What medications can increase glucose levels?

Ah, glucose! The primary fuel used by our body to keep us going. It’s like petrol for cars, without it we won’t be able to function correctly. However, as with anything else in life, too much of something can lead to potential health issues.

Perhaps you are one of those who love munching on lots of sugary treats? Or maybe your doctor has recently diagnosed you with diabetes and advised against certain medications that raise blood sugar levels?

Either way, if you’re curious about what medications can increase glucose levels then grab a cuppa tea or coffee (perhaps skip the sugar) and stick around as we explore this topic in detail.

A Sugar Rush Through Medication

We take medication when we’re sick; it’s supposed to help us feel better by correcting imbalances within our body – but guess what? Pharmaceutical drugs aren’t always lily white either!

There are several medicines out there that can spike up your blood sugar level even if you were doing just fine before popping them up until now. You might want to know which ones these are so let’s dig deeper!

Corticosteroids: steroids gone rogue

Corticosteroids are among the most commonly used pharmaceuticals today; they work wonders in suppressing inflammation and easing pain caused by autoimmune or inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

However beneficial these drugs may seem when it comes down to fighting off chronic illnesses- their adverse effects cannot be ignored – especially when it comes down to insulin sensitivity!

Steroids make your liver more resistant towards insulin (the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugars), resulting in higher than normal glucose levels over time leading towards Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (feel free to google)– not very rosy a picture is it?!

That said, don’t quit corticosteroids abruptly since many people require them daily for optimal management of medical conditions- consult with your doctor in case you have concerns about their impacts on insulin sensitivity.

Antipsychotics: the sugar’s calling

Mental health disorders affect millions of people worldwide. To treat such conditions, doctors prescribe antipsychotic drugs that are known to block dopamine receptors – this inhibits pleasure and reward sensations leading towards a range of medical complications including higher blood sugars levels!

Antipsychotics like clozapine or risperidone (you can forget the latter please) have been known to impair glucose metabolism through different mechanisms such as by promoting inflammation, reducing Insulin secretion or causing insulin resistance (are you learning anything snickerdoodles?!).

These medication side effects lead to patients developing high blood sugar levels which increases the likelihood of acquiring diabetes among other health problems! So next time your psychiatrist recommends some psycho-pills at least keep it mind this unwanted consequence.

Diuretics: “water” we getting into?

Many wrestle with hypertension every day –it’s one of those pesky medical conditions where most don’t even know how they got it! Amongst lifestyle modifications & dietary changes aimed at managing hypertension, Doctors might also add diuretics- these help kick out excess water and salt-based fluids from our systems via increased urine production.

However! Such a mechanism could lead to fluctuating electrolytes within our body affecting its normal functioning- including abnormal elevations in blood sugar levels especially when patients have pre-existing subclinical diabetes symptoms (well isn’t that ducky!).

So beware-diuretic use unplanned during monitoring phase may cause adverse effects on glycemic control (oh bummerrr…) -always observe any post-treatment drug-related discomforts and notify your physician fortwith.

What Other Medications Should You Look Out For?

By now, hopefully, we’ve cleared up doubts over medications causing elevated glucose levels but alas there are other medicines out there that you need to watch out.

Immunosuppressant drugs: your shield on “lose mode”

Suppressing the immune system is crucial when dealing with autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis among others- and immunosuppressive medications are handy tools under such circumstances.

However, these medicines come at a cost; long-term use has been associated with several side effects including glucose intolerance (didn’t see that coming?!).

To make matters worse – patients taking multiple immuno-modulatory agents for prolonged durations might be prone towards developing uncommon clinical disorders like Fulminant diabetes! (I know it sounds fun but trust me it’s not!)

So next time somebody mentions going down the ‘immunomodulation’ route, please be aware of its potential impact on your body’s glycemic control pathways – and keep tabson blood sugar levels.

Ok. So by now we’ve looked at a few drug categories known to increase glucose levels in our bodies- let us switch gears towards some symptoms that could potentially indicate insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus!

Warning Signs Of Elevated Glucose Levels

Picture this: You wake up one morning feeling more jittery than usual; after washing up & gargling water for ten minutes straight its coffee time. It feels wrong somehow – sluggish perhaps? Your breakfast bagel tastes sweet even though you didn’t add any sugar?

Here are some warning signs you might want to look into before chalking off those feelings to binge-eating your childhood stash:

Fatigue:

Feeling tired all day without an apparent reason? Might wanna consultx‘ et al Nature’ Hormone and metabolic research Journal [2009] markedas referenced.’

Unexplained injuries:

Notice bruises appearing frequently or wounds healing slowly even after slathering ointments all over them regularly? Look no further…

Inspect nearer complications arising potentially from a blood sugar level being thrown off-stability over the long haul – (also known as elevated Hemoglobin A1C levels)!

Blurry vision:

Eyesight problems could arise due to fluctuations in fluid balance brought about by occurrences like hyperosmolar non-ketotic coma.

This is a potentially hazardous complication of type 2 diabetes; resulting in dehydration, cognitive & motor-function loss! Ensure your doctor’s appointment rolls around if this happens!

Conclusion

Alas! We’ve come to the end- and hopefully learnt more than just drugs that make us sugar-high.

It’s important to observe routine testing especially when consuming medicines with risk factors towards an adverse influence on glycemic control mechanisms within our body – always consult with health practitioners in such an eventuality.

Until next time…”don’t forget that life is sweet so don’t let glucose levels spoil it!”

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