Occasionally, I develop some kind of weird rash on my feet. It consists of little red bumps that can be a couple of square inches in area. I've never known what it is, so I finally decided to go to my PCP about it (since, after all, it is my feet, and fortunately they are in great shape). I always just took it for granted that it was some kind of fungus or something akin to athlete's foot.

He told me he thought it was some kind of seasonal allergic reaction, and asked if I'd been mowing grass or anything like that, and I replied that I had - it's time to cut the grass every week or so.

He gave me a scrip for antibiotics, but told me to only fill it if it looked like it was becoming infected. He also told me that sometimes a steroidal cream might help, but given my diabetical nature, may not be a good idea. It might be something I may try, though, he said.

So, I went down to the Walgreens and bought a tube of Cortaid (1% hydrocortisone). About 2 hours later (after lunch) I watched my sensor glucose rise..and rise...and rise. I did 2 correction boluses, but a finger stick 3 hours after lunch confirmed I was at 224!

I guess my question is: Is it really possible that a really weak topical steroid can raise my BG's that much? I'm not going to use that cream again, but how long will this last?

Tom

I am surprised that a topical steroid can raise your blood sugar so much. It sounds a bit extreme.

Not what you asked, but your rash sounds a bit like the brownish/red marks that I had on my shin 2 years ago and it was a diabetic complication, necrobiosis diabetorum. Most of it went with very strong topical steroid tape that I had to put on it. Obviously, it does not mean that this is what yours is but my diabetes specialist noticed it at a routine review, diagnosed it properly and advised on steroid treatment. Mind you, most rashes are treated with steroids!!

Heck, "YES!", Tom, even OTC steroid creams can raise your bg's. There are Rx ones that have more cortisone in them and they will be more potent, raising bg's even more. You guessed correctly.

Thanks for confirming my suspicion. I will never, ever take any kind of steroid again.

Tom

I've used hydrocortisone cream & ointment and have never noticed any effects. I will most likely be needing it a lot more since my boss just got a new puppy that comes to work every day. Puppy loves to lick me, and I am allergic to puppy. Today, as he was happily licking my hand and arm my boss said, "Oh my god, I can see your arm turning red already!". I'll pay closer attention to my sensor next time I need to apply it.

I use a steroid asthma inhaler (Advair, and have used Azmacort in the past) and it has absolutely no effect on my BG.

we are all different.

when I had steroid injections in my neck, my bg's stayed up for 10 days, over 200 despite taking 3x as much TDD as normal.

when my wife has gotten injections she's had almost no change in her bgs, and at that, just for about a day or two.

Hydorcortisone ointments and nasal sprays have no effect on my BG's but a cortisone injection in my finger kept my BG's elevated for more than a week.

Last night I put a little cortisone cream on a bug bite that has bugged me for 3 days...my AM bg was 180 instead of the usual target value...

Everyone is different. I was told that the topical ointment/creams don't get absorbed into the system but I think it's possible that they do. I had to wear a Holter Monitor for 24 hours to test the accuracy of the alerts on the treadmill monitors at the gym and the NP at my doctor's office used cloth tape for the electrodes. I ended up with a huge allergy to the tape and I smeared lots of cortisone ointment on the rash. It didn't affect my BG's at all.

Not everyone reacts in the same manner to topically-applied cortisone...having said that, you can find plenty of reputable information on the issue with a search.

It's interesting that the topical steroid I used the other day on my tape rash expired in 2004. It worked immediately.

My ophthalmologist will prescribe topical steroids when I need them for my eyelids but he makes it clear that I should not get the ointment in my eyes because I have glaucoma.

Well, my hundred point rise for no reason other than the cream made a true believer out of me!



Want some that's practically brand new? Only slightly used. I'll not use it again.

Tom

I don't blame you.

Sure. Thanks. Just push it through your computer. But let me know when. I don't want to get all over my screen.