diagnosed with Type 2, but not sure now

[G0ldengirl68]

I was diagnose with Type 2 Jan. 20th, of this year. So since February, when I got serious about my choice to do Keto, I have followed that diet strictly. My HbA1C tests have come down, as well as my daily tests, but I still have what I think are diabetic issues like numbness, tingling, and sharp pains in my feet. I had a lot of cramping early on but seemed to remedy that with magnesium supplementing, and electrolyte drops in my daily water intake. I did lose from 140 down to 117 lbs and I am 5' 2", 68 years old so I wasn't extremely over weight, but uncomfortable in those extra pounds.

I know I need to ask my MD for an Insulin test, never had that done as far as I know. Only being diagnosed as a diabetic made me get diligent about watching everything in my medical records. Some of you know and use your online-access to your records which I am so glad to have.

Maybe I am just paranoic, or some level of hypochodriac but I have a big toe right now that had some pain when I was walking a couple days ago, and now it just feels numb. Having amputation or worse, scares me so bad so I wanted to ask here, about your experience in finding out you had LADA/Type 1.5 Diabetes? Again, I will be getting that appointment shortly after I finish breakfast in a few minutes. Yes, I'm keeping the food out of my keyboard so far that is

 

[Fenn]

Hiya, I’m not sure why you suspect another type? The complications are the same for all types I believe.



edit to add, I meant type 1, 1.5 and 2. I know zero about the other types or their complications

 

[G0ldengirl68]

but the foods etc. aren't the same, and with LADA you need "some" insulin isn't that true?? And besides that, the idiots we have for doctors didn't even tell me I was pre-diabetic so I thought my post was clearly letting people know I was sure I was diagnosed correctly!!

 

[Fenn]

Well the foods are the same, it’s just that with insulin you can get your numbers back down easier, type twos have to try and avoid them going high because its harder to fix.

Yes LADA do need insulin.

 

[Fenn]

I’m sorry for being thick, what specifically makes you suspect T1?

 

[Fenn]

High blood sugar can cause nerve damage, numbness etc etc. Regardless of type, it’s the high numbers that cause the problems, not the lack of insulin. But hey being wrong is normal for me

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Ok, I seem to have a hair-trigger for a temper these days and I apologize for snapping at you. Sometimes it's hard to tell online, where we are coming from, but I don't like my reply to you, the first one, so need to apologize.

Ok, so just got off the phone, and I have to wait to hear back on when Doctor calls in my labs. I need those scheduled before I can schedule an appointment. Then first I want to say you are very kind, I can see that now, and humble, which is pretty rare for me to run into it seems like. So I appreciate your info very much. I had that thing Aug. 2 of this year, which I see I didn't mention in my OP. The whole left side of my body went numb and stayed that way 2 days after the first day. All the tests came back saying no stroke, no heart-attack no brain, ok, yes, I still supposedly had a brain.

Since then, my left arm has never come back to normal (remains numb) but I can do thing with it and my hand and have feelings in parts of it. The other thing is my feet it seems, the toe thing etc. When I mentioned this in another post here in the Type 2 area, LADA was mentioned to me so even though I'd heard of it before, I started wanting to know more. I don't think my post was very clear, so I really apologize for that as I wasn't real specific, Denise

 

[Fenn]

Oh no please, you didn’t snap! You are clearly a very nice and thoughtful person, I hope my replies weren’t short? I am sorry I hadn’t read your previous post so was reading out of context, there are a couple of tests for type 1, GAD and C-Peptide, it can be difficult to persuade our doctors to do these, they do however seem to be more accommodating if you show them that you are serious about tackling your diabetes.

I had an episode of numbness spreading down my left side, last July, after all the tests, they diagnosed me as having a mini stroke or TIA even though they could find no damage to my very small brain, because my symptoms were textbook.

What complicated beasts we are, I hope someone smarter than me comes along to offer something useful

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Well, I'm inclined to think I had a stroke too even though nothing showed up. I did take the "jabs" the second one came 2 months to the day before the numbness so I don't really think that had anything to do with it, who knows though.

Do you have any idea what might have caused your mini-stroke @Fenn I've racked my brain trying to find answers but I just can't find anything for sure. Story of our lives, we don't always find an answer, and maybe it's better not to get one sometimes.

Thanks much for the test names, I can ask for specific ones now I just told the nurse (her voicemail) that I wanted to know if my doctor would add an insulin level test to my labwork. When she calls me back, which she almost always does, I can ask about the GAD and the C-peptide, thanks again @Fenn

 

[ert]

Well, I'm inclined to think I had a stroke too even though nothing showed up. I did take the "jabs" the second one came 2 months to the day before the numbness so I don't really think that had anything to do with it, who knows though.

