Question
I actually have diabetes and asthma. For higher asthma control, I need to take an inhaled corticosteroid usually. Will an inhaled corticosteroid cause my blood sugar to rise?
Oh Inhaled corticosteroids are used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These drugs can increase blood sugar levels in a diabetic patient. This will depend on the dose of the inhaled corticosteroid, how much of the drug passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, and the person’s sensitivity to any style of corticosteroid.
The higher the dose of inhaled corticosteroid, the greater the quantity that’s absorbed through the lungs and into the bloodstream. But the actual amount that’s absorbed can vary considerably from individual to individual.
Also, individuals with diabetes may react in a different way to corticosteroids. For example, some individuals with diabetes can take an oral corticosteroid (akin to prednisone) by mouth and show little change in blood sugar. Even in others, low-dose prednisone will control their blood sugar.
Inhaled corticosteroids don’t normally raise blood sugar in individuals with diabetes. But even an ordinary weight loss plan will cause high sugar levels in some people.
Switching to a distinct brand probably won’t make much of a difference in blood sugar control, assuming the brand new inhaler has the identical strength of corticosteroid. The potential of an inhaled corticosteroid to boost blood sugar is identical regardless of name. But controlling blood sugar will be easier by reducing the dose.
It is all the time a balance of advantages and unwanted effects. Good control of asthma or COPD could also be your top priority. This may mean keeping the dose of your corticosteroid inhaler the identical and increasing the dose of your diabetes medicine to assist keep your blood sugar under control.
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