am i type 1 or type 2 ?? ._.

[noraabdull]

hello all
i was diagnosed with type 1 a week ago and the doctor gave my lantus and novorapid to inject , and told me to keep fixed units which was 8, but i started having lots of lows even after lunch and dinner
i thought i'd go and check another doctor who is known to be good in my area , and he said that im type 2 i was so confused he told me to keep the lantus , drop the novorapid , and gave me pills instead (metformin or glucophage )

note that
im 20 years old
my Ha1c is 10
my bmi is 20.08


is it possible that type 2 occur to young + not overweighted people ?
and if im actually type 1 is bad for me to take these pills ?

dont know who to trust

 

[Markham_K]

In very rare causes someone can be type 2 and not be overweight... it is rare but possible as it's insulin resistance.. where a type one is incapablty to produce insulin....
And I was told when I was diagnosed (with type one) I couldn't have tablets.. I don't think they work right... unsure if they can make it worse though...

I would deffiently get another opinion! From another doctor and have more test so you know what you're dealing with and how you can control it

Sorry to hear you've been messed around & I hope you get it sorted


Hope I helped a little too x

Sent from my SM-G925F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

 

[Jaylee]

Get a third opinion...

Also, keep a diary of meds & what's eaten along with blood sugar tests...

It all helps a doc.!

 

[PD Oz]

Your intro to insulin sounds very rushed in that an arbitrary high dose was apparently prescribed. I was given low doses to start with (4 units and test regularly between meals) Eventually ramping the dosages up up until stability was reached. Ie aim to achieve a BG reading between 5-10 by the time of your next meal. The thing is do not expect to have the same dose for every meal, there may need to be more for one of the daily meals, depending on your eating habits.

You must discuss any change to your regime with a qualified person and they should monitor your progress carefully until you find your correct usual dose and allow you to gain the experience and confidence to adjust your dose according to food load. Also you should get a doctor to arrange a C Peptide test to confirm you are in fact not producing enough of your own insulin. If you have lost weight, rather than packed it on in the lead up to diagnosis, the likliehood is you are type 1. Also it wouldn't hurt to get some advice from a diabetes dietician counsellor as you may improve control through better dietary habits if they can be made.

 

[loiphamp]

Yes C Peptide will tell you which type

 

[noraabdull]

Your intro to insulin sounds very rushed in that an arbitrary high dose was apparently prescribed. I was given low doses to start with (4 units and test regularly between meals) Eventually ramping the dosages up up until stability was reached. Ie aim to achieve a BG reading between 5-10 by the time of your next meal. The thing is do not expect to have the same dose for every meal, there may need to be more for one of the daily meals, depending on your eating habits.

You must discuss any change to your regime with a qualified person and they should monitor your progress carefully until you find your correct usual dose and allow you to gain the experience and confidence to adjust your dose according to food load. Also you should get a doctor to arrange a C Peptide test to confirm you are in fact not producing enough of your own insulin. If you have lost weight, rather than packed it on in the lead up to diagnosis, the likliehood is you are type 1. Also it wouldn't hurt to get some advice from a diabetes dietician counsellor as you may improve control through better dietary habits if they can be made.

thanks, your reply was useful , i also thought that 8 was too much for me .
i'll make sure to tell my doctor about that C Peptide test
and yes i actually lost 6 kg the past 3 months .

 

[pleinster]

In very rare causes someone can be type 2 and not be overweight... it is rare but possible as it's insulin resistance.. where a type one is incapablty to produce insulin....
And I was told when I was diagnosed (with type one) I couldn't have tablets.. I don't think they work right... unsure if they can make it worse though...

