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C peptide 'rather low'?

Sigalit

Sigalit

Well-Known Member
Messages
49
Location
Bratislava, Slovakia
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
This morning I had a check up with my doctor - second one since I was diagnosed on September 29th. She praised me for 'fantastic results and exemplary discipline' ... and then she said she won't let me switch from insulin to meds yet after all. Last time she said she might, if my results are good enough and stable. But, she said now she doesn't recommend it because my C peptide was rather low. She did explain what the C peptide is, but I still don't get it.

Why is it so important? Other tests showed my body produces enough insulin, and the antidotes levels were normal. But she says, I might not be Type 2 after all, but Type 1.5 (huh?) diagnosed after the antidote level decreased. That's where she lost me.

Anyone here with similar experience? What does all that even mean (in plain, non-doctor words)?
 
Hi,

There's a forum section on type 1.5/LADA that you might find interesting.

I had no idea it existed until I arrived at the forum, and many doctors don't seem to know it exists either! So good for your doctor for asking the question.

Sorry I can't answer about the c peptide thing, but hopefully you will get a response, or find an explanation in the 1.5 section.
 
C Peptide is a test of your general health of the beta cells of your pancreas, can they produce insulin? If not you are a type1 diabetic, if they can produce some, you might be a 1.5 LADA. They can do a 1.5 LADA test and then you would know. If your C Peptide is high, as mine was, you are probably a type 2. In type 2 your body can produce superhuman amounts of insulin, but if you have advanced insulin resistance, you still have high blood sugars because your cells are very smart. They know too much insulin is toxic to the cells and it closes the door to your cells so not as much insulin gets in. This is insulin resistance and the bigger problem is if you take drugs that just raise your insulin levels, it only makes the insulin resistance worse. So rather than making your insulin levels higher and higher, it's best to lower your insulin resistance as a treatment. The Holy Grail in diabetes treatment is how do we lower insulin resistance? Metformin supposedly does not raise insulin, make you fat or increase cholesterol levels, and can help reduce insulin resistance. But, like all diabetes drugs, metformin can cause lactic acidosis or some other serious problems, especially in men. I've even had drug companies contact me, do I know of anything that lowers insulin resistance? I say sure, by lowering insulin levels. How can you do that they ask. I say simple - diet and exercise can lower insulin resistance. Exercise won't make you lose a single pound but it will make your body more sensitive to insulin. The only things that raises our insulin are mostly bad diet (too many high glycemic carbohydrates) and stress. 95% of all doctor visits now are related to just stress and poor nutrition. Most doctors have no expertise in either. That needs to change.
 
C peptide is made in the beta cell as part of the process of making insulin. .
The insulin splits away from the C peptide . If you have a lot of c peptide in your blood then you are making a lot of natural insulin and vice versa. C pep is not included when the insulin you inject is made so if you measure c peptide it will show how much insulin your own body is making. If your c peptide is low then you are not making much insulin of your own.
re antidote
I think you mean antibodies.
T1 is normally an autoimmune condition The bodies own cells attack and destroy the beta cells by mistake. There are various antibodies which show that this attack has/is taking place.
Normally the antibody most associated with LADA , a slow onset form of T1 but sometimes called 1.5 , is anti GAD. The presence of GAD antibodies in the blood plus low C peptide indicates that the diabetes is probably autoimmune.
GAD antibodies normally stay in the body for a long time (years) after diagnosis but there are false negative results so the test results aren't always definitive. .There are also several possible antibodies and quite often not all are tested for.

The fact that you needed to go onto insulin at diagnosis suggests that your glucose levels were very high. If you make only a little insulin of your own then it makes sense to stay on it at least for the time being.


There is also another type of diabetes that is sometimes called 1.5(MODY) It is quite rare and is genetic. .If you have a family history, especially if you and your diabetic parent were of normal weight, then this is also a possibility http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14047009.php
 
I might not be Type 2 after all, but Type 1.5
Click to expand...

if you are not overweight, you definitely have Type 1.5, not 2.

If you have obesity - antibodies blood tests are needed in addition to C-peptide tests for precise diagnosis.

If you have Type 1.5 - you need lifetime low doses insulin injections to prevent the development of diabetes complications. Even low carb diet does not revoke insulin injections for Type 1.5 diabetics, but it decreases the doses.
 
FergusCrawford said:
@Serhii_k
Sorry not true, there are "skinny T2s" T2 is not like T1 where the cause can be narrowly defined, it is more like "Not_T1_but I don't_know_what":rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I understand your point but I might argue that probably most skinny T2s are near to T1 if not T1 itself. Yes, they fall into the don't know category but it is safer to call them T1 rather than T2 if anything (I'm one of those). The reason I say this is that once defined as a T2 all the assumptions follow. My 'expert' GP told me to carry on losing weight when already stick thin as he assumed I was overweight 'cos I was a T2. He prescribed Metformin and I had to suggest Gliclazide to him and so on. I was also initially refused insulin when I needed it as I was a 'T2'.
 
According toa recent NICE report, a GAD test done a long time after diagnosis will often be negative even though GAD is present and is the problem. Equally a c-peptide done later on will be more reliable so a lot depends on timing for the tests. Your doctor seems to be quite knowledgeable and understands this. I'm sure he/she is right to keep you on insulin. BTW I had a GAD and c-peptide done privately 10 years afrter diagnosis. The GAD was negative but may well have been cause of my DB i.e. false negative. The c-peptide was very low and this would be a reliable result.
 
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