Is anyone taking insulin because of prednisone?
I am. It's hard because my sugar keeps dropping to the 40s at night.
Any advice?
Yes it is low, First. And it was 50 this morning, too. I am so tempted to stop taking it altogether.
What type of insulin do you take now?
Mechelle
Please call your doctor before you stop taking it altogether. That is too low, and you should go to your doctor right away. You can go into a diabetic coma, if it gets too low take orange juice it will raise it right away. Or you can put some sugar under your tongue to get right into your bloodstream.
Let us know how you are doing! My husband is diabetic and I'd rush him to the ER if his sugar was like that. He's off insulin now and just takes meds for it.
Hugs to you!
Trisha
A low blood sugar means that you need a dietary change or a change in how you take your insulin but NOT taking insulin can be as dangerous as a low blood sugar Your doctor needs to sort this out
Hi Mechelle!
I am not taking insulin or prednisone. I freak out on the steroids and no one wants to see that!
However, I have been taking meds for Lupus since the 1990's. I had a temporary pseudo remission for a couple of years that ended about 2 years ago. BUT during all of that time and since the 1990's I have been taking "Basic Medications" given to me by my Rheumy to control certain symptoms. By now, I had mostly forgotten what symptoms they were even working on - but I continued taking the meds.
My online pharmacy sent a refill request to my doc and a new lady in the office didn't just auto fill it for me - this happened maybe 1 1/2 months ago - actually I think longer than that - time stopped for me? My basic meds did not come - these are not narcotics, just seemingly simple meds. I ran out and kept waiting. Suddenly my body went into shock. I had not weaned off of these meds - even after having this disease all this time and taking these meds for all these years I had NO IDEA the way this would affect my body. It was a nightmare - all those symptoms came back that those meds were there to fix. NOW I remembered why I was taking them - and my body was in major shock.
I had talked to my doc and the meds were on their way - in the mail, I couldn't afford any other way - but all that time, I was in shock having symptoms - horrible symptoms that I had forgotten about. I was hospitalized twice. They gave me my meds while I was there - but not enough to relieve the symptoms of shock.
When I finally got my meds it took weeks to get my body straightened out. I was in a bad flare to begin with - now I was in a nightmare flare. It took a long time just to be able to open my computer and tell anyone except the closest of my close friends and then only briefly.
PLEASE DO NOT STOP Taking anything without a full consult with your doc! He may want to "drop" you down or maybe not - but Please hon, make sure first. I learned this lesson in a very hard way and I sure don't want you to feel that way. Insulin is serious stuff!
Hugs to you sweetie! Hang in there!
Ang
Hi poobie,
Good comment on what you said to mechelle....i've suffered with low sugar for years and our counts are done different to yours, the lowest mine as been is 2.0 and it never goes no higher than 4.0....that's why i have to eat chocolate on a daily basis because it makes you pass out and go lighted headed badly.
"Michelle"....i really do recommend what poobie as said plus other member's, it's in your best interest to see your doctor before pulling off the prednisone.
All my love and best wishes Terri xxx
poobie said:
A low blood sugar means that you need a dietary change or a change in how you take your insulin but NOT taking insulin can be as dangerous as a low blood sugar Your doctor needs to sort this out
Mechelle,
You can go into diabetic shock at 65, they should have explained some of this to you. Try to eat before you go to bed, this should help. Not sure if you're taking a slow acting, or fast acting insulin? Sometimes just changing the time of day you take it will help. But sounds like the dosage is too high for you.
Hugs to you
Trisha
Thank you SO much all for your advice.
I called my doctor. She told me to stop taking one medication and changed the frequency of another.
I will see how it does the next few days.
Thanks again for your support.
-Mechelle
Trish,
I will definitely remember to eat before bed. I'm taking both slow and fast acting.
And you were right. The dosage of one was wrong. My doctor told me to stop taking it.
You are the best; thanks so much for your advice!
Hugs!!
sunrisetrisha said:
Mechelle,
You can go into diabetic shock at 65, they should have explained some of this to you. Try to eat before you go to bed, this should help. Not sure if you're taking a slow acting, or fast acting insulin? Sometimes just changing the time of day you take it will help. But sounds like the dosage is too high for you.
