I have had terrible poison ivy and hives and they keep getting worse despite taking 9 days of Prednisone. Now my doctor wants me to get a Kenalog injection. My worry is I keep reading all these really terrible things about Kenalog- that it raises blood sugar (the Prednisone did that too), weight gain, feeling yucky. My question is has anyone had a Kenalog injection, (it would just be the one) and if so, what were the side effects? I am going nuts because I'm so itchy and the hives are spreading, otherwise I wouldn't even consider it. Also, if it caused high blood sugar, how long did these last? Thanks for any help with this!
I almost got that type of injection a couple of years ago for tendinitis, but luckily physical therapy helped, and I canceled it. But, when I asked my endo, he said go ahead b/c it's a one-time thing and medically necessary. He said to expect it to raise my BG's for about 2-3 days and then return to normal. I have no idea about weight gain, but I can't imagine it could be a long-term problem w/ only one shot?? Maybe someone else knows more?
This isnt the same but I was given steroids once by my dentist. I WAS EXTREMELY SICK due to high blood sugars and it ended up taking me about a week to recover after I took just one pill. So I would suggest to Proceed with Caution.
Not a shot, but my son had to take a steroid for a wasp sting last year and before it was done (5 days) I was giving him 3x the amount of insulin to keep his bs under control. When he quit taking it, his sugars went back to normal after 2-3 days.
I am on treatment for leukemia and I have to take steroids once a month for 5 days. I just ramp up the amount of insulin I take and deal with the high blood sugars. For me it takes about a day for them to come out of my system and I usually run low a couple days after I'm off.
All sterroids will raise your BG, I don't know why exactly, but I would assume that it is because it helps repair the body and is similar when you are sick.
I did very little research into steroids and the side affects for diabetics when it was thought that I had Addison's disease (adrenal gland) and that treatment is steroids for life. For now I am negative, but with all the auto-immune disorders I have I am at a higher risk for it than the normal population, and the normal D population.
If the hives keep getting worse I would say go for it, keep an eye on the BG, and adjust accordingly.
I've had a Kenalog injection. Kenalog is triamcinilone, which is a moderate strength steroid. If you've been on oral Prednisone and been experiencing high blood sugars, Kenalog will do nowhere near the damage.
I took it because of skin issues too, and I never experienced any side effects other than slightly elevated sugars. I think the other side effects you've read about are applicable to ANY corticosteroid treatment. Those things are nasty, but sometimes it's necessary. If you're an otherwise healthy person I don't think those other listed side effects should concern you. The Kenalog will only last about two weeks so once you're done with it your body will reset it's hormonal production back to normal.
And here's the bottom line about steroids and high blood sugars: TAKE AS MUCH INSULIN AS IT TAKES. Don't ever think to yourself "oh well, it's just not going to come down". My endo said there is no formula for how much you should increase your insulin intake because people respond to steroids differently. Just take however much you need to keep your numbers normal.
The reason steroids bump your sugars is because they cause the liver to breakdown stored glycogen into glucose and dump into the bloodstream. A lot of people experience temporary steroid-induced diabetes b/c of it...and of course it's just 100x more chaotic for people with diabetes.
I haven't had a Kenalog injection but I have had a similar steriod injection when I gad pnemonia and it raised my BS pretty high for about 5-7 days. Drink lots of fluid and stay on top of your BS! It didnt make me feel sick, maybe a little "jittery" the 1st day, and no weight gain! Good Luck!!
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And here's the bottom line about steroids and high blood sugars: TAKE AS MUCH INSULIN AS IT TAKES. Don't ever think to yourself "oh well, it's just not going to come down". My endo said there is no formula for how much you should increase your insulin intake because people respond to steroids differently. Just take however much you need to keep your numbers normal.
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Good point! If you plan ahead and are ready to test often and ramp up your insulin as needed, there's really no reason to go into DKA or anything!
Thanks everyone! I am waiting a little longer since it seems to be getting a little better but we'll see. More steroids may be in my future!
I thought of you this evening b/c my little sister is covered in allergic hives and the steroid injection didn't help her. Hope it helps you if you end up getting it!!! Luckily, she's not T1...
I thought of you this evening b/c my little sister is covered in allergic hives and the steroid injection didn't help her. Hope it helps you if you end up getting it!!! Luckily, she's not T1...