Do you have any idea what might have caused your mini-stroke @Fenn I've racked my brain trying to find answers but I just can't find anything for sure. Story of our lives, we don't always find an answer, and maybe it's better not to get one sometimes.

Thanks much for the test names, I can ask for specific ones now I just told the nurse (her voicemail) that I wanted to know if my doctor would add an insulin level test to my labwork. When she calls me back, which she almost always does, I can ask about the GAD and the C-peptide, thanks again @Fenn

Type 2's can be diagnosed after 20 years of spiking their blood sugars and have damage such as neuropathy like you are describing. Type 1 happens overnight due to autoimmune or a virus (5 years is the cut-off where they stop producing their own insulin) so do not have any nerve damage on diagnosis.

 

[jonathan183]

As others have said it is the high blood glucose which causes damage to nerves and lots of other proteins in the body.

I suggest you ask for a c-peptide test and antibodies (there are several they should test for ... I think ZnT8 antibodies were the last to be added to the list in around 2016).

The additional tests should help determine the most appropriate treatment.

I believe if you are able to get and keep blood glucose in the normal range damage to nerves can be halted and repaired - but the rate of nerve growth is very slow so it will take quite a while.

Good luck with the gp and hope you get the tests sorted, they may also have other suggestions regarding the symptoms you are having and potential causes ...

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Type 2's can be diagnosed after 20 years of spiking their blood sugars and have damage such as neuropathy like you are describing. Type 1 happens overnight due to autoimmune or a virus (5 years is the cut-off where they stop producing their own insulin) so do not have any nerve damage on diagnosis.

Ok, well, maybe that's why I've had the "neuropathy" issues for several years in the left side of my left knee. Always wondered what that was. Also, I've read a lot about Insulin Resistance being present long before T2 is diagnosed. I don't know how that relates to LADA. I probably have T2 but maybe find out for sure if I can have those other tests.

Thanks for your info

 

[G0ldengirl68]

As others have said it is the high blood glucose which causes damage to nerves and lots of other proteins in the body.

I suggest you ask for a c-peptide test and antibodies (there are several they should test for ... I think ZnT8 antibodies were the last to be added to the list in around 2016).

The additional tests should help determine the most appropriate treatment.

I believe if you are able to get and keep blood glucose in the normal range damage to nerves can be halted and repaired - but the rate of nerve growth is very slow so it will take quite a while.

Good luck with the gp and hope you get the tests sorted, they may also have other suggestions regarding the symptoms you are having and potential causes ...

Thank you much, I am writing down the other tests info as well so I can discuss with my doctor. I think he'll be open to the tests for me but it will depend on cost, and what my insurance will or won't cover. I do have some saved though and it would be worth it to me to find out as much as I can, just for a little more peace of mind. Thanks again!

 

[EllieM]

I do have some saved though and it would be worth it to me to find out as much as I can, just for a little more peace of mind.

My apologies, I mentioned slow onset T1/LADA when you asked whether diabetes can progress on keto, and I think I may have done you a disservice. My point was meant to be that LADA can cause keto to stop working at keeping your levels down, not that it would give you complications while your bgs were still low.

The thing is, your hba1cs are currently pretty good (5.9% is non diabetic), and you were diagnosed at an hba1c of only 7%, so I'm personally not convinced you've had time to develop long term diabetic complications. (Though I appreciate @ert 's point that T2s can potentially have high levels for years before diagnosis.) Also, being LADA instead of T2 would make no difference to the progression of any current complications, as the important thing is your blood sugar levels, which seem excellent at the moment. (Disclaimer, I am not a doctor).

LADA becomes an issue if your insulin production goes too low to cover your needs. At that point your blood glucose goes up. Without rising bg levels or rising hba1c, you've no reason to suspect LADA.

Anyway, hopefully your insurance will pay for any tests you want done. If you were paying for it yourself, you might be better off waiting to see if your blood sugars actually start to go up under keto.

(Repeat disclaimer, I am not a doctor and we aren't allowed to diagnose on the forums ).

Good luck with your tests.

 

[finzi1966]

Ok, I seem to have a hair-trigger for a temper these days and I apologize for snapping at you. Sometimes it's hard to tell online, where we are coming from, but I don't like my reply to you, the first one, so need to apologize.

