units of Lantus, I also carb count and do a sliding scale. When my prednisone is higher my carb count and sliding scale go up but I definitely have to do BOTH! Are you doing both? My sliding scale is 1 humolog unit for every 50 over 150 and for every 50 over 180 at bedtime. Then my carb count is 1 unit for every 10 carbs.
<br />
<br />I'm on pred all the time now, on 10mg because of tx but its only gotten worse and Ive needed more insulin with time. When I was on 60mg a day right after tx I was on something like 30 units of Lantus and then a carb count and sliding scale. The endocrin said not to be afraid to go up on the long acting aka Lantus.
 
T

TleighsHusband

Guest
Tiffany was on and off prednisone constantly -- at times it seemed to do more to control her breathing issues than other treatments. Last year she was on it almost the entire year and would have the big swings in her numbers as well. She would reduce her carb to unit ratio and then dose accordingly making adjustments to keep the sugars in line which meant that at times she was on a whole lot more insulin than at other times. Prednisone does crazy things to your numbers but don't be discouraged by it as it is par for the course and you just keep making adjustments in your insulin to bring it under control. I know one thing that really helped Tiffany was to get on a pump (Ping by animas is great) and then she was able to to adjust her insulin like crazy with the sliding scale, delayed boluses, adjustments for varying times of the day based upon when she would take the prednisone. If you take the prednisone in the morning, your afternoon numbers will probably go way up and you will need to take insulin probably even if you didn't just eat -- at least that was the case with Tiffany and everyone is a little different. You may also see if you can get a CGM (continual Glucos management system) which allows you to track your blood sugars continuously and thereby make informed adjustments. We used the dexcom system. Don't stop eating!
 
T

TleighsHusband

Guest
Tiffany was on and off prednisone constantly -- at times it seemed to do more to control her breathing issues than other treatments. Last year she was on it almost the entire year and would have the big swings in her numbers as well. She would reduce her carb to unit ratio and then dose accordingly making adjustments to keep the sugars in line which meant that at times she was on a whole lot more insulin than at other times. Prednisone does crazy things to your numbers but don't be discouraged by it as it is par for the course and you just keep making adjustments in your insulin to bring it under control. I know one thing that really helped Tiffany was to get on a pump (Ping by animas is great) and then she was able to to adjust her insulin like crazy with the sliding scale, delayed boluses, adjustments for varying times of the day based upon when she would take the prednisone. If you take the prednisone in the morning, your afternoon numbers will probably go way up and you will need to take insulin probably even if you didn't just eat -- at least that was the case with Tiffany and everyone is a little different. You may also see if you can get a CGM (continual Glucos management system) which allows you to track your blood sugars continuously and thereby make informed adjustments. We used the dexcom system. Don't stop eating!
 
T

TleighsHusband

Guest
Tiffany was on and off prednisone constantly -- at times it seemed to do more to control her breathing issues than other treatments. Last year she was on it almost the entire year and would have the big swings in her numbers as well. She would reduce her carb to unit ratio and then dose accordingly making adjustments to keep the sugars in line which meant that at times she was on a whole lot more insulin than at other times. Prednisone does crazy things to your numbers but don't be discouraged by it as it is par for the course and you just keep making adjustments in your insulin to bring it under control. I know one thing that really helped Tiffany was to get on a pump (Ping by animas is great) and then she was able to to adjust her insulin like crazy with the sliding scale, delayed boluses, adjustments for varying times of the day based upon when she would take the prednisone. If you take the prednisone in the morning, your afternoon numbers will probably go way up and you will need to take insulin probably even if you didn't just eat -- at least that was the case with Tiffany and everyone is a little different. You may also see if you can get a CGM (continual Glucos management system) which allows you to track your blood sugars continuously and thereby make informed adjustments. We used the dexcom system. Don't stop eating!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top