Any sure signs of LADA ?

[Kat100]

Hi eddie hope things get sorted out soon ...best wishes ..Kat

 

[Cherryred]

I had these tests done December 4 and they are still not back from the lab. I had no idea they take so long.

 

[eddie1968]

Hey Eddie, have you had your tests yet?

Sorry not been on much this week Lesley. I had a urine sample which showed Ketones last week. My DSN has issued me with a Glucomen LX Plus meter with B-Ketone strips in addition to my AccuCheck. Suspicions have been raised now of Slow onset Type 1 or LADA. Again thanks all. Got more tests this week and I will post when I get results.

 

[eddie1968]

Had my bloods drawn on Tuesday, awaiting results, so fingers crossed.

 

[Lesleywo]

Had my bloods drawn on Tuesday, awaiting results, so fingers crossed.

Eddie, had mine done yesterday ... C-peptide and GAD's. Appointment with Endo on Friday, though not sure if GAD's will be back as I think they take 2 weeks. C-peptide will be though.

 

[eddie1968]

Eddie, had mine done yesterday ... C-peptide and GAD's. Appointment with Endo on Friday, though not sure if GAD's will be back as I think they take 2 weeks. C-peptide will be though.

Cheers Lesley and wow, you sure have a lot of autoimmine issues !

 

[Lesleywo]

Cheers Lesley and wow, you sure have a lot of autoimmine issues !

Yeah I know, it's my middle name! Also had my HbAlc and host of others .... have a very enthusiastic endo, he loves blood tests! Even carries his own little ultrasound machine around with him!

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance end April last year. Since then lost some weight, cut my carbs down somewhat etc. but over Christmas totally lost control. Did some random testing but nothing untoward given the **** I was eating, however, for the last 10 days my BS have gone right up. I usually range from between 5.2 to 6.2, then suddenly I got an 8.8 out of nowhere and 7's for the rest of the day. Next day back to normal, then ever since I've been in the 7's and 8's. Horrified this morning to get a 7.1 fasting.

What do you reckon, have I suddently crossed the line to diabetic?

 

[Ian DP]

Hi Lesley
I am LADA, no insulin or meds. My BG readings are normally between 4.6 and 5.6, but they always increase whenever I am travelling or ill. So far I have always been able to get them back to 'normal' whenever I have returned to normal, but at some point they won't, and that will be when I start insulin.

If I remember correctly you are lowish carb, but not low carb. ie. still eating grapefruit, toast etc. if you lower your carbs further and eliminate bread pasta potatoes rice and Mediterranean fruit etc. There is a good chance you will be able to lower your BG levels further, and get back to your 5.2s and 6.2s or even less.

In my opinion, once you get fasting levels in the 7s, your beta cells will start to destruct and you will soon be on insulin. I have decided that once my fasting levels start to average above 6.5 I will start the insulin, simply to retain as many beta cells as long as I can which will keep my insulin requirement low for as long as possible.

 

[Lesleywo]

Hi Ian

Thing is, I'm not even diabetic. Do you 'cross the line' so quickly? I had a bit of a migraine the day before the high readings started (didn't test that day) so thought maybe it was because of that. Also going through a bout of anxiety, though I've not found in the past that this has affected my sugars. They've stayed elevated apart from the day after the first day of highs. Guess I will wait til Friday when I see the endo and get my test results. I have cut my carbs down today to see if that helps.

Anyway, I will let you know the results on Friday. Will be interesting to see what Eddie's results are, given his father died of Addisons Disease so he has the family history of autoimmune disease.

So good to have others to talk to on this site.

Lesley

Hi Lesley
I am LADA, no insulin or meds. My BG readings are normally between 4.6 and 5.6, but they always increase whenever I am travelling or ill. So far I have always been able to get them back to 'normal' whenever I have returned to normal, but at some point they won't, and that will be when I start insulin.

If I remember correctly you are lowish carb, but not low carb. ie. still eating grapefruit, toast etc. if you lower your carbs further and eliminate bread pasta potatoes rice and Mediterranean fruit etc. There is a good chance you will be able to lower your BG levels further, and get back to your 5.2s and 6.2s or even less.

In my opinion, once you get fasting levels in the 7s, your beta cells will start to destruct and you will soon be on insulin. I have decided that once my fasting levels start to average above 6.5 I will start the insulin, simply to retain as many beta cells as long as I can which will keep my insulin requirement low for as long as possible.

 

[eddie1968]

Yeah I know, it's my middle name! Also had my HbAlc and host of others .... have a very enthusiastic endo, he loves blood tests! Even carries his own little ultrasound machine around with him!

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance end April last year. Since then lost some weight, cut my carbs down somewhat etc. but over Christmas totally lost control. Did some random testing but nothing untoward given the **** I was eating, however, for the last 10 days my BS have gone right up. I usually range from between 5.2 to 6.2, then suddenly I got an 8.8 out of nowhere and 7's for the rest of the day. Next day back to normal, then ever since I've been in the 7's and 8's. Horrified this morning to get a 7.1 fasting.

What do you reckon, have I suddently crossed the line to diabetic?

