C peptide/ faecal elastase type 3???

[christmasfairy1]

Hi all, I've been given the run around ( following admission to hospital and insulin commenced) by the diabetes nurses on the local team.
Little back story ... had varying symptoms in Feb , called my gp and said I thought I had pancreatitis ( it was text book) was told no it's not take paracetamol every 4 hours and stay hydrated.
Fast forward to March ,I attended a clinic app with diabetic consultant , she'd never met me before but looked at me and said you really don't look well. Drew some blood and fast tracked it. Results glucose 29.9 ketones 5.0.
Ended up being admitted to hosp over night and commenced on insulin 5 times a day.
Have had a really rough time since with random hypos and 0 symptoms and just generally feeling 'mehhh'.

Had a clinic appt 4 weeks ago where a cpeptide was done ( because during the overnight hosp stay they failed to process it correctly) I also had a random urine sample which when dipped was showing leukocytes / nitrites etc and was sent off to the lab.
I called for the results and was told by a diabetic nurse the c peptide had come back as normal and urine was clear. Phone call the next day from the consultant herself who informs me cpeptide needs re doing as it hadn't been processed properly oh and by the way I had e coli in the urine !
So v long story short I had to have peptide re done last week and also a faecal elastase.
Results have come through to my gp ( can't get to speak to them) and the cpeptide is 0.43.

Now they keep telling me I'm type 1 diabetic which changed to type 3 and I cannot get any clarity.

My que being is a c peptide of 0.43 hi / low ? I'm also having symptoms consistent of pancreatic issues ( frequent disgusting stool/ gas , loosing weight and upper gastric pain.
At a recent trip for an xray one of the radiographers asked me if I have epi ( I've no idea,)
So the result being as it is , those in the know, is this hi or low and consistent with type 3 or 1???
Many thanks in advance for getting through that essay lol
Abi

Update:: faecal elastase has come back as <15 .

 

[EllieM]

Hi @christmasfairy1 and welcome to the forums.

We have to be a little careful what we say here because forum rules don't allow us to diagnose.

However, as a T1 I can tell you some general stuff which may help a little.

Firstly, you have to remember that T2 is by far the most common type of diabetes, and gps and diabetic nurses (at least the ones in gp clinics) aren't always that informed about other types. (I've always had my T1 insulin needs handled by the hospital, though my gp does basic diabetic checks like blood pressure and feet).

T1s stop producing insulin because their autimmune system kills their insulin producing cells, while T3c stop producing some insulin because of damage to the pancreas. My understanding (and I'm sure some T3cs will correct me if I'm wrong) is that the amount of insulin they still produce can vary a lot, according to how much damage they have to their pancreases. Also, because the pancreas also produced various digestive enzymes, some T3cs require other treatment as well as insulin eg creon. If you are T3c then hopefully you should start feeling much better as soon as you have the right amount of insulin (and creon if necessary?).

My personal opinion is that if you have T3c you really need to have your condition diagnosed and handled by an endocrinologist, because they have the expertise you need.

Good luck.

 

[sololite]

Hello @christmasfairy1 . I echo what @EllieM said about getting to see an endocrinologist. I've just been on this journey following the same symptoms you experienced but without the pain. Once I got referred by my GP they quickly took control and organised CT/MRI scans which showed a large IPMN. Endoscopies followed and they quickly moved to removal of the pancreas as there was strong statistical chance of it turning to cancer. I sincerely hope that this won't be your experience. Feel free to PM on any aspect of this. Best wishes and good luck.