Hi all!
I have a couple questions so i thought i would ask if anyone had similar problems. After 18 years of repetious work in a factory i have carpal tunnel in both wrists, chronis tendonitis and nervitis in the right hand, arm, and soulder. I had been taking anti inflammaotry drugs since 2001, which really heped along with darvocet. Well, on January 11th this year i ended up in the emergency room with severe sstomach pains in my upper stomach. they checked my blood glucose levels and sent me to a specialty hospital because they said they were “scary high” and they couldn’t treat me. i ended up in the icu for 3 days with ketoacidoses. i had never heard of it before, had no clue why my sugar was so high.(413) and was repeatedly asked “how much i drank a day!” the kicker here being that i don’t drink! they started asking me about medications i was taking and i told them about the feldene and they immediately took them away from and won’t let me have anything remotely close to an anti inflammatory. my othorpedic surgeon who prescribed them for me says it has nothing to do with the diabetes.this after having an endo tell it did. so now i am confused and i ended up a type one diabetic. i am 47 years old, can anyone tell me if this could happen, or did happen to them?
Karen,
So sorry to hear you have had to undergo such a nightmare!
I am not aware that diabetes is a side effect of this drug. However what IS a major side effect of this class of drugs, that is not made clear in the prescribing information is that long term use compromises kidney function as there appears to be a lifetime dose limit in effect. IF you go over that dose the chances of kidney failure increase.If you have diabetes you will have to take this into consideration.
Here is the NIH document that describes this problem:
thanks Jenny,
I know that the dr was supposed to have been taking blood tests for the kidneys and the liver to make sure they were doing ok, unfortunately i didn’t know this until after the fact. To busy with school and life in general to research, last time I make that mistake. But, of course since he didn’t he refuses to even consider that that may have caused my problem and just remarked that I must have been diabetic before. I wasn’t. i know the experts at the hospital, endo guy and stomach guy both told me that it could have been a contributing factor in the problem. Since they are moreof an expert on diabetes than the orthopedic surgeon I am more inclinded to believe them than him. I don’t have to worry about going over a dose limit as they just won’t let me have them anymore.Thanks for the info too. I will check it out.
Hi All,
Just and upsate on the drug Feldene. I did some more research into the drug and found on fda/gov. medwatch that other adverse reactions which can occur but are rare are: Liver failure, Panceatits, Hyperglycemia and Kidney desease. So it looks like according to that sites information that it could have definately cantributed to my type 1 diabetes, so anyone taking this drug please watch out and please pass this on to others so that this does not happen to them.
Sorry just my little soap box.
Stay well and happy,
Karen
Karen,
One thing you can count on, if a doctor gives you a drug that causes a serious problem, they will deny to the death that they did.
They are terrified that if they admit they were at fault you will sue them. This happened to me when a doctor gave me the anti-inflammatory drug, Clinoril, which gave me permanent tinnitus. The way she refused to take any responsibility was deeply upsetting to me.
I read somewhere that insurance companies that insure doctors are learning that people are less likely to sue if the doctors apologize than when they stonewall this way. If there had been any way to prove I had tinnitus, I would have sued, thanks to that doctor’s terrible attitude. Especially as she had told me to go back on the drug after I had already had an episode of tinnitus that had gone away. The second one didn’t.
Hi Jenny
Ya that attitude really upset me since I hae been going to him since '92 like i wouldn’t have toldhim right along that I had diabetes. He told me when itold him I had had DKA that I must have already had diabetes. I realize he most likely said it because he is affraid of a lawsiut. but, don’t treat me like I have already started to sue u! Yes, I realize he should have taken blood tests, but I am equally sure that he probably prescribed that pill to others many times without any adverse side effects. I just wanted honesty so that I would know that this is what this drug could do and did in me. No!, go on the defencive immediately and just ■■■■ me off. Doctors really need to learn bedside manners and honesty.
Guess that was niave, huh!
Hi Karen,
First of all I am a type 2. Ketoacidosis is not as likely. I work in home remodeling. I developed carpal tunnel several months ago . I went to my doctor and he prescribed prescription strength Nuproxin. As I am on Glimepiride and take a little basal insulin, anti inflamatory drugs are not recomended ,as they may drive my glucose too low. I received an Email from my insurance company warning me of this possibility. I do know that taking anti inflamatories for any extended period can cause liver damage. I only took the prescription for several days until the pain subsided somewhat. I think that , in my case, it was a risk versus benefits sort of deal. I never intended to take any more than the thirteen days that the prescription was for. I know that this is nothing close to what you went through, but this did happen to me. I had to just get used to delegating out more of the work and use my brain more . After all , I do have 32 years experience in remodeling. My boss was even encouraging me to slack off a bit. I just have to get used to this . I am just too much of a "hands on " type of person.