I would deffiently get another opinion! From another doctor and have more test so you know what you're dealing with and how you can control it

Sorry to hear you've been messed around & I hope you get it sorted


Hope I helped a little too x

Sent from my SM-G925F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

Don't want to sound contrary...but it is NOT rare for someone who is not overweight to develop Type 2 diabetes. there are far too many people put there who are far too quick to go along with the misinformed view that Type 2 diabetes is "caused" by lifestyle! Of course, many people appear to have developed this due to their diet etc but more and more people are being diagnosed due to other circumstances...Steroid Induced Type 2 Diabetes for example. I may look a wee bit podgy in my lovely photo (that's coffee by the way) but that's two weeks after a kidney. I have never been overweight in my life, and spent most of it between 10 and 11 stone at 6 foot tall. My doctors warned me that there was a high risk of developing Type 2 from the steroid I take to help prevent rejection of the organ. It's NOT rare...and certainly not "very rare" to wind up with Type 2 and not be overweight - quite number of people on this site are not overweight. Sorry if I sound a bit jaggy, but there's enough people out there with the wrong view of Type 2 without member of the site fuelling that. Agreed?

 

[Mep]

I would be asking for the diagnostic tests to be done if they haven't done so already... they should be able to tell you exactly what type you have from that. They can also tell you whether or not you produce sufficient insulin from the c-peptide. You don't have to be type 1 for insulin deficiency to occur. Type 2 can happen for anyone no matter your weight and age. I was diagnosed at age 25 with type 2 but I have been both overweight and slim, up and down all my life. My great aunt was also diagnosed type 2 and she is different to me as she is super slim and never has been overweight in her life, she's now in her 80's. She has been on insulin for so long that I assumed she was type 1 until she corrected me. I remember apologising to her because I said I just assumed you were type 1 because you'd been unconscious a couple of times and you've always been on insulin. But she explained to me that the diagnostic tests and her endocrinologist confirmed it's definitely type 2 she has with insulin deficiency. That's the very first time I learnt that insulin isn't just for type 1's (many years back obviously as I've been on insulin over 6 years myself now). I agree with others here to seek another opinion. You do need to know what you're treating to get the best result. I wish you the best.

PS... I should also mention my own mother is type 2 and she has never been fat either. In fact I'm the only lady in my family with diabetes who has had weight issues and diagnosed with PCOS that triggered my diabetes. All the other ladies with type 2 have never ever been overweight... go figure. They're not type 1's though. By that I mean the biggest out of all of them is a size 10 australian size which is well below the average sized lady here.

 

[mentat]

I would treat it as type 1 until it is confirmed otherwise. If it is Type 1, not having enough insulin can be very dangerous (ketoacidosis etc.). If it's type 2, taking insulin won't do you any harm, as long as you don't take so much that you have serious lows.

I think it's most likely you do have Type 1, or perhaps LADA, but Type 2 is possible.

If you have Type 1, it is common for your insulin needs to temporarily drop once you start treatment, because the body's remaining beta cells get a bit of a break and then can produce more insulin. This is called the "Honeymoon period".

Type 1 diabetes is a big life change, and a very complex condition. If you do not have access to a diabetes specialist or educator, read as much as you can. "Think Like a Pancreas" is an excellent book.

All the best.

 

[noraabdull]

I would treat it as type 1 until it is confirmed otherwise. If it is Type 1, not having enough insulin can be very dangerous (ketoacidosis etc.). If it's type 2, taking insulin won't do you any harm, as long as you don't take so much that you have serious lows.

I think it's most likely you do have Type 1, or perhaps LADA, but Type 2 is possible.

If you have Type 1, it is common for your insulin needs to temporarily drop once you start treatment, because the body's remaining beta cells get a bit of a break and then can produce more insulin. This is called the "Honeymoon period".

Type 1 diabetes is a big life change, and a very complex condition. If you do not have access to a diabetes specialist or educator, read as much as you can. "Think Like a Pancreas" is an excellent book.

All the best.

The second doctor actually concluded that I'm type 2 from not having ketoacidosis, said that if i was type 1 i would have developed serious clear symptoms of ketoacidosis , since my average blood sugar level was 270 mg/dl for the pst three months

Anyways thank you for replying , it was useful, and i'll make sure to read that book .

