Post cancer blues... High blood sugar..

BrandyB
BrandyB Member Posts: 195
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

I was diagnosed with TNBC one year ago and was treated with chemo, surgery and radiation.  Last week I had my first post-BC PET scan and the scan was clean (no cancer!!!)  But my fasting Blood Glucose level was 126, which puts me in the diabetic catagory.  WTF???  I have a normal weight with no previous blood sugar issues.  I have a follow-up appointment on Friday with an internist to have further testing done. BTW, I noticed the high number, not the doctor????

Anyway, I really don't want cancer and diabetes.... Arrrggghhhh, last year I was healthy and fit and running 4 miles a day, rocking a killer bod and now I'm all bloated, fat and miserable from my year in a "cancer coma..."  Can chemo cause funky blood sugar levels???

Also, I was thrown rather abrubtly and rudely into chemopause and suffered with freaking hot flashes, bellly fat, and a beard... Now, my period is back (yeah!) but it won't go away.  I'm grumpy as all get out.  My family and friends are afraid of me and my quick temper...

Any of this sound familiar or am I really the nut-case I'm beginning to think that I am?  I'm thankful that there's no cancer and feel extremely ungrateful and bitchy for continuing to bitch!!!  What the hell is wrong with me?  I didn't even complain a fraction of this much while under treatment.... Help!!!!!

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  • Faith316
    Faith316 Member Posts: 2,431
    edited August 2013

    Chemo made me diabetic.  My oncologist told me ahead of time that it would, and he was right.  It got really bad on Taxol.  I actually think it was the Decadron more than the chemo.  Now, a year later after ending Taxol, my blood sugar is much more in control. 

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  • living4today
    living4today Member Posts: 215
    edited November 2010

    HORMONE HELL!!  Totally relate and understand.  My periods came back with a vengence and with it came endometriosis and horrible back pain.  Thus, I just had a complete hysterectomy, totally expecting to go into horrible "instant menopause"...but so far, moods have been a bit more stable and just a few hot flashes.  (hope this keeps up.)

    I am wondering if when you get back in shape that will help you get your blood sugars back under control. 

    Good luck with your appointment on Friday.

    ps.  I  have found walking is my life and sanity saver. 

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  • 208sandy
    208sandy Member Posts: 2,610
    edited November 2010

    Are you on an AI - I was on Femera and then Arimidex and my blood sugar blasted from normal to diabetic - also my cholesterol skyrocketed - I am off the AI's - my readings have returned to normal - also my weight had gone up while I was dieting so I knew something was radically wrong - I am fine now and weight is way down - doctor is pleased but  onc. isn't but understands - I am 65 at the end of this month so I had to pick QOL - also started to exhibit some heart problems which have also disappeared - there are no easy choices.

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  • BrandyB
    BrandyB Member Posts: 195
    edited November 2010

    Now, is Decadron the steroid?  I had 12 doses of Taxol and 4 does of FAC and each time they gave me steroids for at least 3 days.  I always blows me away when I find out medical information on the internet that the stupid doctor failed to mention... (did I mention my foul mood? :-)

    About the diabetes... How did you treat it?  Or did you even have to?  You changed your diet I'm assuming?  Will it go away completely with time?

     Thanks so much for answering my post.

    Brandy

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  • BrandyB
    BrandyB Member Posts: 195
    edited November 2010

    When I finished with radiation, I was walking and watching what I ate like a madwoman, determined to get the weight off.  Well, my weight didn't budge at all!!  This went on for weeks and you guessed it, I stopped (remember the whole pissed off bad attititude thing?...)  I'm going to start tomorrow walking again and at least it will give me some semblance of control.

     Sandy, I'm not on any AI's, being triple negative, they weren't recommended... (Those are the family of drugs that includes tamoxifen, right?)

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  • BrandyB
    BrandyB Member Posts: 195
    edited November 2010

    just adding as a favorite :-)

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  • Faith316
    Faith316 Member Posts: 2,431
    edited November 2010

    For awhile I took Metformin to lower the blood sugar.  Sometimes it made my blood sugar drop too low.  It caused me LOTS of diarrhea.  I recently went back to work and decided to stop the Metformin and just really watch my diet better.  So far things are going well.  I am hoping that in time, I will no longer be diabetic.  The Decadron is the steroid.  My blood sugar readings were dangerously high --- over 500 while taking Taxol and Decadron.  That is why I had to go to the Metformin.  I am not even sure I am diabetic anymore.  My readings are usually pretty normal now but I am still watching closely and monitoring the readings periodically.  I hope in time the diabetes will definitely be gone.  From what I have been told, it isn't too common for some of the chemo regimens to play havoc with blood sugar readings.  I am curious how many women had this happen.

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  • Claire_in_Seattle
    Claire_in_Seattle Member Posts: 4,570
    edited November 2010

    Hi Brandy,

    This just stinks.  Exercise will help with a lot of things, one of which is improving your mood.  I am a cyclist and can go from major funk to feeling on top of the world in the space of one block.

    If you get out there and run, you really can get your killer bod back.  I also do weights and crunches.  This really does work.

    I have no idea if this will help your blood sugar, but I do know that you can be a normal weight and have metabolic issues.  The cure for this is guess what.....exercise!

    What I think happened Brandy (and I am saying this from experience) is that you slowed way down during chemo, and that a lot of muscle turned to fat.  You don't gain weight immediately, but it does get redistributed.  I think you can guess where.  Again the solution is to do both aerobic and strength training.