Hugs to you
Trisha
Terri,
I do have a problem getting frustrated and stopping my meds. I have to work on that. ;)
Tez_20 said:
Hi poobie,
Good comment on what you said to mechelle....i've suffered with low sugar for years and our counts are done different to yours, the lowest mine as been is 2.0 and it never goes no higher than 4.0....that's why i have to eat chocolate on a daily basis because it makes you pass out and go lighted headed badly.
"Michelle"....i really do recommend what poobie as said plus other member's, it's in your best interest to see your doctor before pulling off the prednisone.
All my love and best wishes Terri xxx
poobie said:A low blood sugar means that you need a dietary change or a change in how you take your insulin but NOT taking insulin can be as dangerous as a low blood sugar Your doctor needs to sort this out
Wow, Ang. Thank you SO much for sharing this. Hugs back to you.
Draginfli said:
Hi Mechelle!
I am not taking insulin or prednisone. I freak out on the steroids and no one wants to see that!
However, I have been taking meds for Lupus since the 1990's. I had a temporary pseudo remission for a couple of years that ended about 2 years ago. BUT during all of that time and since the 1990's I have been taking "Basic Medications" given to me by my Rheumy to control certain symptoms. By now, I had mostly forgotten what symptoms they were even working on - but I continued taking the meds.
My online pharmacy sent a refill request to my doc and a new lady in the office didn't just auto fill it for me - this happened maybe 1 1/2 months ago - actually I think longer than that - time stopped for me? My basic meds did not come - these are not narcotics, just seemingly simple meds. I ran out and kept waiting. Suddenly my body went into shock. I had not weaned off of these meds - even after having this disease all this time and taking these meds for all these years I had NO IDEA the way this would affect my body. It was a nightmare - all those symptoms came back that those meds were there to fix. NOW I remembered why I was taking them - and my body was in major shock.
I had talked to my doc and the meds were on their way - in the mail, I couldn't afford any other way - but all that time, I was in shock having symptoms - horrible symptoms that I had forgotten about. I was hospitalized twice. They gave me my meds while I was there - but not enough to relieve the symptoms of shock.
When I finally got my meds it took weeks to get my body straightened out. I was in a bad flare to begin with - now I was in a nightmare flare. It took a long time just to be able to open my computer and tell anyone except the closest of my close friends and then only briefly.
PLEASE DO NOT STOP Taking anything without a full consult with your doc! He may want to "drop" you down or maybe not - but Please hon, make sure first. I learned this lesson in a very hard way and I sure don't want you to feel that way. Insulin is serious stuff!
Hugs to you sweetie! Hang in there!
Ang
First, how do you handle stress and anxiety? I'm still trying to work on this. It's a daily challenge for me.
firstflorde1 said:
I use novolog with an insuline pump. My other problem is that my sugars go up often because stress , illness, anxiety and almost anything. And just everyone is correct talk to your doctor don't just stop taking your meds I did that in the past because i was tired or everything, everyone, and so much medication but I got in trouble with my doctor and because my health got worse. Please take care of yourself and talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Hugs to you.
Sonia
Draginfli said:Hi Mechelle!
I am not taking insulin or prednisone. I freak out on the steroids and no one wants to see that!
However, I have been taking meds for Lupus since the 1990's. I had a temporary pseudo remission for a couple of years that ended about 2 years ago. BUT during all of that time and since the 1990's I have been taking "Basic Medications" given to me by my Rheumy to control certain symptoms. By now, I had mostly forgotten what symptoms they were even working on - but I continued taking the meds.
My online pharmacy sent a refill request to my doc and a new lady in the office didn't just auto fill it for me - this happened maybe 1 1/2 months ago - actually I think longer than that - time stopped for me? My basic meds did not come - these are not narcotics, just seemingly simple meds. I ran out and kept waiting. Suddenly my body went into shock. I had not weaned off of these meds - even after having this disease all this time and taking these meds for all these years I had NO IDEA the way this would affect my body. It was a nightmare - all those symptoms came back that those meds were there to fix. NOW I remembered why I was taking them - and my body was in major shock.
I had talked to my doc and the meds were on their way - in the mail, I couldn't afford any other way - but all that time, I was in shock having symptoms - horrible symptoms that I had forgotten about. I was hospitalized twice. They gave me my meds while I was there - but not enough to relieve the symptoms of shock.
