Type 1 and Insulin Resistance

[JAT1]

Can Type 1s have insulin resistance or develop it? If so, what are the symptoms?

 

[EllieM]

Can Type 1s have insulin resistance or develop it? If so, what are the symptoms?

It's called double diabetes (effectively T1 and T2). I suspect I may have it, though my diabetic specialist was very dismissive of the idea. I would argue that symptoms would be an increase in insulin required per gram of carbohydrate. (For example, my father is T2, I am slightly overweight, and I now need 3 units of insulin per 10g of carbohydrate....)

 

[Member496333]

Yes. Individuals can become resistant to exogenous insulin. The mechanism is the same as that which brings about T2, except the insulin is injected rather than secreted by the pancreas.

 

[JAT1]

Thank you very much for your replies. I presume insulin resistance for type 1s would happen some time after the 'honeymoon' period ended. I know that many type 1s eat a healthy diet without limiting their carbs and inject to match the carbs consumed but Dr. Bernstein made a huge impact on my life and for some reason which doesn't make sense I'm frightened of insulin as well as carbs. Could partly be because one of my early childhood friends died from type 1. I cut my carbs way way back as soon as I was diagnosed but have tummy troubles if I go below 100 carbs/day, likely because before the diabetes diagnosis I very seldom ate meat. Anyway about a month ago my life changed. I returned to a busy job after 6 months 'retirement' and experienced a change in my blood sugar. I eat breakfast now and have 3 units rapid-acting insulin before that, 2 units rapid-acting before lunch (not much time to eat) and have increased my insulin dose before dinner to 5 units rapid-acting. I take 4 units long-lasting at night. I wondered whether the increase at dinner is due to my eating most of my daily food then whereas during 'retirement' eating was spread out during the day. Plus almost right after dinner I sleep for a least an hour - I used to have an afternoon nap. Or is the increase due to the end of the honeymoon, now that I have 8 months type 1 behind me? My blood sugars are good. My last Hba1c was only 4.2% which I think is 22 mmol (used a calculator but not sure). I know type 1 is for life but I'm aiming to stay at this level and not progress in anyway in order to avoid any complications.

 

[JAT1]

It's called double diabetes (effectively T1 and T2). I suspect I may have it, though my diabetic specialist was very dismissive of the idea.

Do you have an idea as to why?

 

[EllieM]

Do you have an idea as to why?

Well, I need 3 units of insulin for 10 grams of carbohyrdrate (handy when I'm hypo as 1 glucotab generally does the trick), my waist measurement is more than half my height, and my father has T2 (my kids are genetically doomed, T1 grandmother and mother , and all other 3 grandparenmnts were T2).

But as I said, my diabetic specialist didn't think so, and I'm sure she knows a lot more about T2 than I do. (Maybe I'd need to be on more insulin overall, I'm on between 40 and 50 units a day?. I know many T2s need way more than that once they've progressed to insulin, but I'm also moderately low carb)

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @JAT1,
My personal view as a T1D is that insulin resistance is insulin insensitivity - more insulin is needed to enable BSLs to be maintained at a certain level or limit of blood sugar.
There are many things that cause me to require more insulin than usual, that is, that reduce my sensitivity to insulins -
stress, illness, vaccinations, the Dawn phenomenon, overindulging and having high BSLs.