Type 2 Do you think it's possible to "wake the pancreas up"

Also from my experience your blood sugar really can go low when breastfeeding (loose energy via milk) I have had type 1 for 30 years and had to stop doing it early. My daughter was 8 weeks.Just kept getting hypos constantly so be very careful when in this situation.However, I really really believe this is going to work for type 2 and support low carb for them. In some ways for type 1 too but often we have a low weight and it's a completely different cause of pancreas not producing insulin. (What obviously we do not know as you probably are aware) so it can be a challenge getting the weight to stay up..

Lavender100 said:

As mentioned on last night's itv programme, do you really think this is possible for type 2s as this implies reduced insulin resistance?

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Whether it is possible to "reverse" type 2 is open for debate, and the effectiveness of the purported "cures" will vary from person to person as type 2 is a portfolio disease.

However, you have told us you have a recent type 1 diagnosis. Type 1 is not a condition of insulin resistance. Type 1 is an incurable autoimmune disease. Type 1 happens when the immune system gets a little overzealous and decides to kill off the insulin producing beta cells, once your immune system has decided the beta cells must die, it will kill them all off. No amount of low carbing will reinstate dead beta cells, although it may slow the inevitable death, so you may end up with a longer honeymoon period as a low carbing type 1.

Whether a long honeymoon period is a desirable thing is open for debate. Personally, I think the honeymoon period makes diabetic management more challenging.

You must also bear in mind the impact of low carbing on your general health and the quality of breast milk while breast feeding. Make sure to seek advice from your diabetic specialist nurse, which you should have pretty close contact with as a newly diagnosed type 1, and you midwife/healthcare visitor.

Lavender100 said:

Do you think that it can be done if you're slim? my bmi is just about healthy - I'm nearing underweight. I don't want to be a really unhealthy weight but if it "fixed" my diabetes I would consider it. I suppose i would just have to consider how I'd put the weight back on then to get in healthy weight range. I've cut down on carbs and general portions significantly and constantly feel starving. breastfeeding doesn't help!

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Lavender, I'm very confused by your posts in multiple areas. Have you now had a definite T2 diagnosis? I thought I read elsewhere you had been diagnosed T1. If you are T1, then trying to wake your pancreas up is likely to be futile.

It would be useful if you could clarify what, if any definitive diagnosis you have had from your doctor.

AndBreathe said:

If you are T1, then trying to wake your pancreas up is unlikely to be futile.

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I think unlikely is a typo? And while I would love to suggest correcting it to "likely", really, the correct correction would be "certain".

If you are T1, then trying to wake your pancreas up is certain to be futile, type 1 is an incurable autoimmune disease.

Sorry... I definitely don't expect anyone to send their posts on a forum through a proof reader! Typos happen, I blame the iPad and long nails for my several hundred typos. There are probably half a dozen in this post alone just correcting because it snuck in and changed the meaning. Sorry.

catapillar said:

I think unlikely is a typo? And while I would love to suggest correcting it to "likely", really, the correct correction would be "certain".

If you are T1, then trying to wake your pancreas up is certain to be futile, type 1 is an incurable autoimmune disease.

Sorry... I definitely don't expect anyone to send their posts on a forum through a proof reader! Typos happen, I blame the iPad and long nails for my several hundred typos. There are probably half a dozen in this post alone just correcting because it snuck in and changed the meaning. Sorry.

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Thanks Catapillar, it's important you pointed it out, bearing in mind it's a material error. So annoying when that happens, and of courrse it passed the spell check! Doh!

@Lavender100 - If you read my earlier post, please do read it again as I had made a critical typo. My belief is that trying too wake up a T1 pancreas is likely to be futile. Apologies if I caused you any confusion.

@Lavender100 No problem asking questions

What test did the doctor use to diagnose you as Type 1? I think the confusion here is that most Type 1s are diagnosed with high sugars and the results you've reported show your blood sugar returning to normal around two hours.

It would also be very unusual to be a Type 1 yet be able to control GD by diet only.

What are the further tests the doctor mentioned? What was your blood sugar when you saw them? It must all be very worrying for you.

Lavender100 said:

I've been told I'm type 1 but I'm not convinced and will push for further tests. I'm only trying to educate myself and am also hoping for the best at this stage, hence the constant questions. Thanks for the replies

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Hello @Lavender100 - are you on insulin ? If so what is your regime and which insulins are you taking ? As discussed before with a type 1 diagnosis it is impossible to wake the pancreas up, as much as we would hope there is some infinite possibility, it cannot happen, the best possible outcome at this stage is simply to become better educated and to manage your type 1 status as well as you can, we can all support but knowing more about what knowledge you have already and what your regime is like will help us to help you more

Lavender100 said:

I've been told I'm type 1 but I'm not convinced and will push for further tests. I'm only trying to educate myself and am also hoping for the best at this stage, hence the constant questions. Thanks for the replies

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Who was it who told you you have type 1? Was is a GP or an endocrinologist?

What initial tests did they base that diagnosis on? If you have had a positive GAD test, that's all you need to be certain you are type 1. But other tests are more equivocal. What further tests are you pushing for? Cpeptide and antibody tests are the key ones to determine type of diabetes.

