Can you have prediabetes with low insulin levels?

[tiredgirl91]

On my last check, my insulin levels were on the lower side so I was told that my prediabetes isn't caused by insulin resistance.

Is that even possible? I always thought that prediabetes and insulin resistance go hand in hand so to speak.

 

[Guilty]

It can be either insulin resistance, lack of insulin or any combination of them.

I'd ask for more info from your GP. But either way - the diet and lifestyle advice stays the same.

 

[Lamont D]

On my last check, my insulin levels were on the lower side so I was told that my prediabetes isn't caused by insulin resistance.

Is that even possible? I always thought that prediabetes and insulin resistance go hand in hand so to speak.

There are many, many causes of T2. Insulin resistance is and could be a reason.
but not necessarily so!

 

[tiredgirl91]

There are many, many causes of T2. Insulin resistance is and could be a reason.
but not necessarily so!

The thing I'm most concerned about is
that my condition is maybe an early stage of Type 1, so slowly decreasing insulin levels over time until my pancreas is eventually not producing it anymore
That's why I'm asking

 

[Lamont D]

If that is the case, then your doctors will give you a c-peptide and a GAD test.
You may have to insist.

What tests have you had?

Until you actually know what is going on, it is usually good advice to lower your carb intake.

There are so many different reasons, symptoms, diagnosis to the diabetes umbrella that even you could be any of the above.

Keep asking.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

If you have low insulin levels you could be in early stages of LADA (”slow burning” Type 1).
Your levels could be pre diabetic if you are eating low carb and hiding the symptoms of Type 1.
This may sound scary but many of us live a very full life with Type 1 including the Speaker of the House of Commons, an ex-prime minister, an International football player, an International Rugby player, actors, musicians and more.
Type 1 is not a death sentence.
However, we cannot diagnose. If you are concerned you need to talk to your doctor.

 

[EllieM]

There are a lot of different types of diabetes and as the others say, if you are in any doubt you need the tests to determine which one you have. T2 is by far the most common (90%), but there is also T1/LADA (LADA is slow developing T1 that happens in adults) T3c (insufficient insulin caused by damage to the pancreas) and MODY (a genetic form of diabetes). And some people just don't fit neatly into a particular diabetic box.

Some but not all of the other types need insulin but as others have said, insulin is not a death sentence. Modern technology for insulin users is truly fantastic and for those who have access to it diabetes is a very manageable disease. (Speaking from 53 years of experience from pre glucometer to the modern days of continuous glucose meters and pumps (though I don't bother with a pump myself)).

Insulin gives me much more dietary freedom than many of the T2s posting here, so there are up sides to being a T1 rather than a T2. But at this stage you genuinely don't know whether your prediabetes will turn into full diabetes and whether that type will require insulin so I urge you not to panic. Forum rules and common sense mean that we can't diagnose you here, but your doctor can.

Good luck, whatever happens.

 

[tiredgirl91]

If that is the case, then your doctors will give you a c-peptide and a GAD test.
You may have to insist.

What tests have you had?

Until you actually know what is going on, it is usually good advice to lower your carb intake.

There are so many different reasons, symptoms, diagnosis to the diabetes umbrella that even you could be any of the above.

Keep asking.

Until now, I have had a fasting glucose test (which actually showed an unusually high reading) and then my doctor ordered an OGTT and HbA1C, which confirmed prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance as well). The insulin levels were on the lower side, but not nonexistent. There were no ketones in my urine sample though.

I will call my doctor as soon as possible so I can ask for c-peptide and GAD tests

 

[tiredgirl91]

If you have low insulin levels you could be in early stages of LADA (”slow burning” Type 1).
Your levels could be pre diabetic if you are eating low carb and hiding the symptoms of Type 1.
This may sound scary but many of us live a very full life with Type 1 including the Speaker of the House of Commons, an ex-prime minister, an International football player, an International Rugby player, actors, musicians and more.
Type 1 is not a death sentence.
However, we cannot diagnose. If you are concerned you need to talk to your doctor.

I'm not eating low carb. I'm underweight and I'm consistently eating more, while being extremely hungry all the time, especially for starchy foods like bread and rice.
I always crave fluids as well and I pee like 15+ times during the day AND I get up to use the toilet at night at least 2-3 times.
All these symptoms make me suspicious that it might actually be type 1 or LADA.

I know Type 1 is not a death sentence by any means, I just want to find out what is actually going on with me

 

[tiredgirl91]

There are a lot of different types of diabetes and as the others say, if you are in any doubt you need the tests to determine which one you have. T2 is by far the most common (90%), but there is also T1/LADA (LADA is slow developing T1 that happens in adults) T3c (insufficient insulin caused by damage to the pancreas) and MODY (a genetic form of diabetes). And some people just don't fit neatly into a particular diabetic box.

