Looking for anyone who is T1D and also has polymyalgia rheumatica issues. I’m 68 years old and have been T1D for 54 of them. About a year ago I started noticing joint stiffness and muscular aches and pains. I was diagnosed with “frozen shoulder” and went through a lot of physical therapy with spotty results. I had a prednisone injection which eliminated the pains and stiffness but caused my blood glucose levels to go crazy and the pain relief only lasted about 2 weeks. I did manage complete the Ride to Cure La Crosse in August, but since then the aches and pains have gotten much worse. Finally a rheumatologist recommended I try prednisone in pill form in decreasing doses. After two weeks, my symptoms are gone, but I am having some issues with my glucose levels. It never gets extremely high, but I have had to increase bolus amounts to counteract the increase. I also am finding that I am getting lows in the middle of the night now.
I am wondering if anyone else has T1D and PMR and what their experiences have been. I am wondering if the positive effects will continue as I decrease the prednisone dosage over time. I am also concerned about the long-term use of prednisone.
@jdjim sorry to reply because I do not have PMR and it sounds like you wanted very specific feedback.
What I can tell you is that STEROIDS, any steroid, increases blood sugar by making you very resistant to insulin. Injections, inhaled, and pill form steroids can all do the same thing.
So in my case, when offered steroids, I have to consider if the cure is worse than the disease. In other words, I can either ease the pain and have crazy sugar, or tolerate the pain with typical sugar.
Steroids inhibit autoimmune response, among other things. IMO You have to have the long and even short term use thing discussion with your doctor.
Hi @jdjim, as said by @Joe “consider if the cure is worse than the disease …”. In my case, I needed prednizone drops in my eye for a period of time following invasive eye surgery, and those tiny drops had a noticeable effect on my BGL. I elected to continue the drops for as long as necessary because by use of the eye drops I am able to read my glucose levels and adjust my insulin intake.
For me, the additional insulin required to maintain “in range” BGL was minor when weighed against my ability to read normal type fonts, driving and living a normal life.
Thanks for the input. I do realize I need to balance the benefits with the costs of the cure. Currently the benefits are significant enough to cause me to continue with the prednisone, but I do worry about the long term effects.