Finally got type 1 diagnosis after 2 years of being told I was type 2

[daisy222]

PLEASE read an update at the end of this tread





Hi all, I am 32 and I was diagnosed as type 2 in May with fasting level 7.1 and 8.5. hba1c 6.7%
Since then I followed low carb high fat advice found on this forum but my fasting levels are never below 5.8 and they seemed to creep up constanty between 6.5 and 8.5. I've lost almost 10 kgs weight so they should have gone down?? I weigh 78.5kg, I weighted 87 on diagnosis.
Also I tried what will happen if I have high carb meal: I can easily go from 6 mmol to 15 within an hour . I never recorded above 15 1 hour after meal Also the lowest ever was 4.7 before I went to sleep, which changed to 7.3 overnight.
I am not on any medication yet.
And my dsn is "waste of time"dismissive and "do not test "
What do you think, is 9mmol bs rise a normal thing after high carb meal?
Or is there a possibility that I might have 1.5 diabetes?
I supposed to have my next hba1c in 6months since diagnosis- in November, dont know if I should go and see a doctor soon.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Your numbers are not so unusual if I compare them to mine. In the early days of owning a meter I too tried the Bachanalia test to see what would happen and I managed to get to 14.7 after two hours and 14.9 a little later after some wine and chocolate.

If I had tested after only one hour then I expect the numbers would have been higher. The point of testing two hours after a meal is not only so that we all work to a sort of standard but to see your recovery rate. Presumably you produce insulin at a constant but low rate and so it would have slowly brought down your numbers. After two hours they would have been lower than at one hour.

Anyway, if you complete your Bachanalia tests and get down to sensible eating I predict that you will get some success just as I did and in my opinion there is no need to panic.

 

[MaryJ]

Hi

I agree, you seem to have great control.

i don't aim to go low as i can, merely <7.8 at 2 hours after food (NICE guidelines 8.5 )

I rarely test anymore, unless new food or for curiosity sake to make sure nothing weird going on.

Mary x

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Your Hba1c is slightly on the high side but it's early days after diagnosis. 6 months to your next Hba1C seems reasonable. I wouldn't worry about fasting readings which can be affected by overnight liver dumps. I would test 2 hours after the main meal of the day. If the reading goes above 8.5'ish with a sensible low-carb diet then I would expect your GP to start medication in November as your HBa1c will still be on the high side. Most of us end up on Metformin to start with and it's good drug which does help to reduce sugars and appetite a little.

 

[daisy222]

Many thanks for your replies.
After 2 hours my bs is always lower than at 1 hour so it means I produce some insuline....if I was type 1 recovery would be much slower??
atm if I am at 15mmol at 1 hour- 12 at 2 hours and go back to about 6-7 after 4 hours ( All after hight carb meal) it means my pancreas is still working....

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Type 1's do not produce insulin so they would not recover without injecting insulin.

Yes, you do appear to be producing insulin but unless you get control of what you eat the situation may become worse. Eating a high carb meal "just to see what happens" is understandable if you are curious. I did that myself so I can't criticise. However you must get round to using your meter and eating meals that keep you within (lower than) 8.5 at the two hour mark.

8.5 is the target but lower is better or else you will do some damage.

 

[robertconroy]

What I find here, and other forums, is folks are really not familiar with glycemic loads of foods. That's a problem. Not all carbs effect your blood sugar the same. Few people realize that grains are the worst because we consume so much. Average consumption now in the US is about a half pound of wheat a day. Obesity (and diabetes) follows grain consumption, because it spikes your blood sugar and insulin to the moon. If you take wheat and put it in a bread, it's highly processed. The highest glycemic load foods are dried fruits, next are grains, especially breads.

