Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabetes?

[Geri]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

Yes, 1965 I had very bad chicken pox and then my Vitiligo started on my back. I also got a bad stomach virus whilst at school and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on 1 Jan 1970. It was a total shock to my parents but my mother felt that everything 'started' after my bad bout of chickenpox!

 

[Tristan_Llyr]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

I had no virus at all leading up to my diagnosis. But high levels of stress is also thought to trigger T1, and a month before I developed diabetes my dog had passed away suddenly, and I was very very distraught around the time, since I grew up with him through my teens and I think anyone would agree that any pet is regarded as family.

What scares me is the night I was admitted to hospital with ketoacidosis (before I was officially diagnosed) was all thanks to my parents. They drove very far to see me after they noticed how ill I was over a video-call a few hours before. Now if my dog was still alive there would have been no way for them to travel up due to their responsibility of looking after him, and God knows what state I would have been in if they didn't travel up that night. But 8 months later I'm living a healthy and happy life and I'm under great control. Strange how some things happen for a reason. But then again would I even be a diabetic right now if my dog was still here? I guess I'll never truly know.

 

[ElyDave]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

I've been diagnised T1 for a little over two weeks now (39yo) and yes, I can definitely link mine to a virus.

I was working away (as usual) in Aberdeen in mid-Feb, started to go down with a cold midweek, didn't realise it was going to be full-on flu. Felt horrendous on Friday, but I was going home then anyway. Spent Saturday/Sunday on the sofa. I've only had full blown few about three or four time, but I know it when've had it.

I can pinpoint my symptoms almost to the day from that weekend.
Waking up at night drenched in sweat (sleeping on a towel to soak it all up)
Raging thirst
Weight loss (67kg down to 60kg at the lowest)
leg cramps
Insomnia
Eventual massive appetite

Eventually went to the docs in easly JUne, like most middle aged males of my generation, waiting to see if it would go away on its own.

Glad I did, feel much better now that I'm on the MDI

 

[ashlleiigh]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

I have been diagnosed with type 1 last week - at age 25..
there is no family history of diabetes, it just came out the blue.
however, once I got out of hospital - and had time to think, I realised that my symptoms came on the week I had a very bad flu, and once the flu was gone I was left with blurry eyes and other diabetic symptoms.. I said this to my diabetic nurse who explained that any virus or flu can cause the diabetes.. im Just unlucky I suppose :/

 

[Cupcaake32]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

Tonsilitis for a month or so before hand we thought it was just a sore throat until i startwd losing weight

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[maria030660]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

Hi,

I am a type 1 for almost 30 years. I got very ill after i had my second baby and was hospitalised for 3 weeks and i had big lums in my glands. Nobody really knew what was going on apart that it was a viral infection. I think 2 months after i came out of hospital is tarted to lose weight, drank excessive amounts of water and started to get wounds on my hands that would not heal. The consultant who took care of me in the hospital took me in again and it turn out my BG was almost 30 and i was put on insulin straight away. I have been a diabetic since then.

 

[maria030660]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

Hi Catsymoo,

I still have chocolate from time to time but eat it main with slow carbs and then i adjust on my afternoon snack. Pizza is realy off limits for me, i absolutely love it but it messes up my diabetes badly and for days, not worth the hassle, but when i smell one...oh my god....forbidden fruits are the most tempting...lol

 

[Dominia]

I had a very nasty urinary tract infection (bacteria or viral? - I don't know) which landed me in hospital. That was March 2007 (aged 51). By July I became quite ill and my eyesight had deteriorated, but my GP did not spot the classic symptoms (I sacked him afterwards). My life was saved by my ophthalmologist who spotted a cataract in my left eye and diagnosed probable diabetes.

By the time I got to a diabetologist at the hospital 1 week later, my blood sugar was over 27 and my cholesterol 14. I was immediately put on insulin 4 times a day and over the next 6 weeks everything returned to 'manageable' levels.

I have aways assumed that it was some sort of autoimmune reaction to the UTI that damaged my pancreas.

