Diagnosis

CarrieB

Member
Messages
14
i was diagnosed about 20 years ago, having experienced very rapid onset of typical diabetes symptoms (drinking gallons but still feeling thirsty, so tired I was falling asleep at my desk, etc). As I was in my 30s I was classed as type 2 without any tests to confirm that.

Diet didn't touch my blood glucose levels, and within a fortnight I was on metformim, I had a couple of years where careful control of carbs and the metformim just about kept my HbA1c acceptable, but then in spite of regularly increasing the dose that wasn't working and about 10 years ago, after much reluctance from the diabetes clinic specialists, I was put on insulin (a basal / bonus regime) which works well.

I'm curious if I'm really a type 2 nor not. Are there any tests that can be carried out after this long to confirm the type 2 diagnosis?

Thanks
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hiya. I'll bump this as I can't answer it properly, but maybe @Daibell or someone else can offer some ideas about late onset T1. It does sound as if you've been managing so well you've been able to mask the usual progress of T1.
 

ButtterflyLady

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,291
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.

Celeriac

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,065
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The Peninsula College of Medicine at University of Exeter developed a home urine test for C- Peptide which will detect insulin produced by the body and external insulin and it was used in research to re-diagnose people. However, I can find no retail sales outlet for it. I'd suggest contacting them but in 2013 the college split in half and I don't know where the diabetes research team went. As the research was funded by Diabetes UK maybe they can help ???
 

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi Carrie,
I suspect that asking for any tests now would probably result in the answer that it wouldn't change your treatment so it isn't worth trying to find out (don't personally agree)
You could have had a slow onset T1 (LADA)
There are tests for antibodies (such as GAD) which do persist overtime in many people but not in all If they didn't find them then it wouldn't mean they weren't there once.
You could have had MODY (especially if there is any family history)
This (trial version) calculates what the probability of that might be. http://www.diabetesgenes.org/content/mody-probability-calculator
It also links to an explanation about the Urine C-Peptide Creatinine Ratio test which I think is the test referred to in @Celeriac 's post. On the face of things it might help distinguish between a T1 and a T2 on insulin (and a MODY).
The cost of that test is not expensive though I it would have to be requested by a doctor.http://beta.diabetesgenes.org/content/requesting-analysis-ucpcr
 
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