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Do you find that over-the-counter cold medicines have any impact on your blood sugar? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
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They generally raise my BG, but the CGM lets me correct.
No, unless you count Tylenol as it affects CGM some. (⊙.⊙(☉̃ₒ☉)⊙.⊙)
Insulin dependant for 37 years. Bg Control was an issue when I was younger. Glycemic unawareness as I have aged. But I seldom ever get ill from viruses or colds. I have often wondered if it is the same overactive immune response that kicked my islet cells out.
Before the Dex G6 the Acetaminophen would cause the Dex to report Bgs 300-400 higher than they actually were
I almost never have colds, and I find OTC remedies to be ineffective. I don’t use them at all.
It depends the content of the medication and sugar is often one of the ingredients. I have heard on TV that cold medicines can also affect blood pressure so that is another concern for many diabetics.
I dont take OTC cold medications. My doctor has recommended against it and I am usually over a cold in a few days anyway.
I haven’t had a cold in ages. The last time I did years ago I passed out at home from dehydration. My doc said the cold medicine helps to dehydrate. No more thankfully.
I don’t usually take anything. If I do, I try to look for sugar free 🤷🏻♂️
Hard to tell if the cold is affecting my BG or if the cold remedy is affecting it, or both.
I said other because they do if they contain sugar, otherwise not that can tell. I don’t use much when I do have a cold except Sudafed. I don’t get many colds any more since my kids grew up, and I am careful about hand washing when seeing people. Since COVID precautions, I have not been ill at all- masking and handwashing. Who knew! :/
Mainly dependent on what meds i take. Certain ones (dependent on what goes in it causes a lot of. Fluctuation.
It depends on the med. I was warned about Sudafed causing highs and I don’t seem to have a problem with that one. Of course syrups with sugar are of course going to cause a spike.
I take mucinex for cough. I try not to take Sudafed but knock on wood, since CoVid, I have not had a cold. Wearing a mask, and washing hands and using hand sanitizer when I go out and come home, and of course social distancing, surely anecdotal, but no colds, or other illness since CoVid started. Hmmmm. I did have an ongoing cough that I used to take Mucinex for but the doc has taken me off a med that was causing it. Very bad time to have an ongoing cough;) I have never noticed any change in BS with Mucinex.
I try to take stuff for diabetics but thankfully I rarely get sick and try not to take anything if I do.
I do not take anything with sugar or acetaminophen. When I take OTC cold meds (more often for my sinuses than a general cold) I do not see my BG affected after taking the meds as opposed to before.
I have not taken any since I was diagnosed 5 years ago. Always worried it would go up. Luckily I haven’t needed to
Hmmm… I actually rarely get sick enough to need meds (except for that odd several week flu last year). Eight-nine years ago took some kind of cough syrup which caused my levels to plummet, found alka-seltzer for cold seemed to be good. But as a farm boy I keep soup in my pantry.
When I get sick, the first thing that let’s me know is my blood sugar level. Most meds have sugar, so I found what works best for me through process of elimination, reading labels and looking up ingredients. A lot of allergy meds have ingredients that spike blood sugar too. I usually end up with alka seltzer, green tea with lemon or a lot of rest. If I do get sick (I try to avoid it like the plague), I’m going to be sick for 2 months.
If it has an impact when the syrups have sugar, that is why I use the capsules and pills since the syrup is 90% sugar and 10% medicine, of course it is not bad sugar but it is to give a pleasant taste to the public that the consume.
When I take cold medicine I go up like 10 point on my glucose test but when I get really sick my glucose goes down because I can hardly eat anything have no energy and sleep alot
I have found the ones that are effective and don’t raise my BG, so I stick to them. I do NOT use combination products, ever.
I buy the carb-free cough syrups. I only get a cold once every few years, so not much need to buy cold meds.
pseudophedrine, claritin benadryl, cough syrups, all raise BGs. In general, any medication that makes me drowsy raises BGs.