When I finally got my meds it took weeks to get my body straightened out. I was in a bad flare to begin with - now I was in a nightmare flare. It took a long time just to be able to open my computer and tell anyone except the closest of my close friends and then only briefly.
PLEASE DO NOT STOP Taking anything without a full consult with your doc! He may want to "drop" you down or maybe not - but Please hon, make sure first. I learned this lesson in a very hard way and I sure don't want you to feel that way. Insulin is serious stuff!
Hugs to you sweetie! Hang in there!
Ang
Hi Mechelle -
Part of me was leery about sharing this reaction I had to meds. People think all sorts of things, but I think it is important to get the information out to others - how regular medications and the sudden stop of them can put our bodies in shock! I experienced horrible symptoms from that incident that I didn't mention in my reply - and I had NO IDEA that it could happen with meds that were not narcotics!
I'm glad that you talked to your doc and got it sorted out! I sure didn't want to see you have the trouble I had OR worse - since it was insulin!
Big hugs! Ang
Mechelle,
I was freaking out when I read your post! I don't know how you managed at that low level. My husband gets shakey and dizzy at 85. My mom used to break out in sweats at 85 and start to have a major low blood sugar attack. My dad could go much lower and hardly feel anything. I was hoping that your meter wasn't reading correctly. Not sure how long you've had it, but when the batteries are low, it will start to read funny. Was your sugar extremely high before they put you on insulin?
You are very welcome, we're here to help each other : ) I was really, really worried about you.
Trisha
Mechelle said:
Trish,I will definitely remember to eat before bed. I'm taking both slow and fast acting.
And you were right. The dosage of one was wrong. My doctor told me to stop taking it.
You are the best; thanks so much for your advice!
Hugs!!
sunrisetrisha said:Mechelle,
You can go into diabetic shock at 65, they should have explained some of this to you. Try to eat before you go to bed, this should help. Not sure if you're taking a slow acting, or fast acting insulin? Sometimes just changing the time of day you take it will help. But sounds like the dosage is too high for you.
Hugs to you
Trisha
I am not diabetic; however, my doctor warned me to watch my sugar closely while on prednisone.
Have you had your meter checked for accuracy at a pharmacy? Once I experienced a reading of over 300 so I had my phamacist check it. He found I had one that had been recalled and gave me a new one.
Do check with your doctor.
Hugs,
Faye
Ang,
Thanks for sharing! I didn't know things could get that bad if I stopped taking my meds suddenly. I guess I have to work better with my doctors and just let them know when things occur with me.
Much love again!!
Draginfli said:
Hi Mechelle -
Part of me was leery about sharing this reaction I had to meds. People think all sorts of things, but I think it is important to get the information out to others - how regular medications and the sudden stop of them can put our bodies in shock! I experienced horrible symptoms from that incident that I didn't mention in my reply - and I had NO IDEA that it could happen with meds that were not narcotics!
I'm glad that you talked to your doc and got it sorted out! I sure didn't want to see you have the trouble I had OR worse - since it was insulin!
Big hugs! Ang
Faye,
PLEASE monitor your sugar. I'm not diabetic, either. It's the prednisone that causes my sugar to go up. I truly hate the drug. But, right now, it's helping calm the lupus.
My sugar has gotten has high as 450. Once, I was in the hospital getting a treatment, and the nurse ran in my room because it was so high. They said I could have gone into a diabetic coma. God is truly keeping me. Even when I don't know it.
So, yes. Please keep an eye on your sugar when you're on prednisone. Much love.
Faye said:
I am not diabetic; however, my doctor warned me to watch my sugar closely while on prednisone.
Have you had your meter checked for accuracy at a pharmacy? Once I experienced a reading of over 300 so I had my phamacist check it. He found I had one that had been recalled and gave me a new one.
Do check with your doctor.
Hugs,
Faye
Trish,
It's only the grace of God that's kept me through this! My sugar has been as high as 450! Crazy, right? When the nurse took my reading, she looked at me like I was about to die. They said I could have gone into a diabetic coma. I guess sometimes, I don't even realize how sick I am.
I'm like your Dad. I feel shaky all of a sudden, but I maintain. Once I check my sugar, if low, I'll run in the kitchen and start eating as many carbs as I can. My sugar was never high before I started prednisone. It always goes up when they increase the prednisone.