Dunno Lesley, two consecutive HbA2c tests or some OGTT tests might confirm you're diabetic

 

[eddie1968]

Hi Lesley
I am LADA, no insulin or meds. My BG readings are normally between 4.6 and 5.6, but they always increase whenever I am travelling or ill. So far I have always been able to get them back to 'normal' whenever I have returned to normal, but at some point they won't, and that will be when I start insulin.

If I remember correctly you are lowish carb, but not low carb. ie. still eating grapefruit, toast etc. if you lower your carbs further and eliminate bread pasta potatoes rice and Mediterranean fruit etc. There is a good chance you will be able to lower your BG levels further, and get back to your 5.2s and 6.2s or even less.

In my opinion, once you get fasting levels in the 7s, your beta cells will start to destruct and you will soon be on insulin. I have decided that once my fasting levels start to average above 6.5 I will start the insulin, simply to retain as many beta cells as long as I can which will keep my insulin requirement low for as long as possible.

Sometimes even non diabetics get slightly higher readings especially post prandrial Ian so the odd 7+ mm/l is not definitive.

 

[Ian DP]

Sometimes even non diabetics get slightly higher readings especially post prandrial Ian so the odd 7+ mm/l is not definitive.

Completely agree, the odd 7+ is not definitive, but as soon as it becomes 'normal' i would have thought it must be. Only time will tell, in the mean time, I am sure lowering carbs will help get back towards normal.

 

[Lesleywo]

Got your results back yet Eddie?

I just saw my endocrinologist .. a bit of a kerfuffle as he was running very late and my file was at his other practice so he didn't really know what he was doing. C-Peptide in normal range, not sure if the antibodies were back. Fasting must have been ok but I couldn't see what it was. All I could see that had asterisks on was, as usual, my cholesterol. Gone up to 7.1. Consoling myself that this was an after Christmas test where I had been behaving very badly in the food department :-( Anyway, he wants to retest them again in 3 months. HbAlc STILL 5.8%. All 3 tests over the last couple of years have been the same. So set myself a challenge to get it down by next test.

And I think my higher blood readings were due to faulty strips ... as soon as I finished that tub and started a new one, I've had the best readings I've ever had, ranging from 4.3 to 5.3. Never had so many in the 4's ... hope it's not this tub that's faulty!

 

[Lesleywo]

@eddie1968, have you got your results back yet? I emailed my endo, GAD antibodies are positive at 82 (range less than 10). Sept 11 GAD antibodies were 516. I asked him 'what does this mean'. His exact response:

"
Hoped you wouldn't ask me that!

Slight risk for type 1 diabetes but you have long passed the risk time.

I will check your file to see if the above statement is correct "

Anyone care to shed some light on this cos i'm blowed if I know what it means

 

[Lesleywo]

@LucySW? @Ian DP? Anyone?

 

[LucySW]

Sounds to me as if it means, Yes you seem to be type 1 (ie LADA), but past the mid-40s mark. That's my guess, don't be offended (I'm 55). If that's what he meant, the age thing is irrelevant as it was only a statistical characteristic. If you are LADA, in your shoes I wd go straight onto enthusiastic lo-carb, and Metformin, a drug that is really good for us. If and when you get to fasting 6.5, I would make a very loud noise and ask for insulin. You could ask for basal now if you want it. (I did want it, tho I had to go on bolus/basal quite soon anyway).

Anyway, you'll have to pin him down. And then decide how you want to play it.

 

[Ian DP]

My understanding is if you have GAD antibodies above 50 you are almost certainly T1. LADA isn't always officially recognised. My consultant told me I was LADA, but that I am really a T1 in the honeymoon stage, indeed there is no mention of LADA in my hospital notes at all.

As Lucy says. LcHf diet and if you can't get below 6.5 to 7.0 fasting then request insulin. This seems to me to be the best way of preserving your last few remaining beta cells that you have remaining, and will thus keep you in the honeymoon period for a much longer period of time.

 

[Lesleywo]

I felt he was saying that if I've had these high GAD's for some time (at least 3 years) and I've not developed diabetes, then no problem. I am not diabetic (any type) based on my HbAlc (5.8%) but was dx insulin resistant (pre-diabetic) but with carb reduction I keep my sugars in non-diabetic range and insulin at top end of range. C-peptide in normal range (don't know which end).

I think the difference between my situation and you guys' is that because I have other endocrine conditions, he has tested for other autoimmune diseases. Had I not had these conditions, I would be none the wiser! My Mum was dx Type 2 (diet only) about 15 months before she died (age 77), other rels on her side diabetic but not sure which type. I guess I am at risk of both types of diabetes, so whether I end up with LADA or not, I can still work towards avoiding fully blown Type 2.

 

[Lesleywo]

Was also interesting he said 'thyroid antibodies normal' .. given I have Hashimoto's (and he said my thyroid is pretty shrivelled up to nothing) I assumed it meant that as my body has pretty much killed my thyroid it has no need to produce antibodies.

 

[LucySW]

Well .. If you have the GAD antibodies, it means it's just a matter of time till full T1 develops. I'd forget about t2 if T 1 is indicated: it's irrelevant.

You might be getting a bit hung up on definitional questions. Probably what matters is gaining good control of your BG.