Asthma medication and diabetes

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1

I used to have mild asthma when I was younger, but outgrew it gradually during my teenage years. Over the past year I've felt like it's coming back. I've had symptoms that remind me a lot of asthma, often when I am exercising, out in cold air (especially when actually exercising in cold air, I last about five minutes before I can hardly breathe), when I'm stuck in an enclosed space with allergens for a few hours, and occasionally I've even woken up at night because I can't breathe well. A few times even laughing really hard has triggered it, which is a new one for me.

Anyway, I brought it up with my GP and he says it does sound like asthma, and apparently it's not uncommon for asthma to disappear during the teenage years and then come back during the 20s (though I'm 30). He is sending me for a lung function test, but in the meantime prescribed an inhaler to use daily. I personally think this is overkill—I was never on daily medication when I was younger. I just used a Ventolin inhaler before exercise and as-needed if asthma was bothering me, and only ever ended up in emergency once with a (pretty mild) asthma attack. And something like Ventolin is all I really wanted when I brought it up, not daily medication ...

Anyway, I looked up this medication and it turns out it contains a steroid, which I REALLY don't like the idea of taking. I'm not supposed to start it until after I do this lung test, so I am going to bring up the fact that I don't want to take a daily medication right away and would rather start with just an inhaler I can use as-needed. I mean if I'm using such an inhaler a lot then obviously something daily would make sense, but to me it seems overkill to start with that.

I'm wondering if anyone here knows how an inhaled steroid might affect blood sugar, if at all. I've been on steroid nasal sprays for allergies and didn't notice any difference; are steroid inhalers the same, or do they have more of an impact? Am I unreasonable in not wanting daily treatment and only wanting something like Ventolin instead? My doctor claims asthma treatment has changed a lot in 15 years and daily medication is used instead of Ventolin now.

2

Hi Jenn. I have had asthma forever it seems. Right now I just take Ventolin which seems to work just fine. The doctors always prescribe the inhaled steroids as well... I just don't take them. They do seem to raise the numbers a little but what is worse, they seem to make me more vulnerable to colds, flu etc. The problem with Ventolin is that there is a generic brand which doesn't work as well. If you decide to go with Ventolin make sure that you get the name brand. The difference is only a few cents. I do worry that my choice not to take the steroids might be a dangerous so I hesitate to recommend it.

3

Hello Jen. I was also very asthmatic when I was young. Then, I was prescribed Flixotide diskhaler regularly (fluticasone /corticosteroid). I also kinda outgrew my asthma during my teenage years and my doctor ceased all medications. My doctor said I was "desensitized" during these stages. My immune system was stronger. When I was diagnosed with diabetes...I noticed that my allergens in the past causes me wheeze again. My new doctor says that since my autoimmune is compromise, I will show more reaction to these allergens. So far, my doctor has not recommended me (yet) any regular medication. However, I keep a Ventolin inhaler handy and accessible. I also use Ventolin nebules (Nebulizer) when asthma really bothers me. It does not have any dramatic effect on my blood sugar but it causes me to have a very rapid heart beat.