Now, there was some discussion about white bread versus whole wheat bread. Whole wheat bread is higher glycemic index and load than white, because it's almost twice the starch. One white bread a tad lower, is sourdough bread. So to figure "net carbs" of a bread you take the total carbs. and subtract the fiber. So this gives you a general idea of the glycemic effect minus the fiber, to compare breads. But I say dump the breads and if you have to, go with a low carb. tortilla (3-4 grams net carbs). Even steel cut oatmeal spikes my bloodsugar, and it's the lowest glycemic load grain - 5.

I beg you to go buy a book on glycemic loads of foods. This will keep you in much better glycemic control. With type 2, the disease is not really high blood sugar, it's high insulin that causes insulin resistance and the most damage to your body if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. If your A1C is 6.7, then you're past pre-diabetic. So you don't want high insulin levels and low blood sugar, you want both to be low. It's obvious you want to make your body more sensitive to insulin, and the prime objective is to cut down the high glycemic load foods to minimize oxidative stress to your body, and add exercise. Walking, dancing, swimming, just to increase sensitivity to insulin.

But don't feel too alone. It's now estimated 70% of Americans have an an A1C between 5.0 and 6.9%. Course those 6.5 and higher are already there, the others are on their way. Also, that 70% of diabetics in the US have cardio vascular disease, the rest are yet to be diagnosed.

Here is a pocket sized book that is very useful - The Easy GL Diet Handbook by Dr. Fedon Alexander Lindberg. This is the key to glycemic control and preventing injury and death to yourself. Learn glycemic loads of foods and take this book to the market with you for comparing foods and making the best decisions.

Two other new books that will really help:
The Glycemic Solutionj by Mark Hyman, MD (my doctors love this guy and actually read his books) - Why high insulin causes all major chronic diseases and what we can do about it.

Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD (Why high insulin causes all major chronic disease, and why wheat is the number 1 problem)

 

[daisy222]

Hi everyone. I have not so good news and few questions. My HBa1C in November was 6.7, despite low carb diet. I stopped testing my bs cause couldnt afford testing strips. Also stopped following low carb diet . Just had new Hba1c and it rocketed to 10%. I bought some testing strips, and 4 hours after I had mozarella with tomato and olives it was 15 mmol. After having 3 eggs for supper it was 15.6 in the morning. I went to see dsn yesterday before I started testing. And she said "ohhh your hb went a bit higher" and she prescribed me metformin and said see you in 6 monhs. When I suggested maybe to do some blood test cause I might have 1.5 diabetes. She said there is only type1 and type 2. She completly ignored my questions . I dont know what to do, should I get 2nd opinion. I am 34 and lost some weight since last hba1c. I weigh 78 kg. I am scared to eat anything yet my bs still remains in double figures.what should I say to doctor to force him to do tests ? My cholesterol was about 4 last time and my blood pressure is perfect. Are these indicators for Lada Diabetes?

 

[xyzzy]

Make an appointment to see your doctor. Point out you do not fit the profile for classic T2. If you get nowhere ask for a referral to your local diabetes centre. In a worse case wait till you are high and present yourself at A&E

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[daisy222]

Make an appointment to see your doctor. Point out you do not fit the profile for classic T2. If you get nowhere ask for a referral to your local diabetes centre. In a worse case wait till you are high and present yourself at A&E

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[daisy222]

Thank you for advice XYZZY. Just took my 1st Metformin an hour ago with lunch. Should it work straight away? I will have to check my bs in an hour, but have a funny feeling that it will not make any change

 

[xyzzy]

Sorry didn't reply sooner. Did it work? With me they started to work near enough straight away and helped reduce spikes. The best most get is roughly a 1 or 2 reduction in fasting levels.

Be a bit aware that if you have been lcing then a meal with loads of cars will spike you high because you are not use to the carbs anymore. A better test would be to up your carbs a little each day and monitor what happens. Whatever the case talking to your gp is still best as a first thing to do.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[pavlosn]

In my metformin takes a while to kick in so I would not expect immediate results.

I know that testing can be expensive but I think it is the best way to get control. I understand that there are some reasonably priced strips to be found on eBay.