 

[noraabdull]

I would be asking for the diagnostic tests to be done if they haven't done so already... they should be able to tell you exactly what type you have from that. They can also tell you whether or not you produce sufficient insulin from the c-peptide. You don't have to be type 1 for insulin deficiency to occur. Type 2 can happen for anyone no matter your weight and age. I was diagnosed at age 25 with type 2 but I have been both overweight and slim, up and down all my life. My great aunt was also diagnosed type 2 and she is different to me as she is super slim and never has been overweight in her life, she's now in her 80's. She has been on insulin for so long that I assumed she was type 1 until she corrected me. I remember apologising to her because I said I just assumed you were type 1 because you'd been unconscious a couple of times and you've always been on insulin. But she explained to me that the diagnostic tests and her endocrinologist confirmed it's definitely type 2 she has with insulin deficiency. That's the very first time I learnt that insulin isn't just for type 1's (many years back obviously as I've been on insulin over 6 years myself now). I agree with others here to seek another opinion. You do need to know what you're treating to get the best result. I wish you the best.

PS... I should also mention my own mother is type 2 and she has never been fat either. In fact I'm the only lady in my family with diabetes who has had weight issues and diagnosed with PCOS that triggered my diabetes. All the other ladies with type 2 have never ever been overweight... go figure. They're not type 1's though. By that I mean the biggest out of all of them is a size 10 australian size which is well below the average sized lady here.

I'm new to the diabetes world and still learning about it, i only thought that type 2 develops due to unhealthy lifestyle or simply getting older your reply was useful, thanks.

 

[catapillar]

Although it is more likely that a type 1 will have DKA on diagnosis, that does not determine what type of diabetes you have - Ive never been in DKA because I was lucky enough to be diagnosed before I developed ketones. It's possible for type 2s to develop ketones too.

A cpeptide test does not tell you what kind of diabetes you have - it only tells you if you are making any of your own insulin. It is very likely that a honeymooning type 1 or 1.5/LADA will be producing some of their own insulin. Some type 2s don't make any insulin.

What were the specialisms of the doctors you have seen? Were they GPs or endocrinologists?

Ask for a GAD test. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease & c.75% of type 1s have GAD antibodies. If you are GAD positive, you are definitely type 1. However, if you are GAD negative, if is not a definitive answer that you are not type 1.

 

[mentat]

Don't worry too much whether you have type 1 or type 2. Just focus on getting your blood sugar under control. As the disease progresses it will be more obvious what it is and what treatment is best.


If you are not sure whether to keep taking NovoRapid or switch to metformin, my suggestion is this: if you are motivated to learn about carbohydrates and insulin dosage management, stay on the insulin for the time being. If you are overwhelmed right now, try the metformin for a while, but be prepared to switch to insulin at some point.

All the best.

 

[noraabdull]

Although it is more likely that a type 1 will have DKA on diagnosis, that does not determine what type of diabetes you have - Ive never been in DKA because I was lucky enough to be diagnosed before I developed ketones. It's possible for type 2s to develop ketones too.

A cpeptide test does not tell you what kind of diabetes you have - it only tells you if you are making any of your own insulin. It is very likely that a honeymooning type 1 or 1.5/LADA will be producing some of their own insulin. Some type 2s don't make any insulin.

What were the specialisms of the doctors you have seen? Were they GPs or endocrinologists?

Ask for a GAD test. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease & c.75% of type 1s have GAD antibodies. If you are GAD positive, you are definitely type 1. However, if you are GAD negative, if is not a definitive answer that you are not type 1.

Both were endocrinologists, and I'm pretty sure that I've done the GAD test, but i'll seek for further explanations about the results next time, thanks a lot , your reply was useful

 

[noraabdull]

Don't worry too much whether you have type 1 or type 2. Just focus on getting your blood sugar under control. As the disease progresses it will be more obvious what it is and what treatment is best.


If you are not sure whether to keep taking NovoRapid or switch to metformin, my suggestion is this: if you are motivated to learn about carbohydrates and insulin dosage management, stay on the insulin for the time being. If you are overwhelmed right now, try the metformin for a while, but be prepared to switch to insulin at some point.

