Any sure signs of LADA ?

[Ian DP]

My Hba1c is 5.5% (it was until last week 5.1%) and I am not on insulin or meds. Many health care professionals seem to think because of this I am not diabetic. But I am, it's only because of my low carb diet that I can achieve low hba1c results. My GP DSN has again stopped my BG strip prescription, because of my low hba1c and no meds. Fortunately my GP and hospital DSN have agreed that I should continue with the prescription.

In seems to me that you are similar. You are successfully keeping good control of your (diabetic) condition through diet. I would carry on doing what you are doing, but cut back a little further on carbs. If you can cut back further on the carbs and avoid the higher BG spikes, your beta cells will hold out for longer. Many studies indicate beta cells destruct at levels above 7.8. Dr bernstein says you need to keep your BG levels under 5.6 if you are not to deteriorate further. In my opinion, if you can't keep your BG levels regularly below 6.5 to 7.0 then you need to ask for insulin, if you wish to retain your last few remaining beta cells.

The way we are diagnosed, you have to have high BG levels. If I had diagnosed myself, say a few years back and had gone on a LCHF diet, and no Dr had seen my very high BG levels, I guess now I could not be diagnosed diabetic.... And that's what is wrong with NHS, it does not recognise that a low carb diet lowers BG levels..... But some staff with the NHS do and more are beginning to, because more and more of us are low carbing, and they can see the results. My hospital DSN said they have 2,000 patients. I and one other patient are very low carbing, and they can see how both of us are managing to control our BG levels, and how both of us are showing remarkably good blood test results for cholesterol, liver kidney etc.

 

[Ian DP]

Was also interesting he said 'thyroid antibodies normal' .. given I have Hashimoto's (and he said my thyroid is pretty shrivelled up to nothing) I assumed it meant that as my body has pretty much killed my thyroid it has no need to produce antibodies.

I too have 'normal thyroid antibodies', but have an under active thyroid, so have been prescribed thyroid tablets daily.

 

[Lesleywo]

My Hba1c is 5.5% (it was until last week 5.1%) and I am not on insulin or meds. Many health care professionals seem to think because of this I am not diabetic. But I am, it's only because of my low carb diet that I can achieve low hba1c results. My GP DSN has again stopped my BG strip prescription, because of my low hba1c and no meds. Fortunately my GP and hospital DSN have agreed that I should continue with the prescription.

In seems to me that you are similar. You are successfully keeping good control of your (diabetic) condition through diet. I would carry on doing what you are doing, but cut back a little further on carbs. If you can cut back further on the carbs and avoid the higher BG spikes, your beta cells will hold out for longer. Many studies indicate beta cells destruct at levels above 7.8. Dr bernstein says you need to keep your BG levels under 5.6 if you are not to deteriorate further. In my opinion, if you can't keep your BG levels regularly below 6.5 to 7.0 then you need to ask for insulin, if you wish to retain your last few remaining beta cells.

The way we are diagnosed, you have to have high BG levels. If I had diagnosed myself, say a few years back and had gone on a LCHF diet, and no Dr had seen my very high BG levels, I guess now I could not be diagnosed diabetic.... And that's what is wrong with NHS, it does not recognise that a low carb diet lowers BG levels..... But some staff with the NHS do and more are beginning to, because more and more of us are low carbing, and they can see the results. My hospital DSN said they have 2,000 patients. I and one other patient are very low carbing, and they can see how both of us are managing to control our BG levels, and how both of us are showing remarkably good blood test results for cholesterol, liver kidney etc.

That's interesting Ian ... as since end April last year I've been on a reduced carb diet and as you say, it's easy for the endo to say I'm not diabetic as he is only seeing the HbA1c of someone who is not on a 'normal' diet. My first HbA1c test was about 3 years ago and was 5.8%; that was on a fairly high carb diet. The 2 HbAlc tests I've had done in the last 9 months have both been 5.8% (on a reduced carb diet) which could suggest that it would have been higher had I stayed on unlimited carbs.

I guess I'm frustrated with not really getting an answer to this but ultimately, having a family history of type 2 as well as this, I'm fairly high risk so need to adopt a more strict approach with my lifestyle choices.

Lesley

PS .. you're to be commended on your excellent glucose control