In your position I would test before and 2 hours after each meal and at the beginning concentrate in reducing the amount of carb intake to ensure that the after count is within 2 mmol/l of the before meal count. Do this for a few weeks and you should see a downward trend in your fasting/before meal levels.

As you become more familiar with how you react to different food, you should be able to reduce the amount of testing you do


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[daisy222]

So I started with metformin yesterday, 2 hours after lunch of mozarella, tomato, and half avocado my bs was 13...I had fried chicken breast and tomato for dinner + 500mg metformin , checked my bs this morning.. 13 again, so no improvement at all, will definitly have to see my doctor instead that non helpful DSN. Im on very low carb since Monday and on Metformin since yesterday, but still see no improvement in BS

 

[pavlosn]

So I started with metformin yesterday, 2 hours after lunch of mozarella, tomato, and half avocado my bs was 13...I had fried chicken breast and tomato for dinner + 500mg metformin , checked my bs this morning.. 13 again, so no improvement at all, will definitly have to see my doctor instead that non helpful DSN. Im on very low carb since Monday and on Metformin since yesterday, but still see no improvement in BS

Probably going against what I advised earlier but give the metformin a couple of weeks to take effect.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[xyzzy]

Probably going against what I advised earlier but give the metformin a couple of weeks to take effect.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Yes it can take a while to kick in but at that level of consumed carbs you wouldn't really be expecting to see that kind of jump in bg's so I'd go see the doc anyway.

 

[pavlosn]

Yes it can take a while to kick in but at that level of consumed carbs you wouldn't really be expecting to see that kind of jump in bg's so I'd go see the doc anyway.

Agreed. Seeing the doctor will do no harm and if nothing else it might put your mind at rest!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[daisy222]

Probably going against what I advised earlier but give the metformin a couple of weeks to take effect.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

You see.the problem is when I wad diagnosed with hb 6.7 .strated low carb and it worked straight away.after trying Newcastle Diet it was down to 5.9, six months latet back to 6.6, and after anothet 6 months when I let myself eating more carbs and stopped testing hb 10.is it really possible to be type 2 and detetiorate so fast? I am low carbing for 4 days + metformin and bs doesnt go below 13. My choledterol and bp on diagnodis and later was great, obviously walki n around with bs this high is dangerous.I am only 34, and my weight problems started after 2 nd pregnancy 7 years ago.I wont believe that one can get type 2 in short 7 years being overweight.Might have had gestational diabetes, when I think about now.

 

[daisy222]

You see.the problem is when I wad diagnosed with hb 6.7 .strated low carb and it worked straight away.after trying Newcastle Diet it was down to 5.9, six months latet back to 6.6, and after anothet 6 months when I let myself eating more carbs and stopped testing hb 10.is it really possible to be type 2 and detetiorate so fast? I am low carbing for 4 days + metformin and bs doesnt go below 13. My choledterol and bp on diagnodis and later was great, obviously walki n around with bs this high is dangerous.I am only 34, and my weight problems started after 2 nd pregnancy 7 years ago.I wont believe that one can get type 2 in short 7 years being overweight.Might have had gestational diabetes, when I think about now.

 

[daisy222]

So after 2 weeks on Metformin, not helping at all I went to see a doctor. I told him that I suspect that I might have type 1.5/Lada and bless him he agreed to do anty Gad test and C-Peptide. I had them done in hospital 1 week ago. Yesterday I got a call from my GP, asking me to come to urgent apointment. He said that my GAD test came back , and it reads 285!!!!!.....So he said that suggests that I am type 1 after all. He said that I should receive letter inviting me to go to hospital diabetic specialist. Thanks to lovely people on this forum I knew that it was something not right about my type 2 diagnosis .Hopefully they will sort out my bs in hospital soon. I might go straight on insuline as despite lowcarbing, my levels rarely go below 10 mmol.