    Good luck.  I think you will feel tons better once you get it in gear again. - Claire

    p.s. My oncologist who is more than 20 years younger than I am wishes she had my bod.  And no, she isn't fat.

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited November 2010

    I don't have high blood sugar, but was thrown into menopause at 44 and have noticed some extra fluff in the middle, terrible hotflashes all day and night and at times mood swings.  I am getting back into walking and as Claire said will need to amp up the strength training to help rebuild some muscle to fight off the extra fluff.  The lack of estrogen really plays havoc with our bodies - the estrogen helps our heart, bones and bodies to function in a more balanced way.  With BC we're suddenly without estrogen and for most of us won't be able to take estrogen supplements, therefore we have to make up for it in other ways.  I take Effexor for the hotflashes, which helped a lot in the beginning, but not as much anymore, but it has helped with the mood problems. 

    Good luck and I hope that you start feeling better physcially and emotionally soon.

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  • BrandyB
    BrandyB Member Posts: 195
    edited November 2010

    Thanks everyone.  I have tried running some, but my joints scream in protest.  Also, I still feel lopsided from the surgery and totally uncoordinated.  But enough excusses, I think that I hit it too hard right after radiation and that scared me away.  I am tough and I will get my bod back!!!  Looking up from here (trying to anyway :-)  Unfortunately, I don't think that the path travels straight back up.  There will be some dips (or many) along the way. 

    BTW, the short afro that I'm sporting is not helping one bit with the ole self esteem.  Keep telling myself, it'll grow, it'll grow, it'll grow....  But funnily as it grows it looks worse not better...  I guess the path back to great hair isn't so straight either...

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  • LuvRVing
    LuvRVing Member Posts: 4,516
    edited November 2010

    Brandy - I am a long time diabetic and this is the main reason I refused chemo.  The steroids are notorious for raising blood glucose levels, often to very dangerous levels.  With a fasting glucose of 126, if you are diabetic, you are in the early stages and could easily treat the disease with diet and exercise.  However, before you accept the diagnosis, you should request a Hemoglobin A1c test, which measures your blood glucose levels over the past 3 months or so.  If it comes back in the normal range (under 6.0), then you may just have had a randomly high fasting level, or you might have "impaired" fasting levels.  In the meantime, be sure you clean up your diet - stay away from the white stuff (sugar, flour, rice, pasta, bread).  Stick to lean proteins, fresh veggies, small servings of fresh fruits and whole grains.  And try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.  Walking, housework, dancing, it all counts. 

    Michelle

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  • LuvRVing
    LuvRVing Member Posts: 4,516
    edited August 2013

    Brandy - one other thing to consider, being a TN.  There are currently Phase 3 clinical trials using metformin, a cheap and effective diabetic drug, instead of hormone suppressors to prevent recurrences.  The theory is that metformin disrupts the cancer stem cells so they cannot regenerate.  Some people have gastro-intestinal distress from metformin for a few weeks when they first start taking it, but usually things return to normal and the drug is well tolerated. Usually, they start you at a low dose (500 mg) then gradually increase it until you are at the desired therapeutic dose for your diabetes control.  I am taking 2000 mg and I have reason to think that it affected my breast cancer:

    I was diagnosed in June with a 3.1 cm tumor.  My sugar levels were running high, so my doctor increased my metformin from 1000 mg to 2000 mg.  The initial biopsy report showed the tumor's ki67 rate as 90% - one fast growing beast.  I had surgery six weeks later and the hospital's biopsy showed the tumor was down to 1.7 cm and surrounded by "dead" tissue that made up the rest of the mass, considered non-cancerous; and the ki67 was down to 51%.   There is another clinical trial working on the theory of metformin reducing the growth rate of tumors. 

    So, while no one wants to be diagnosed as having diabetes, it is "possible" that the drug which treats it could also be preventing a BC recurrence. 

    http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01101438?recr=Open&cond=%22Metformin%22&lup_s=07%2F04%2F2010&lup_d=30

    http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00984490?term=metformin+%2B+breast+cancer&rank=3

    http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study?term=metformin+++breast+cancer&rank=1

    Not wanting to give false hope here, but this looks very promising. 

    Michelle

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  • BrandyB
    BrandyB Member Posts: 195
    edited November 2010

    wow, that's really cool.  I'm going to find out about this drug and discuss it with my gaggle of doctors,  Thanks!

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  • HollyHopes
    HollyHopes Member Posts: 497
    edited August 2013

    so glad i found this thread...i was diagnosed with diabetes last week.  no family history.  also high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia...had none of this BEFORE chemo.  when i asked the MD if the issues could ge related..she paused and said...well, it's possible. 

    i have felt so badly over the past several days about the DM.  i figured it was totally MY fault for not being fit enough. i am overweight but feel toherwise healthy, have energy, go to the "Y" 5x weekly...

    now that i know others are affected as well i will be little less harsh on myself...

     

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  • lrr4993
    lrr4993 Member Posts: 937
    edited December 2010

    My blood sugar was high straight through chemo.  My onco said it was the decadron.  She also said that people who react like that to decadron tend to be higher risk for diabetes in the future.   

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited December 2010

    My hubby was diabetic before cancer and his A1C has run high ever since. I can see where it would reek havic on your blood sugar. 

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  • HollyHopes
    HollyHopes Member Posts: 497
    edited December 2010

    does anyone know how long it takes for metformin to start working??

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  • Faith316
    Faith316 Member Posts: 2,431
    edited December 2010

    No but it caused a LOT of diarrhea for me.  I think that is a pretty common side effect.

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