Some but not all of the other types need insulin but as others have said, insulin is not a death sentence. Modern technology for insulin users is truly fantastic and for those who have access to it diabetes is a very manageable disease. (Speaking from 53 years of experience from pre glucometer to the modern days of continuous glucose meters and pumps (though I don't bother with a pump myself)).

Insulin gives me much more dietary freedom than many of the T2s posting here, so there are up sides to being a T1 rather than a T2. But at this stage you genuinely don't know whether your prediabetes will turn into full diabetes and whether that type will require insulin so I urge you not to panic. Forum rules and common sense mean that we can't diagnose you here, but your doctor can.

Good luck, whatever happens.

Thank you for your response. I know I might panic too much but this is all new to me and I'm still confused. And whatever happens, I will be able to cope with it.
Not looking for diagnosis, just for similar experiences, it makes me feel less alone if that makes sense.
However, I will make sure that I speak to my doctor as soon as possible.

 

[Lamont D]

Until now, I have had a fasting glucose test (which actually showed an unusually high reading) and then my doctor ordered an OGTT and HbA1C, which confirmed prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance as well). The insulin levels were on the lower side, but not nonexistent. There were no ketones in my urine sample though.

I will call my doctor as soon as possible so I can ask for c-peptide and GAD tests

I would suspect a two hours OGTT.
It's a pity it wasn't an extended five hours test. This would show what happened after.
It does that your tolerance to both glucose measurements, means that anything that turns into glucose will have an impact on your blood glucose levels and will spike you higher than someone without these impairments.
Which in turn means that anything that has carbs or sugar in, will cause said high spike, which is not healthy.
And if you keep eating carbs like bread and rice, it could turn into T2!
Did they give you an insulin levels test? Is that how they told you had low insulin levels?
I ask because sometimes low insulin levels could be caused by fasting before said tests.

Keep asking

 

[tiredgirl91]

I would suspect a two hours OGTT.
It's a pity it wasn't an extended five hours test. This would show what happened after.
It does that your tolerance to both glucose measurements, means that anything that turns into glucose will have an impact on your blood glucose levels and will spike you higher than someone without these impairments.
Which in turn means that anything that has carbs or sugar in, will cause said high spike, which is not healthy.
And if you keep eating carbs like bread and rice, it could turn into T2!
Did they give you an insulin levels test? Is that how they told you had low insulin levels?
I ask because sometimes low insulin levels could be caused by fasting before said tests.

Keep asking

Five hours?? I didn't even know that such test exists.

It was fasting insulin, but it wasn't done the same day as the OGTT.

 

[Lamont D]

I have a condition that is non diabetic.
A five hours extended oral glucose tolerance test (eOGTT) is a diagnostic test, to discover if a glucose spike triggers excess insulin which will put me in hypoglycaemia, but this doesn't happen until after a longer time than the two hours. My hypo start around the three to three and a half hours after the glucose, depending on the carb count. But I have diabetes symptoms and similar reactions to carbs initially as a T2 would.
There is no way I am suggesting nowt else other than the prediabetes you have already been diagnosed. It is just an example of until you have a definitive diagnosis, you can't be dwelling on a worst case scenario.
That is why I am suggesting low carb, to help you with the journey you have just started.

My best wishes.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

I'm not eating low carb. I'm underweight and I'm consistently eating more, while being extremely hungry all the time, especially for starchy foods like bread and rice.

Are you losing weight?
I ask because this symptom is one of the differences between Type 1 and type 2.
Good luck with getting your c-peptide and GAD tests.

 

[Pringle]

I'm not eating low carb. I'm underweight and I'm consistently eating more, while being extremely hungry all the time, especially for starchy foods like bread and rice.
I always crave fluids as well and I pee like 15+ times during the day AND I get up to use the toilet at night at least 2-3 times.
All these symptoms make me suspicious that it might actually be type 1 or LADA.

I know Type 1 is not a death sentence by any means, I just want to find out what is actually going on with me

Before i was diagnosed with diabetes i was much the Same not underweight but loosing weight for no reason, and waking in the night with hunger and eating more as well as all the peeing, if you don’t produce enough insulin food is not converted to energy and put into cells, hence it circulates in the blood hence weight loss, your body feels like you are starving medication helped this but my sugar levels are increasing again hence starting to low carb the only thing that really helps, diagnosed 15 years ago.

 

[tiredgirl91]

Are you losing weight?
I ask because this symptom is one of the differences between Type 1 and type 2.
Good luck with getting your c-peptide and GAD tests.

Yes, I am losing weight (not as dramatically maybe but consistently) over the past couple of months. And all this while eating the same or more! This is the reason why I did bloodwork at the first place