Steroid-Induced Hyperglycemia: Causes, Risks, and What You Can Do

When you take steroid-induced hyperglycemia, a spike in blood sugar caused by corticosteroid medications. Also known as glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia, it’s not diabetes—but it can feel like it. Millions take steroids for asthma, arthritis, or autoimmune diseases, and many don’t realize their blood sugar is climbing until they feel tired, thirsty, or need to pee all the time.

This isn’t just a side effect—it’s a direct chemical shift. corticosteroids, powerful anti-inflammatory drugs like prednisone and dexamethasone. Also known as glucocorticoids, they work by turning off immune responses—but they also tell your liver to dump glucose into your bloodstream and make your muscles and fat cells ignore insulin. That’s why even people with no history of diabetes can see fasting blood sugar jump above 140 mg/dL after starting steroids. It’s not your fault. It’s biology.

People with prediabetes or a family history of type 2 diabetes are most at risk. But it can happen to anyone. The higher the dose and the longer you take it, the worse it gets. A 2023 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that over 40% of patients on daily prednisone doses of 20 mg or more developed blood sugar levels high enough to need treatment. And here’s the catch: once you stop the steroids, blood sugar often returns to normal—but not always. Some people never fully recover, especially if the spike went unnoticed for weeks.

Managing this isn’t about cutting carbs alone. It’s about timing, monitoring, and knowing when to ask for help. If you’re on steroids, check your blood sugar before meals and at bedtime. Keep a log. Talk to your doctor about adjusting your diet, adding metformin, or even switching steroid types if possible. Don’t ignore symptoms like blurry vision or slow-healing cuts—they’re red flags.

Some of the posts below dive into how insulin resistance works, how medications interact with blood sugar, and how to spot early signs of metabolic trouble. Others show you how to manage blood sugar while on long-term treatments. You’ll find real advice from people who’ve been there—not theory, not guesswork. This isn’t just about avoiding high numbers on a meter. It’s about staying in control when your body’s chemistry is being rewritten by medicine.