Steroid-induced diabetes?

[gindie]

I just finished a 13-day therapy with the steroid Dexamethasone. This steroid is several times stronger than Prednisone. I had taken the drug previously last September with no known problems. The steroid was given to me by my ENT as I have a problem with recurring nasal polyps that interfere with my senses of taste and smell.

This time around, I started getting some visual blurriness, so I went to my family doctor. My blood glucose was 182 in the morning, 13 hours after eating. I had just gotten a complete physical days before seeing the ENT and had a fasting glucose of 126 (not great, but not horrible) and an A1C of 6.1.

The Dr. gave me a glucometer and told me to test for 3-4 days before starting the Januvia samples he gave me. It seems that things are trending downward, all my readings today (4 days later) were between 140 and 150.

My question is whether anybody else has experienced drug-induced diabetes and what are the chances that this is permanent?

It has been 2 weeks since my last Dexamethasone dose. Maybe it's still in my system and over time the diabetic effects will diminish?

I knew I was probably headed for this at sometime in my life due to lifestyle and heredity, but I certainly wasn't expecting it to occur this suddenly!

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

The proper treatment for steroid-induced diabetes is to stop or reduce the steroids, barring a life-sustaining or other very serious reason to take them. Dexamethasone is 15 times stronger than prednisone.

Your glucose should normalize in a week or so. If it's still elevated, you were heading there anyway regardless of the steroids.

 

[gindie]

Well, I'm on Januvia, because the readings didn't normalize.

I had one question...I can't seem to get early morning readings below 126, yet all my afternoon ones (before dinner) are in the 90's.

I read that the liver can dump sugar into the system while sleeping. Is this what's happening, or should I be more concerned with the morning readings?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Well, I'm on Januvia, because the readings didn't normalize.

I had one question...I can't seem to get early morning readings below 126, yet all my afternoon ones (before dinner) are in the 90's.

I read that the liver can dump sugar into the system while sleeping. Is this what's happening, or should I be more concerned with the morning readings?

Everyone is different - you seem to have impaired fasting glucoses, others have only impaired after-meal glucoses and some have both. Your hemoglobin A1C (glycohemoglobin) will give you good information about your average blood sugar for the prior month.

Metformin is a good first line drug for many patients since it has been shown to reduce complications long term.

Sounds like the dexamethasone just unearthed a diabetic tendency which likely would have surfaced on its own sooner or later. Glad you are taking care of yourself. You'll do fine.