Prednisone. I truly hate the side effects. I'm praying for an alternative med I can take to control the lupus. I'm praying.
Much love!! Thanks so much for thinking about me. God bless you.
sunrisetrisha said:
Mechelle,
I was freaking out when I read your post! I don't know how you managed at that low level. My husband gets shakey and dizzy at 85. My mom used to break out in sweats at 85 and start to have a major low blood sugar attack. My dad could go much lower and hardly feel anything. I was hoping that your meter wasn't reading correctly. Not sure how long you've had it, but when the batteries are low, it will start to read funny. Was your sugar extremely high before they put you on insulin?
You are very welcome, we're here to help each other : ) I was really, really worried about you.
Trisha
Mechelle said:
Trish,I will definitely remember to eat before bed. I'm taking both slow and fast acting.
And you were right. The dosage of one was wrong. My doctor told me to stop taking it.
You are the best; thanks so much for your advice!
Hugs!!
sunrisetrisha said:Mechelle,
You can go into diabetic shock at 65, they should have explained some of this to you. Try to eat before you go to bed, this should help. Not sure if you're taking a slow acting, or fast acting insulin? Sometimes just changing the time of day you take it will help. But sounds like the dosage is too high for you.
Hugs to you
Trisha
Mechelle,
My husband's just said "high" repeatedly, it didn't even register it was so high first time. Why they didn't rush him to the ER I don't know. He was off work from a rotator cuff surgery, and when he returned to work I sent him individual orange juices in his lunch for months. He has a very physical job, and I knew he would start to go low. I packed him PLENTY of snacks so he could munch all day. Lots of veggies and finger foods.
You take care of yourself : )
Hugs to you, Trisha
Mechelle said:
Trish,
It's only the grace of God that's kept me through this! My sugar has been as high as 450! Crazy, right? When the nurse took my reading, she looked at me like I was about to die. They said I could have gone into a diabetic coma. I guess sometimes, I don't even realize how sick I am.
I'm like your Dad. I feel shaky all of a sudden, but I maintain. Once I check my sugar, if low, I'll run in the kitchen and start eating as many carbs as I can. My sugar was never high before I started prednisone. It always goes up when they increase the prednisone.
Prednisone. I truly hate the side effects. I'm praying for an alternative med I can take to control the lupus. I'm praying.
Much love!! Thanks so much for thinking about me. God bless you.
sunrisetrisha said:Mechelle,
I was freaking out when I read your post! I don't know how you managed at that low level. My husband gets shakey and dizzy at 85. My mom used to break out in sweats at 85 and start to have a major low blood sugar attack. My dad could go much lower and hardly feel anything. I was hoping that your meter wasn't reading correctly. Not sure how long you've had it, but when the batteries are low, it will start to read funny. Was your sugar extremely high before they put you on insulin?
You are very welcome, we're here to help each other : ) I was really, really worried about you.
Trisha
Mechelle said:
Trish,I will definitely remember to eat before bed. I'm taking both slow and fast acting.
And you were right. The dosage of one was wrong. My doctor told me to stop taking it.
You are the best; thanks so much for your advice!
Hugs!!
sunrisetrisha said:Mechelle,
You can go into diabetic shock at 65, they should have explained some of this to you. Try to eat before you go to bed, this should help. Not sure if you're taking a slow acting, or fast acting insulin? Sometimes just changing the time of day you take it will help. But sounds like the dosage is too high for you.
Hugs to you
Trisha
Hi Mechelle,
I am pleased you saw your doctor and something as been sorted but how you feeling today with the adjusts on the meds and for god sake you may get flustered with the meds but don't start pulling yourself of meds because you can cause yourself and your body serious harm....when you come of meds they always need to be slowly withdrawn off them, incase you body as got addicted to them plus if that's the case it affects you mentally...as i've been there through o fault of my own but do know the serious consequences of doing this.
Your stress and anxiety levels will come from your sugar problem as my mom was in the same situation rock bottom one minute and over the top with readings the next andthey could never get her insulin level to a proper measurement to suite her.
With having stress and anxiety which also comes from Lupus besides it thrieving off it, your symptoms will feel worse...i'm adding a link below on stress and anxiety with diabetes and hope it helps you regarding coping.
Love Terri xxx