Ok, so just got off the phone, and I have to wait to hear back on when Doctor calls in my labs. I need those scheduled before I can schedule an appointment. Then first I want to say you are very kind, I can see that now, and humble, which is pretty rare for me to run into it seems like. So I appreciate your info very much. I had that thing Aug. 2 of this year, which I see I didn't mention in my OP. The whole left side of my body went numb and stayed that way 2 days after the first day. All the tests came back saying no stroke, no heart-attack no brain, ok, yes, I still supposedly had a brain.

Since then, my left arm has never come back to normal (remains numb) but I can do thing with it and my hand and have feelings in parts of it. The other thing is my feet it seems, the toe thing etc. When I mentioned this in another post here in the Type 2 area, LADA was mentioned to me so even though I'd heard of it before, I started wanting to know more. I don't think my post was very clear, so I really apologize for that as I wasn't real specific, Denise

Diabetic neuropathy doesn’t generally follow the pattern you describe. It’s known as “glove and stocking” neuropathy, in that any numbness/tingling/pain starts at the extremities and, as it gets worse, moves more centrally. So it starts in fingers and toes, then feet and hands, then lower legs etc etc. both sides are the same unless there is a particular reason why not.

What you’re describing sounds more like a TIA or mini-stroke (which diabetics are more prone to). Tests can’t really “rule out” a TIA - they can rule out a major stroke (bleed or infarction, if you had a CT scan) but TIA’s are by definition fleeting (resolve within 24 hours). Is your doctor aware that your symptoms are still there? It would be worth mentioning.

Even if it is diabetic neuropathy, as others have said that can happen to any “type” of diabetic. It’s a consequence of long term poor glucose control. Somewhat more common in Type 1s simply because they are statistically likely to have had high glucose levels for longer.

 

[G0ldengirl68]

My apologies, I mentioned slow onset T1/LADA when you asked whether diabetes can progress on keto, and I think I may have done you a disservice. My point was meant to be that LADA can cause keto to stop working at keeping your levels down, not that it would give you complications while your bgs were still low.

The thing is, your hba1cs are currently pretty good (5.9% is non diabetic), and you were diagnosed at an hba1c of only 7%, so I'm personally not convinced you've had time to develop long term diabetic complications. (Though I appreciate @ert 's point that T2s can potentially have high levels for years before diagnosis.) Also, being LADA instead of T2 would make no difference to the progression of any current complications, as the important thing is your blood sugar levels, which seem excellent at the moment. (Disclaimer, I am not a doctor).

LADA becomes an issue if your insulin production goes too low to cover your needs. At that point your blood glucose goes up. Without rising bg levels or rising hba1c, you've no reason to suspect LADA.

Anyway, hopefully your insurance will pay for any tests you want done. If you were paying for it yourself, you might be better off waiting to see if your blood sugars actually start to go up under keto.

(Repeat disclaimer, I am not a doctor and we aren't allowed to diagnose on the forums ).

Good luck with your tests.

Hi and thanks @EllieM I will talk to my doctor and see if he still thinks a neurologist might be good for me to see. There is something going on as that one, big toe is still numb. Thank you for all the info, I do appreciate it

 

[G0ldengirl68]

Diabetic neuropathy doesn’t generally follow the pattern you describe. It’s known as “glove and stocking” neuropathy, in that any numbness/tingling/pain starts at the extremities and, as it gets worse, moves more centrally. So it starts in fingers and toes, then feet and hands, then lower legs etc etc. both sides are the same unless there is a particular reason why not.

What you’re describing sounds more like a TIA or mini-stroke (which diabetics are more prone to). Tests can’t really “rule out” a TIA - they can rule out a major stroke (bleed or infarction, if you had a CT scan) but TIA’s are by definition fleeting (resolve within 24 hours). Is your doctor aware that your symptoms are still there? It would be worth mentioning.

Even if it is diabetic neuropathy, as others have said that can happen to any “type” of diabetic. It’s a consequence of long term poor glucose control. Somewhat more common in Type 1s simply because they are statistically likely to have had high glucose levels for longer.

Yes, like Ellie said, I just didn't have high #s for long and doubt they ever went above a 7.4 or 154. I know our US #s are different than UK so still get confused but that's what my chart reads. I was so hoping that the tingling/numbness would subside and be cleared up with my Keto diet, maybe it will still be. Someone mentioned since I haven't been on it for a year even, not until Feb. 2022.

Thanks for your help

 

[ert]

Somewhat more common in Type 1s simply because they are statistically likely to have had high glucose levels for longer.

Not true when they have only had diabetes since 20th January this year. If it were type 1, you wouldn't expect neuropathy as it comes on suddenly.