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What Does Having an Increase in Blood Sugar Mean When Taking Prednisone?

Prednisone is a corticosteroid drug like cortisone and hydrocortisone and used to treat a number of conditions such as rashes, lupus, asthma, arthritis and Crohn's disease and for organ-transplant patients. It does have significant side effects, including increased blood-glucose levels, particularly after long-term use or at higher doses.

  1. Glucose or Blood Sugar and Prednisone

    • Prednisone will raise a person's blood sugar or glucose in the blood; however, it is usually not a problem for most patients. It is a well-known side-effect, however, and if the drug is used for a long time or at higher doses especially, doctors will typically monitor the blood regularly to check the glucose levels.

    Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

    • If while taking prednisone, you experience symptoms of high blood sugar such as excessive thirst, frequent urination and fatigue, call your physician.

    Those at Risk

    • While most patients taking prednisone won't experience any real problems with a raised glucose level, those with diabetes or pre-diabetes may have issues that require medical treatment. Diabetics may need to test blood more often or change their insulin doses, and those who are pre-diabetic may need to begin treatment for high blood sugar.

    Lowering or Ending Prednisone Treatment

    • Typically, once the dose of prednisone is reduced or when treatment is discontinued, these increases in blood-sugar levels should end.

    Reducing Risks

    • To help keep glucose levels at a more normal level, watch your diet and avoid high-sugar foods and too many simple carbohydrates in your diet. A healthy diet will help keep blood sugar levels in check. Overweight individuals and pregnant women will especially benefit from this, as well as those with a personal or family history of diabetes.

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