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Steroid induced diabetes.....help, what to eat?!!

ajbhorn
ajbhorn Posts: 3 Member
edited February 28 in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone.

I have gained a lot of weight after being on a high dose of prednisolone for 14 months. I am also on methotrexate (chemotherapy) and humira fro an eye condition and yesterday discovered that on top of all of this, I now have steroid induced diabetes. This should be reversible. Apparently. Not a happy bunny.

I am intolerant to wheat, gluten, oats, barley, rye...many of the slow release carbs, and the gluten free breads etc go straight into your body as sugar, I believe? Not good for me. I can tolerate oatcakes and have been trying to keep my blood sugar stable with these and plain nuts (not salted or dry roasted, just plain almonds, hazlenuts, brazils etc) and feel a hell of a lot better almost immediately.

Have any of you been in a situation like this, and could you give me some advice? Seeing my GP tomorrow to see whether she feels this needs to be controlled just with diet, or tablets.

Is it actually possible to lose weight at all on 40mg of pred a day (evil drug but necessary), and also now as a (I hope temporary) diabetic? My diary says I should be steadily losing but as you may expect, I am steadily gaining and it is making me so miserable. I don't look like me any more with a big steroid moon face :-(

Any advice gratefully received!

Have a good day.

Ali

Replies

  • GlucernaBrand
    GlucernaBrand Posts: 486
    I give you a lot of credit for working hard to improve your health. Ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian who can help you figure out the best way to eat to manage diabetes and also take into consideration your overall health. ~Lynn /Glucerna
  • rlw2014
    rlw2014 Posts: 2 Member
    I have diabetes that is steroid induced. I've been taking prednisone for years and then monthly for almost three years. That put me over the threshold. Weight loss is possible. I suggest that you speak with a registered dietition, your diabetes nurse and your doctor about your concerns.

    It does get better. Patience is the key.
  • ajbhorn
    ajbhorn Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks so much both of you. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I am on holiday in Thailand at the moment but still logging and being careful! It just gets a bit demoralising some days when I know i am doing as much as i can right, and exercising, but I still keep gaining weight and the huge amount of medication I am taking is exhausting! Mind you, my doctor did say that most patients in my state are bedridden, so the fact I am still upright and keeping going means that something must be right somewhere...!!!!:laugh: :laugh: I haven't been assigned a diabetes nurse or anything so far. We live in the UAE so I will talk to my GP when I get back to Abu Dhabi.

    Thank you, and have a good day.

    Ali :wink:
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    beans - not green beans, but black beans, pinto beans, chick peas, etc, are high fiber complex carbs you could try. you say you can tolerate oatcakes - can you eat oats? most people with celiac can, although not all. i am type 2 diabetic, and i eat a lot of oats and beans, although beans in smaller amounts. broccoli, tofu, tempeh seem to be good foods for my blood sugar, as does greek yogurt (i eat the non-fat version).
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