 

[niknak15]

I am the only diabetic in my family, I was 12 when diagnosed after loosing masses of weight and being very ill. My diagnosis came after a year or so of constant flu and infections, the Dr said this could have been a factor, but I've never thought it was.


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[drahawkins_1973]

I didn't have a virus as such but had just had various vaccinations such as hep A and B, diphtheria etc for travelling abroad. I always wondered if it was too much for my immune system and it triggered it all off. Difficult to know I guess.
I was never asked anything when diagnosed its shame as I'm sure they could collate things and see if there are any patterns.
Andrea


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[Demos300]

Yes I did have a virus. I had a flu type virus that lingered on and on for many months. After it cleared I started sleeping a lot and was always thirsty and also lost a lot of weight. Was probably a Big Pharma virus made to make them a lot of money as I have nobody in my family with Diabetes and this Virus was really weird.

 

[Samanthacxo]

Hey drahawkins_1973,


That's strange! because I got vaccinated in April 2013 for our holiday and I was ill by the May and diagnosed in November. I didn't have any kind of virus or infection that I could link to, but I did have vaccinations.



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[donnellysdogs]

No virus before, but got horrendous symptoms over xmas when my mum bought me a new smaller tv and I couldnt read the writing.. Them the unquenchable thirst too. Went to gp on Jan 6th pretty much knowing what I had. I was 20. He booked me to go into hospital the next day. Got totally hammered on white wine the night before hospital thinking I could never be normal again. Changed to red wine after!!!


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[cally]

No virus before, but got horrendous symptoms over xmas when my mum bought me a new smaller tv and I couldnt read the writing.. Them the unquenchable thirst too. Went to gp on Jan 6th pretty much knowing what I had. I was 20. He booked me to go into hospital the next day. Got totally hammered on white wine the night before hospital thinking I could never be normal again. Changed to red wine after!!!


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I was also booked to go to hospital the next day after seeing my GP.
I was 16 and can remember also thinking that my life was never going to be the same again! I was sitting on the wall outside the local shop the night before going to the hospital eating a big bag of yellow sherbet! The kind you ate by dipping your finger in it and sucking it. It made your finger go yellow!

 

[Shaggy_dog]

Yes, I had measles, followed very soon after by mumps.

 

[Ausra]

I did not have any virus, but I did go through a very stressful period prior to becoming diabetic. I found myself drinking lots-something very unusual to me, having no energy whatsoever and having very disturbed sleep because of running to toilet every 5 mins. So feeling tired and so on is not a symptoms of virus, it's lack of insulin, which is supposed to help produce energy.

 

[petsnponies]

I had a very bad cold virus and sinusitis, developing the symptoms after recovery. I was 23.

 

[JMW]

Re: Did any of you type 1s have a virus before you got diabe

I was diagnosed as a Type 3 diabetic (managed as a Type 1) after having a nasty case of pancreatitis. My family has a weakness in the pancreas. My mother died from pancreatic cancer some years ago.

I had mononeucleosis (?) and I lost 18lbs. 3yrs ago, my sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
She is doing well. I am from a large family, 5 of us have hypothyroidism, 3 with epilepsy, 2 diabetics and
Pancreatic cancer. I believe all these illnesses are related to ONE another. They are also hereditary.

 

[Andy-Sev]

Thank god for this thread. Christmas 2014 I got this rash which went from my wrists to my neck and then covered the rest of my body except the face. Being a typical bloke I googled it and ploughed on, especially as it was Christmas and had no time to let it interfere, although I remember I would sleep loads and felt rough. I'd forgotten about it as it went after a couple of weeks but it seems like that may have been the trigger to cause what in Sept 2015 was diagnosed as suspected Type 1 after all the usual symptoms although being over 40 I am dealing with those who presume it is Type 2 and pushing oral treatment on me. As I should be seeing my consultant soon I will bring this up and hopefully it will help sort out my current troubles.

 

[Dannyb87]

I had virus after virus then got a cyst, probably already had diabetes, diagnosed I think about 2-3 months after it got bad, was doing everything wrong trying to perk myself up, tonics glucose this and that, gave myself DKA but I got a diagnosis finally! Lol