my doctor say i am diabetic but I've never had a problem with this before and ive been taking steroids for almost 3mths. So my question to you is is it normal to get a 81 reading after i tested my sugar level?

Hello Anonymous,

Welcome to EmpowHER. Thank you for reaching out to our community with your question.

Your physician is the best person to speak with but I will provide you with general information.

Steroids are a potent class of medications, that are known to raise blood glucose levels, often quite significantly.

While steroids are very effective at doing what they’re supposed to do, one of the side effects is an increase in blood glucose levels. In fact, sometimes people find out that they have diabetes after being prescribed steroids for a certain condition because their health-care provider notices an increase in blood glucose levels. Others may develop what is called “steroid-induced diabetes,” which goes away after they stop taking these medications.

Normal blood glucose numbers
Fasting
Normal for person without diabetes: 70–99 mg/dl (3.9–5.5 mmol/L)
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: 80–130 mg/dl (4.5–7.2 mmol/L)

2 hours after meals
Normal for person without diabetes: Less than 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)
Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: Less than 180 mg/dl (10.0 mmol/L)

Hope this is helpful,
Maryann