Hosanna
Member Since 2012
Martha was diagnosed with DM this past July 5th. I am beginning to think some of her other health issues are interfering with treating her diabetes. For example, she has struggled with IBD for about 5 years now---and so the issue of steroids could very well have a bearing on Martha's bg control.
She started off on prednisolone. About a year ago we switched her to dexamethasone. (Not quite sure the vet's reasoning). Then last year we began getting high bg readings on her regular bloodwork. Knowing diabetes could be right around the corner, we switched her to budesonide. That's supposed to act locally in the gut more than systemically. I breathed a little sigh of relief at that switch. Short-lived.
This past May 28, she seemed to be having an IBD flareup so the vet increased her budesonide from 1 mg to 1-1/2 mg. Two days later, Martha had full blown neuropathy and was sliding around instead of walking. The vet saw a possible connection and I, on my own initiative, put her dose back to 1 mg.
Now my question is, and I so hope this group can help me here--is the budesonide having an affect on her bg? If so, is there anything I can do to change that?
We went a whole month with her having that dreadful neuropathy before anything was done. I do understand part of the reason for that was she also has HCM and we were trying to keep as much stress off her as possible, and the "White coat syndrome" would sometimes send her over the edge. But this is the same vet who had her on 4 units of Lantus within the first few weeks of treatment, and she ended up with hypoglycemia. I love this vet to pieces but, over time, I have come to not trust him so much any more.
No point in saying to change vets because I already have the very best Internist and Specialized medicine clinic in the whole state. Her cardiologist is also with that clinic and he told me this week, after her scheduled echo, that, while she still has serious and advanced heart disease, it is getting better as we bring down the BG. Yay for that!
The medicines she is on are: budesonide, of course; amlodipine, benazapril, prozac (behavior issues), COQ10, B12 Meth, Miralax. Occasionally I will give her slippery elm.
I hope I am making sense, it's hard sometimes to formulate what I want to say. But I feel so alone in all this diabetes business and will appreciate any and all help you can give. If I ever sound "scattered," it's probably because I am.... @-)
She started off on prednisolone. About a year ago we switched her to dexamethasone. (Not quite sure the vet's reasoning). Then last year we began getting high bg readings on her regular bloodwork. Knowing diabetes could be right around the corner, we switched her to budesonide. That's supposed to act locally in the gut more than systemically. I breathed a little sigh of relief at that switch. Short-lived.
This past May 28, she seemed to be having an IBD flareup so the vet increased her budesonide from 1 mg to 1-1/2 mg. Two days later, Martha had full blown neuropathy and was sliding around instead of walking. The vet saw a possible connection and I, on my own initiative, put her dose back to 1 mg.
Now my question is, and I so hope this group can help me here--is the budesonide having an affect on her bg? If so, is there anything I can do to change that?
We went a whole month with her having that dreadful neuropathy before anything was done. I do understand part of the reason for that was she also has HCM and we were trying to keep as much stress off her as possible, and the "White coat syndrome" would sometimes send her over the edge. But this is the same vet who had her on 4 units of Lantus within the first few weeks of treatment, and she ended up with hypoglycemia. I love this vet to pieces but, over time, I have come to not trust him so much any more.
No point in saying to change vets because I already have the very best Internist and Specialized medicine clinic in the whole state. Her cardiologist is also with that clinic and he told me this week, after her scheduled echo, that, while she still has serious and advanced heart disease, it is getting better as we bring down the BG. Yay for that!
The medicines she is on are: budesonide, of course; amlodipine, benazapril, prozac (behavior issues), COQ10, B12 Meth, Miralax. Occasionally I will give her slippery elm.
I hope I am making sense, it's hard sometimes to formulate what I want to say. But I feel so alone in all this diabetes business and will appreciate any and all help you can give. If I ever sound "scattered," it's probably because I am.... @-)