Whereas a diabetic diagnosis requires: diabetic symptoms (polyuria, polydipsea, weight loss), fasting blood sugar over 7 mmol/l or random blood sugar over 11mmol/L (when I think all of the "peaks" you have mentioned on the forum have been less than that)

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_u...itoring/New_diagnostic_criteria_for_diabetes/

A normal human pancreas can produce about six times as much insulin as someone with no insulin resistance needs. Therefore, someone with type 2 and no overwork damage yet to the beta cells should reach adequate control by reducing the insulin resistance enough that less than six times the normal amount is needed. Overwork damage would require more reduction, and there might or might not be enough beta cells left to supply enough insulin for someone with no insulin resistance

I've read of ONE, and only one, scientifically verified cure of type 1 so far, and that one had enough side effects few people would want to try it. Someone had both type 1 and a bone marrow disease expected to be fatal within a year. The only known cure for the bone marrow disease was to kill the bone marrow with radiation, then give a bone marrow transplant. The doctor was able to find a bone marrow donor with the main difference of not producing the type of immune cells that attack beta cells. The patient had enough pancreas stem cells left to produce enough beta cells to cure the type 1 - but still had to take immune suppression medicines for the rest of his life to prevent problems from the bone marrow transplant.

The Faustman Lab is investigating a method of making the immune system too busy adjusting to a BCG vaccine to attack the beta cells.

http://www.faustmanlab.org/

So far, results from only three patients have been reported. One was temporarily able to stop taking insulin, another was temporarily able to reduce the amount, and no change reported for the third one. Definitely not adequate testing, but enough to show a path to investigate.

Lavender100 said:

I've been told I'm type 1 but I'm not convinced and will push for further tests. I'm only trying to educate myself and am also hoping for the best at this stage, hence the constant questions. Thanks for the replies

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Lavender, I hate to be a pedant, but exactly who told you you are type 1?

Clearly it's laudable that you want to educate yourself, but honestly and truly, I'm confused by the information on your pretty normal blood scores you are posting here, versus the diagnosis you state to have received. Of course, I'm not a Doctor, but in my observation, and belief, it would be extremely unusual, without cast-iron pathology reports to support it, to conclude a T1 diagnosis from the information you have posted. Have you had your post gestational diabetes blood tests; GTT or HbA1c yet? If you have, it would be really helpful if you could share those results with us to give us greater insight into your and your doctor's thinking. Maybe I have missed a key part in your diagnostic puzzle?

We all want the best for ourselves, and care that you have the best for yourself, and your young family, but it is really important if we are going to put our all into an effort to improve our lot that there is at least some glimmer of achieving the objective, without potentially long term collateral damage. You would also have to specifically consider the impact of such effort on your recovery from your very recent childbirth, your breastfeeding and your already very slight body, according to your declared BMI of 19.

I'm sorry if this seems like a harsh posting, but I really do feel from your postings across multiple areas for information on T1 and T2 that you could be more likely to become more confused than better informed in what's best for you.

@Lavender100 what mahola said. Do please keep posting and I hope all turns out well for you.

Lavender100 said:

Just to clarify, my doctor said I was type 1 based on my profile - slim etc and my high spikes 2 hours after eating. I'm not saying she's correct. In fact I doubt it to be true. I've been referred for further blood tests. I'm not on medication and my glucose levels are generally very very good. I started this thread as I was genuinely curious about what people's views on this were for people with a TYPE 2 diagnosis. it's maybe something I would consider trying in the future when I have my diagnosis and am no longer breastfeeding if I am indeed type 2. I do appreciate everyone's input but feel that maybe I should refrain from posting on this site as I'm clearly causing people frustration as I haven't had a diagnosis that they deem acceptable. It was merely a harmless question, but please accept my apologies for offending or angering anyone. Thanks.

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Please don't leave often things can get a bit confusing on here but don't let it worry you.
The idea of this forum is to ask questions and you have done exactly that so you have not done anything wrong You have explained the concerns you have about being T1 as you do not think you so are just waiting for the further blood test to sort it out which hopefully it will. I think you have already explained this on another thread so maybe some here missed that then. As you said on this thread it was a harmless question commenting on the original OP's post so you certainly do not have anything to apologise for

@Lavender100 No one is offended at all Or annoyed or anything else And there's no need to apologise - you've done nothing wrong

People's concern arises from the fact that you reported largely normal blood sugars yet were continuing in your concern about diabetes. Your 'spikes' were normal but nothing we could say would reassure you. You then deleted that thread.

You also didn't respond to the good news about how long GD could cause erratic blood sugars after birth. It concerned me as it seemed, to me, that you'd almost accepted you had diabetes when there was no cause to think that way at all at this stage.

You do NOT have to have diabetes to post here. You're very welcome to ask questions, but please, please don't think you've got diabetes without a proper diagnosis. You could be causing yourself anguish for no reason and ruining those first few weeks with your baby. They go all too fast.

You're welcome here - with or without diabetes

What everyone else said. I know I asked very straight questions, but I was just a concerned, as the some questions you have been asking could lead to an unhappy and/or unhealthy outcome, and nobody wants that.

I hope you can achieve clarity too.