All the best.

I've been using insulin the last 7 days and I'm kind of understanding the functionality of it, but i wasn't confident enough to adjust doses, since the doctor told me to keep fixed doses , which was problematic, as i was having lows every now and then during the day. I think i'll go with the metformin for now and see what happens.
thank you for replying.

 

[azure]

The second doctor actually concluded that I'm type 2 from not having ketoacidosis, said that if i was type 1 i would have developed serious clear symptoms of ketoacidosis , since my average blood sugar level was 270 mg/dl for the pst three months

Anyways thank you for replying , it was useful, and i'll make sure to read that book .

Ask for GAD test Results @noraabdull They should answer the question of what type you are.

I'm Type 1 and I didn't have ketoacidosis when I was diagnosed. Not everyone does.

It's not uncommon to have hypos after insulin is introduced. Often your own pancreas recovers a little and makes some insulin of its own. Also, as Mep has said, your insulin doses were quite high, so that could easily be a cause.

No one here is a medical professional, but reading through what you've said, if it was me I'd push hard for tests. In my unmedical opinion, I think it's more likely you could be Type 1. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just a condition children get. Adults can get it too and that's not uncommon.

 

[Mep]

I've also had the diagnostic tests done on me 3 times since I was diagnosed. Any time things change or they're not working I've requested them to be done. I'm grateful for the last one I had done in 2010 as it showed I needed to be on insulin. I agree with the others that it's the GAD test that shows whether or not your condition is auto-immune. My GAD tests I've had done all came back negative so I've been told I'm definitely not type 1 or 1.5. But the c-peptide test changed for me. Originally I had sufficient insulin, then I didn't. But I'd imagine this can vary person to person. And yes there are a number of precursors for type 2. It's just media hype that makes out it is all lifestyle related, that's not the truth of course. Here I was told that it's a precursor in up to 58% of cases. I'm not in UK though so not sure if your stats there are the same as ours. I hope you find answers you need.

 

[Markham_K]

Don't want to sound contrary...but it is NOT rare for someone who is not overweight to develop Type 2 diabetes. there are far too many people put there who are far too quick to go along with the misinformed view that Type 2 diabetes is "caused" by lifestyle! Of course, many people appear to have developed this due to their diet etc but more and more people are being diagnosed due to other circumstances...Steroid Induced Type 2 Diabetes for example. I may look a wee bit podgy in my lovely photo (that's coffee by the way) but that's two weeks after a kidney. I have never been overweight in my life, and spent most of it between 10 and 11 stone at 6 foot tall. My doctors warned me that there was a high risk of developing Type 2 from the steroid I take to help prevent rejection of the organ. It's NOT rare...and certainly not "very rare" to wind up with Type 2 and not be overweight - quite number of people on this site are not overweight. Sorry if I sound a bit jaggy, but there's enough people out there with the wrong view of Type 2 without member of the site fuelling that. Agreed?

Sorry if I offered you.. but while I was researching diabetes all the site I went of said it was rare, that's the only reason I said it.. I was trying to help, sorry that I didn't..

Hope you find any answer soon x

Sent from my SM-G925F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

 

[Shar67]

Your very early in diagnosis, I would go back to 1st doctor, tell him what doc 2 said and what is happening with hypos.
After just 7 days I certainly wouldn't be changing meds, doses yes meds no.
Do you have a testing meter

 

[Daibell]

Hi. As others have said do insist on a GAD and c-peptide test. With your young age, low BMI and having lost weight I would suggest your are almost certainly T1. Your second Dr is quite wrong to say that T1s will have DKA. T1 can come on at widely varying rates as mine did. I would rely on the first Dr's diagnosis by default and seek him again or a 3rd expert. Do test regularly and hopefully seek out a Dr who will guide you into getting the Basal right and explain carb-counting for you to enable you to use the Bolus when needed.