October 18, 2006
Other Medications
Question from Alberta, Canada:
My six year old son has been using his Ventolin inhaler since he was two, before his diagnosis of type 1. His pediatrician just changed his inhaler to a Bricanyl Turbuhaler, more for convenience on our part, because it isn’t as big. I was reading on the Internet that the active drug is terbutaline with cautions about use by diabetics because of a possible increase in blood sugar. Does this drug cause increases in blood sugar? My pediatrician didn’t know and the pediatric endocrinologist said definitely not because it doesn’t contain a steroid. So, why the caution about diabetics taking this drug on information pamphlet and the Internet?
Answer:
Terbutaline can have an effect on diabetes — and can raise blood sugars (see Diabetes Care, Vol 16, Issue 8 1124-1130). Usually this is a mild effect. I would recommend that you review with your pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist to see if using Ventolin (albuterol) would be a better choice for taking care of your son’s diabetes.
MSB