Jim
James is correct that ketoacidosis is not AS likely for us type 2’s, but what is MORE likely for us is kidney failure with taking the anti-inflamatory drugs. I can’t even take an Advil or generic ibuprofen. There are so many things that can cause us trouble. I think the best thing to do is ask the doctor about possible side effects or problems with each new thing we are prescribed. I am sorry that we are forced to make life style changes They are hard to do. So is having all the extra problems that we as diabetics seem to pick up so easily.
Hi all,
The thing is i was not diabetic before taking the drug. Vow I can’t have any of the nsaids for the inflammation. I know that now i have to watch everything i take. I did not have liver or kidney or pancreas problems prior to taking the drug. Thanks for the info tho,
Karen
It is important nowdays to thoroughly read the information sheet that comes from the pharmacy with the drug. Every drug has it’s risks. I guess it’s a personal choice whether you are willing to take those risks. It’s also nice to know what the side effects are in case they should occur. I usually research all of the drugs that I am prescribed on the computer. Then I am assured that I understand the risks.
Jim
i usually do to but nothing came up on this one untili got into the MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program | FDA site that i hadn’t found before. and now i really ersearch them alot more carefully.
James,
Unfortunately, the prescribing information NEVER makes it clear whether a side effect is temporary or permanent. Doctors assume they are temporary, and quite a few drugs cause transient blood sugar increases.
Also, dangerous side effects are cited for so many drugs that doctors tend to ignore them. That is why I have permanent tinnitus. Doc assumed it was temporary. Plus as she told me, literally hundreds of drugs list tinnitus as a symptom, so if she didn’t prescribe them on that account she’s have few to prescribe.
Hyperglycemia is listed in many drug side effect lists, NOT permanent diabetes.
All the SSRIs cause it, as do beta blockers and many other commonly prescribed drugs.
In May of 2007 I was diagnosed with gout… If you research that you will find that diabetics are more likely to have gout. I was in pain and went to the ER. I was given an antiinflammatory med and a second med to lower the uric acid level in my joints. Excessive uric acid is the cause of gout. The antiinflammatory med caused my blood sugar to go very high. I stopped taking it after two days and waited for the other med to do its thing. I was in good shape in a few days. A few months later I had gout again, in a different joint. I went to my diabetes doctor (internal medicine) and he prescribed a different antiinflammatory med that did not affect my diabetes at all. I learned my lesson. I need to always ask if the med prescribed will affect my blood sugar. There may be an alternate med that will be just as good and not bother my diabetes.
Richard
Hi Richard,
Yes, i have learned to always as if the drug they want me to take will affect my diabetes. Also in addition to high uric acid levels causing gout it also causes kidney stones and gall stones as well. my father has gout and had kidney stones in his 40’s but doesn’t have diabetes. When i was on the anti inflammatory drugs i didn’t have the diabetes so didn’t know that it could cause it or that it couldn’t be taken with it. sorry about u’r having the gout. they say it is very painful.
take care,
Karen K
Hi Richard,
Are you still having the gout problems? I have had mine come and go for years. It always has to do with the uric acid level in my blood. I sure hope that eases up for you. It is so painful. And it seems like whatever we come up with the drug to treat it will cause some other problem. for us.
Karen I am sorry you are now stuck with diabetes for having a reaction to the drug prescribed for you. all things seem to come back into full circle don’t they?
Is anyone aware of a list somewhere of drugs that do raise blood sugars???
Hello Saundra and Karen. The med for reducing my uric acid level is working very well. I have not had any pai for months now. The gout is in my right foot only. I depend on my feet and legs for exercise. My arms and hands are weak from nerve damage so I can’t lift weights. I walk 3 miles per day, 5 days per week. If my gout becomes mor of a problem and I cannt walk so well then it will affect my health and my diabetes. I suppose I will take this gout med indefinitely and hope there are no bad side affects. Thanks for your reply.
Richard
Richard,
Also watch what you eat and you may be able to pin point which food may cause a flare up of the gout. My dad has to watch dairy foods, beer, and high fat foods, they cause flare ups and if he would use a little moderation he wouldn’t have so many flares ups. But he is alomost 86 years old so I don’t blame him for wanting to eat what he wants…lol.
Just an update on the drug feldene and my othropedic doctor. He again gave me a presciption for feldene, which I proceeded to take to my internist and showed to him. He immediately said no,no,no you can not take that.so even though I told him I was diabetic due to that drug he absolutely refuses to listen to me about it. I have been told by my internist that I can take nothing without first talking to him about it. So they have me in therapy for the arm, if this doesn’t work my internist will find me another ortho guy to see what can be done. so far the therapy isn’t working very much, but I am trying to carry through until it is proven not to work so I can go to someone else.
I understand the exercise bit and needing to use the the feet to exercise and sometimes it is hard to walk as much as I should or use my bike because of just being in pain but i try to make myself. the one thing that will help is I return to work thursday at the museum. It gets me out of the house and doing something that gets me away from focusing on my diabetes and pain all the time. That is important to me. not to forget but to find other things to make my life fun and worth while.
Take care all!
Karen