Type 1 counting carbs

[ArsenalCath]

I am late onset type 1 diabetic. Diagnosed three years ago after being very unsuccessfully treated as type 2. I nearly died. A new doctor at my surgery suspected my symptoms were connected to diabetes type 1. He put me on insulin immediately and I was referred to diabetes endocrinologist. Tests confirmed I was Type 1. Why do doctors presume that if you are a certain age and overweight that, without any testing, you must be type 2. I lost a significant amount of weight, 12st, in a really short space of time, I was a bag of bones. I was so exhausted all the time I could barely put one foot in front of the other. My mouth was always bone dry, I wasn’t producing any saliva. I spent my time drinking gallons of water and weeing. Everything tasted foul. So I wasn’t eating. My balance was terrible and I kept falling over. Thank heavens for our new doctor. He knew exactly what was wrong and how to remedy it. However, my glucose levels were still all over the place. I have only realised now that there is a place for carb counting if you’re type 1. In my case I have drastically reduced carb in take and therefore reduced insulin. I did put a load of weight back on in a short time after starting to take insulin but now, on low carb, low insulin, I am slowly getting back to a healthy weight. I have more energy too.

 

[Todd1974]

Hi I’m going through the same thing now was diagnosed type 2 in April put on x2 1000mg metformin and 120mg of Gliclazide down to 80 grams of carbs bloods still in there 20s had another a1c test last week as only come down 4 mmol from 95 to 94 waiting to see a specialist now

 

[Marie 2]

I was misdiagnosed for over 8 years. I ate very healthy, swam 75 laps 5 days a week but I believe because I wasn't skinny they diagnosed me as a type 2. I even had an uncle that had type 1, no type 2's in the family and I was told by my GP and an endo that I was type 2 and they never even tested me. Luckily medications made me sick and I was put on insulin fairly early.

It wasn't until I switched doctors who sent me to a new endo that tested me right away and diagnosed me right. I was already on both kinds of insulin but when I knew I was a type 1 I immediately understood I had to have insulin versus skipping doses etc It is maddening that I was immediately suspicious I was a type 1 and ignored. But it turns out 35% of type 1's are misdiagnosed as type 2's at first and switching doctors turns out to be a common way they are finally diagnosed right.

Gaining weight when you first start insulin is common. Before insulin you actually weren't utilizing all that food you ate and once you start insulin you are, so you are actually eating more food than you needed too.

It really is about the right dosing for the carbs you eat. As a type 1 you don't have to low carb if you don't want too. Just choose whatever works for you!

 

[Todd1974]

The putting on wait thing sounds good, as I’ve lost 3 stone in the space of a month. I’m a naturally big man so I look really ill at the minute hopefully it’s sorted out soon.

 

[Daibell]

I've been down the same route. You can blame ignorant diabetes teaching, DUK being out-of-date and all the medics and researchers refusing to move from 'Group-think' mode. The current pandemic management has a lot in common. No one wants to stand out from the crowd or admit they were wrong. You can learn a lot about human behaviour from the T2 mis-diagnoses. My Diabetes GP just said I was NOT T1 (with no tests) and that she was the expert; supreme arrogance.

 

[Marie 2]

@Todd1974 losing a lot of weight is one of the signs of being a T1. What happens is you start burning your own fat and muscles for energy because you can't get it from the carbs you eat. And while medications usually work some at the beginning, it depends how fast your pancreas gives up producing insulin for them to work at all. It doesn't sound like your levels changed much at all with medications so I would think it sounds suspiciously like T1.

Has anyone warned you of DKA? Have you checked ketones? When you have high blood sugars and not enough insulin you can get DKA which can become life threatening pretty fast. Unfortunately being hospitalized for it is how a lot of Type 1's get originally diagnosed. You can get urine strips to test for ketones, they are a good idea to keep around anyways, but if you get any of the symptoms you need to seek help right away.

https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/dka-ketoacidosis-ketones
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20371551