Initially I used Glyburide, Glipizide, and Micronase....

[zdeneck]

Now I shoot up every day with the insulin pen and the Lantus. Am I a Type I or a Type II diabetic? I was exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange in Vietnam, back in the 70's. Had a brain bleed in 2002 from high blood pressure. Went back on insulin after my weight went too low....I'm a skinny guy basically I guess the oral stuff is for overweight diabetics, and they probably wouldn't work now anyway.....

 

[EllieM]

Hi @zdeneck

Am I a Type I or a Type II diabetic?

What does your doctor say? There are more than 2 types of diabetes out there and people often get classified as T2 just because they don't neatly fit into another diabetes classification. eg T3c have pancreatic damage so they don't produce enough insulin (and often digestive enzymes) but may still produce some.

I think (happy to be corrected if others disagree) that T1 is more associated by inability to produce enough insulin (usually eventually none, though some have residual production for years), and that deficiency is caused by an autoimmune reaction killing off their insulin producing cells. Whereas T2 is an issue with insulin resistance : their insulin doesn't work as well as it should. Typically T2s start out with high insulin production but long term they can have low production.

But my understanding is that a lot of the T2 oral meds are designed to help with the insulin resistance, and weight loss can be a side effect for some of them. There are plenty of T2s who aren't overweight and either use oral meds or manage with diet.

Welcome (back) to the forums. (I see you last posted in 2019).

 

[Jordi77]

Well I can do one better I'm classed as Type 1/2 as I'm on the border line of both and in the middle and I'm on insulin and have been since I was diagnosed 34 years ago and I was classed as Type 1 then and then they turned around a year later and said I was Type 2 so now I don't care as long as I get taken care of and my diabetes is looked after and I'm able to look after myself and try not to go into hospital as much with DKAs as they are the only thing that does me now but otherwise I am okay now since my last DKA

 

[zdeneck]

Hi EllieM....never thought I would get a response, thank you for writing. I'm somewhere between a type II and type I. The doctor says I am definitely a Type I, however, in the past...both Glipizide and Micronase worked just fine and sometimes were too strong and I had to cut the tablets from time to time. I will ask her again, letting her know about the Glipizide and the Micronase. A diabetes educator told me I was a Type II initially when I was taking the pills to lower blood sugar. Also, I was able to lower the blood sugar with exercise. Today, I can't do that, I am also on a pump...Omnipod 5 with the Dexcom 7 on my arm. All is good, but Agent Orange is in my past from Vietnam. Could I have started out as a type II and then with a bad case of Pneumonia, turned into a Type I as well. What are your thoughts on that??? Thank you for your response !!!

 

[EllieM]

Hello again @zdeneck

There are people out there who are T1 with high insulin resistance, so called double diabetes.

I believe the official line is that T2 diabetics cannot become T1 diabetics, as the diseases have different causes, but T1s can develop insulin resistance (my dad is T2 and I'm definitely more insulin resistant than when I was younger.) But given that people can develop T1 in later life I've never seen why, logically, a T2 can't develop T1 as well.

(I'm glad your pump works well for you. I went onto a tandem tslim nearly two years ago and love it.)

 

[zdeneck]

Hello again @zdeneck

There are people out there who are T1 with high insulin resistance, so called double diabetes.

I believe the official line is that T2 diabetics cannot become T1 diabetics, as the diseases have different causes, but T1s can develop insulin resistance (my dad is T2 and I'm definitely more insulin resistant than when I was younger.) But given that people can develop T1 in later life I've never seen why, logically, a T2 can't develop T1 as well.

(I'm glad your pump works well for you. I went onto a tandem tslim nearly two years ago and love it.)

Great.....Tandem tslim is a good one. The Omnipod 5 is certainly better than 50 injects a week. Thanks for your take on it. Mine is the same....type II first, then type I later.