ultra strips, UltraSmart, and cortisone

Cortizone shots will raise your sugars. The larger the dosage of cortizone, the higher your sugars
will go. My sugars stayed in the 500 range for 3 days after 2 cortizone shots. (I had a shot in each
of my shoulder bicep tendons.) I took a lot of insulin, but my sugars remained stubborn until they
were good and ready to come down. I've had smaller cortizone shots in my hands, and the effects on
my sugars were not nearly as severe. There was a rise for a couple of days, but not over 300. Also,
I could get my sugars down by increasing my insulin. Good luck with the injection. Steph

"Esther P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Any one else notice how the Ultra strips have gone from thick and solid feeling to flimsy and
floppy feeling? I hope the manufacturing change hasn't made them less accurate.

My computer won't download the conversation about the UltraSmart. Has any one tried it? Is it
good? Off list replies to esther underscore p at immaculateheart dot zzn dot com are fine. I don't
need to bog down the news group with a rehash of something that has already been discussed.

Also, I think I'm going to relent and get a cortisone shot for bursitis. I'm afraid of big honkin
needles, but I'm also tired of incapacitating pain. What should I expect from a local cortisone
shot in terms of blood glucose wackiness?

Thanks.

Esther P

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Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: opera.comm2Open ↗

Esther P wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

Any one else notice how the Ultra strips have gone from thick and solid feeling to flimsy and
floppy feeling? I hope the manufacturing change hasn't made them less accurate.

My computer won't download the conversation about the UltraSmart. Has any one tried it? Is it good?
Off list replies to esther underscore p at immaculateheart dot zzn dot com are fine. I don't need
to bog down the news group with a rehash of something that has already been discussed.

Also, I think I'm going to relent and get a cortisone shot for bursitis. I'm afraid of big honkin
needles, but I'm also tired of incapacitating pain. What should I expect from a local cortisone
shot in terms of blood glucose wackiness?

Thanks.

Esther P

Cortisone "commands" your liver to start making and releasing glucose into the blood. For
diabetics, that means high blood sugars unless they have a lot of reserve insulin,. The rise in
sugars also will depend on the rate at which the cortisone enters the blood and the total amount.

The most potent med attack on the high blood sugars is a mix of metformin and temporary insulin
shots. They "sorta" work at the beginning, and then squelch the high bG as time passes. Otherwise,
you can go sky-high.

Regards
Old Al

"Esther P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What should I expect from a local cortisone

Quoted message said:

shot in terms of blood glucose wackiness?

Thanks.

Esther P

e-mail client: opera.comm2Open ↗

Esther, last month I had a dexamethasone (synthetic steroid similar to cortisone) shot in each hip
for bursitis. I also had two injections in my shoulder for bursitis earlier this year. I watched my
BGs like a hawk, testing at least four times a day, and fortunately there was no increase. It's
truly a case of "your mileage may vary" when it comes to steroid injections.

I hope you feel better soon - bursitis is the absolute pits! Go for the shot - it's worth the
relief you'll get. Ask your doctor how he wants you to handle a big BG spike so you can be prepared
if it happens.

Karen Type 2 Glucophage 1000 mg. Glucotrol 10 mg. Dx 9/11/02

Esther P said:

My computer won't download the conversation about the UltraSmart. Has any one tried it? Is
it good?

The UltraSmart is fine. The meter mechanism is the same as the Ultra. The UltraSmart has a lot more
capability for recording information such as time of reading (before breakfast, etc.), food,
insulin, health, exercise, medical info (HbA1c, height, weight, blood pressure, and more), etc. The
physical size is not much larger than the Ultra, although in a rectangular rather than oval shape.

If you are familiar with the old One Touch Profile, think of the UltraSmart as the Ultra sensing
mechanism with an improved version of the Profile's data recording capabilities.

The features I use most on the UltraSmart are the ability to code what the blood test is related to:
before or after meals, exercise, etc. I also record blood pressure and weight regularly. Most of the
other data I enter directly into the PC software. About the only feature I never use is the function
to record food intake and insulin. I don't use insulin and find the food input mechanism too tedious
given my needs.

More info on www.lifescan.com of course.

--
Guy T2, dx 5/95, 60yo metformin+actos+lisinopril+diet+exercise

"Esther P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Also, I think I'm going to relent and get a cortisone shot for bursitis.

I'm afraid of big honkin needles, but I'm also tired of incapacitating pain. What should I expect
from a local cortisone shot in terms of blood glucose wackiness?

Quoted message said:

My bg was slightly elevated for a few days. I just had to pay extra attention, spread out my carbs
more, be sure to do my exercising, extra testing, etc.

Some people have a real problem with it, up to & including insulin for a bit. There's no way to know
until you try it. 🙁

My ortho would not give me more than one shot at a time after I was dx diabetic, even when I had two
body parts needing it -- because he's aware of the bg problem. Two shots might have driven my bg
crazy, whereas one I can cope with.

Unfortunately, my long-term-occasional-flaring bursitis on one side turned in the end to "torn
rotator cuff", so after some years I had surgery & rehab. Are you sure it's "only" bursitis? Did
they do an xray? even an MRI? to be sure of what's going on? I hope you don't have a bone spur.

The pain -- and stress -- relief is worth it! The times that the injection worked (several in
various spots over a number of years), it took a couple of days, but once I "got over the shot"
itself I felt fine. Good luck. bj

Quoted message said:

Cortisone "commands" your liver to start making and releasing glucose into the blood. For
diabetics, that means high blood sugars unless they have a lot of reserve insulin,. The rise in
sugars also will depend on the rate at which the cortisone enters the blood and the total amount.

I had a cortisone shot yesterday in my shoulder. I didn't see a rise in BG yesterday but figured I'd
see something this morning. Woke up with a nice
101. Weird.

My doctor and I had talked about how high it might go, when I should call him, what we could do if
it skyrockets, etc. Mostly he told me not to stress if the tests are up slightly for a few days. But
maybe they won't be. On the other hand, maybe as today goes along I'll see something outrageous.

The science experiment called "my body" is just plain strange sometimes.

--
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace...
where there is hatred, let me sow love.

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Andrea, You are a very lucky person if your sugars didn't rise. I would urge to to keep a close eye
on your sugars for the next 2-3 days. Steph

"Andrea" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cortisone "commands" your liver to start making and releasing glucose

into

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the blood. For diabetics, that means high blood sugars unless they

have a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lot of reserve insulin,. The rise in sugars also will depend on the

rate

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

at which the cortisone enters the blood and the total amount.

I had a cortisone shot yesterday in my shoulder. I didn't see a rise in

BG

Quoted message said:

yesterday but figured I'd see something this morning. Woke up with a nice
101. Weird.

My doctor and I had talked about how high it might go, when I should call

him,

Quoted message said:

what we could do if it skyrockets, etc. Mostly he told me not to stress

if

Quoted message said:

the tests are up slightly for a few days. But maybe they won't be. On

the

Quoted message said:

other hand, maybe as today goes along I'll see something outrageous.

The science experiment called "my body" is just plain strange sometimes.

--
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace... where there is hatred, let me sow love.

remove "spamtrap" for e-mail