How long should it take before you find out what type you have?

[MancboyChris]

Hi all.

Was diagnosed at new year with diabetes when I went doctors and she did a test on urine for Ketones. Result was 3.9 and then tested my sugars which were 26.

After being in hospital for 3 days, I was discharged being told I'll be treated with insulin as they don't know what type I am, as I shown traits of T1 and T2.

Since I've been home, I've had to call the clinic weekly with my sugars readings, initially I was on Novorapid 3 times a day and Lantus before bed.

Since then, my Lantus was reduced from 16 units to 10, also the nurse told me to stop taking my Novorapid, since I stopped it, my numbers have stayed relatively the same.

As it was all new to me, when I was on Novorapid, I'd take immediately before a meal no matter what it was (this was a mistake as I wasn't made aware when I left hospital to only take it if I ate carbs)

So an example my blood sugar would be 6, I'd take 8 units of Novo then eat, alot of the time my numbers hardly changed between meals, when I told diabetic nurse some food I'd been eating for lunch, I told her one of my faves Tuna with cottage cheese and a few carrot sticks, she then told me if I ate stuff like that without carbs I should not take the Novo. What I didn't understand is why when I was doing this almost each day, I didn't have any hypos, due to taking insulin when it wasn't required.

Anyway, each time I've been on the phone I've asked do they know what type I have yet, I keep getting no. I have an appointment towards the end of April with the consultant I seen on the ward at hospital.

The nurse did tell me that the antibodies detected in T1 weren't found in my tests so could indicate T2 but she can't make the diagnosis.

I know it's not like this for everyone as I read stories of people who get a diagnosis on the day and are sent home with tablets. I don't know why they are taking so long with mine.

Sorry for rambling it's just having to wait almost 5 months to find out which type I hsvr is doing my head in.

 

[ert]

They are treating you with insulin as if you have type 1. That may be as clear as it gets.
When I was first diagnosed I seemed to be able to take too much insulin without hypoing. The nurse said it was a glucagon response, which stopped my blood sugar levels dropping too low. This no longer appears to be happening.

 

[MancboyChris]

They are treating you with insulin as if you have type 1. That may be as clear as it gets.
When I was first diagnosed I seemed to be able to take too much insulin without hypoing. The nurse said it was a glucagon response, which stopped my blood sugar levels dropping too low. This no longer appears to be happening.

Wow really? What would I declare on travel insurance etc?

Can people with diabetes be treated with just long acting insulin?

 

[EllieM]

Can people with diabetes be treated with just long acting insulin?

Yes and no.

T1s don't produce insulin, so need both (unless they eat a ketogenic diet) but they can start with a (possibly long) honeymoon period where they produce some insulin and taking long acting is enough to keep them going.

T2s are generally insulin resistant, so they start by producing too much insulin, which isn't enough to cover their carb intake because of the resistance. So I think some of them can be put on long acting alone (Not a T2 here so may be getting it wrong).

And some people, like you, show traits of both, so it's hard to tell what you need, but if the current treatment keeps your levels normal, it's the way to go.

And there are quite a few other more obscure types of diabetes, so it sounds like you need a specialist to work out what you have.
And some people never fit neatly into one box or another.

On the plus side, your levels are normal and you aren't getting hypos. That is wonderful. Everyone reacts slightly differently to diabetes. Some people are more different than others. I truly sympathise with your lack of diagnosis but I suspect you may just have to be patient.

Good luck.

 

[ert]

Wow really? What would I declare on travel insurance etc?

Can people with diabetes be treated with just long acting insulin?

You can declare you have insulin-dependent diabetes on your travel insurance. I probably could just take long-acting with my keto diet but I wouldn't be happy with my HbA1c.