Diabetes induced by prednisone Will I ever be free from diabetes?

I don't think it is a foregone conclusion you will be diabetic because of prednisone. I do think patients on prednisone should monitor their blood sugars for hyperglycemia.

I was on prednisone for 12 years and never reached the stage of diabetes. I was called prediabetic but my blood sugars weren't ever treated. My PCP "threatened" to start me on metformin if I wasn't careful.

In retrospect, I probably should have been treated with metformin. After I tapered off Prednisone my blood sugars stayed in the normal range. However, an endocrinologist checked my insulin level. My insulin level was very high and my endocrinolgist said it was only a matter of time before I would become diabetic had I stayed on Prednisone. My endocrinologist said I probably should have been on metformin the entire time I was on Prednisone to prevent insulin resistance.

I don't know what should be done but the following video provides some suggestions. Steroid induced diabetes is complicated but seeing an endocrinologist sooner rather than later might be a good idea,

If you’ve been on prednisone at least 3 months, ask for a HgA1C

I had the same problem and was put on a low dose of Mounjaro injections which immediately reduced my blood sugar.

I began 60 mg. daily of predinsone in July 2025. There were instances where my BS would spike over 200's. That was common. Once my primary sent me to the ER, because my BS was 275. By September 2024, I was taking metformin for diabetes. Even with metformin, my BS was high. It didn't return to normal, until I tapered down to 1 mg. in October 2025. I tapered to zero in November. (A month later, some joint pain returned and rheumatologist told me to take 2 mg./day, until we can discuss at my appt. this month.) Happy to say, I am my BS is normal and I am no longer on metformin.

Oh thank you from your response. It gave me so much hope that the diabetes may be resolved when the prednisone will be weaned down

@dadcue
Your advice and video was very helpful. Thank you!

I've had higher than desired (pre-diabetes) A1C levels for a few years. Once on prednisone I was in the diabetes range. Once off predinisone I dropped back down to pre-diabetes range. Working on getting down to normal range with diet and exercise.

@pu911 Hi, I have had pre diabetes for over 15 years and watch my A1C closely. It had been up to 6.2 last year and I lost 10 lb and watched my diet very closely and it came down to 5.9. I am hoping it won't go up and am getting a Libre 2 every couple of months which I used when I started Prednisone in November. I noticed my sugar spiked in the mid afternoon and as noted in the video above, it was 4 to 5 hours after taking the Prednisone. My question for you is, did you go on Metformin when you became diabetic or another med?

I didn't take anything for diabetes. I assumed it was Prednisone that caused increase in A1C levels and I did everything I could to get off pred as fast as possible. Been working on improving diet and getting more exercise, it really helps everything, Best of Luck!

@dadcue thank you for taking the time to tell your story Your brillant advice of taking Metformin is definitely something I will be discussing with my doctor