Some of the medications you take can cause your blood sugar to rise, especially if you have diabetesPrescription medications and some over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be problematic for people who need to control their blood sugar, webmd reports.
Prescription medications that can raise your glucose level include:
Steroids (also called corticosteroids)
They treat diseases caused by inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and allergies. Common steroids include hydrocortisone and prednisone, but steroid creams (for rashes) or inhalers (for asthma) are not a problem.
Medications that treat anxiety, ADHD, depression and other mental health problems can include clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone.
Contraceptive pills
Medicines that treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers and thiazide diuretics
statins to lower cholesterol
Adrenaline for severe allergic reactions
High doses of asthma medications or injected asthma medications
Isotretinoin for acne
Tacrolimus, which you get after an organ transplant
Some medicines that treat HIV and hepatitis C
Over-the-counter medications that can raise blood sugar include:
Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant in some cold and flu medicines
cough syrup
Niacin, Vitamin B
How do you decide what to take?
Even though these medications can raise your blood sugar, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them if you need them. The most important thing is to work with your doctor on the right way to use them.
If you have diabetes or are monitoring your blood sugar, ask your doctor before taking new medications or changing any medications, even if they are just cough or cold medications, and remember that just being sick can raise your blood sugar.