Hello / Possible T2 or LADA

Hi Chris and welcome! Sorry to hear you’ve had a rocky start. Let us know how you get on at the specialist tomorrow. Come back with any questions you have.

Edit to add the useful info link:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

Welcome to the forums. I’m sure that one of the Mods will be along soon with some advice. Good luck with everything

Hello there. Once you know which type it’ll be easier to get to grips with hongs and medication/ diet. Whatever the type you’ll manage just fine.

I always find the different stories amazing and the speed (or not) that people are put on Meds. It was Several weeks before meds were discussed with me (Hba1c 112) and that only lasted two weeks.

All the best with your DM journey. You’ve definitely found the right place. Everyone here is so helpful.

Hi @Chris12345 and welcome! It's very early days for you and no great rush, though you'll be wanting a diagnosis asap.
I was very much the same as you in that I was diagnosed as a result of a blood test for another condition and was somewhat dismayed, and distressed, to be told I had 'early diabetes'. I wasn't overweight, in fact I was very slim and had no other symptons apart from polyuria. Upshot was I was also prescibed gliclazide and also adopted a LCHF diet and this helped reduce my HbA1c over a few months to almost 'remission' levels. I did though have one hypo but that was due to not eating much while travelling on holiday. I think you've done the right thing reducing your gliclazide.It's great that you are seeing a specialist so soon as many GPs don't really know a lot about diabetes. It took more than 3 years for me to be referred to a specialist who has at last got my diagnosis and treatment sorted out!
Do keep us informed about how things go.
Good luck!
Dave

Chris12345 said:

Hi all, stumbled across this forum trying to educate myself, and its great so thought I'd say hello.

Had a routine fasting blood test on Wednesday (for cholesterol check, which is always high, and they luckily checked glucose as well which they dont normally - last for that was 6 years ago), only to be called in to see the Dr Thursday morning due to HbA1c of 73 and blood glucose of 12.

No family history, 39, I do a fair amount of exercise (running, swimming, childcare), and im not overweight (79kg) so a real shock completely out of the blue. No symptoms other than, on reflection, more tired and irritable lately. And perhaps some lows after exercise which I massively over compensated for in a frenzied raid of the cookie jar. And ive always eaten a lot, which is something I need to be more mindful of now.

Prescribed 80mg of glic to get me through the weekend, which for first two days had me hypo from slightest activity (going shopping, doing hoovering - wife said I couldn't even stand straight, and my meter reading wasn't that bad at 4.5). Fun.

I halved the glic dose today, which has readings looking less erratic and less trigger happy on lows, and im taking lots of readings before and two hours after food etc. to monitor and build a picture.

Drs were very confused due to lack of symptoms and other factors. I felt pretty much fine. Seeing specialist again tomorrow although another two weeks until further blood results come back to indicate if Type 2 or LADA.

So... nice to meet you all, sure I'll be seeking your advice as I get going on this journey! Keep well all

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Hi Chris,

Sorry you had reason to come find this place, but I'm glad you're here now. Not all T2's are obese, so it can happen... And to reassure you, a 4.5 isn't a hypo. It feels like one, and your body acts like it's one, but that's because it is absolutely convinced it really is one. It's called a false hypo, and they happen when you've been running high for a long time. (And yes, they can basically floor you.). Just give your body a little while to get used to the new normal, the way your blood glucose levels should be. It won't panic at a 4.5 anymore soon. In the meantime, you might want to look into low carb/high fat as a treatment, as glic isn't exactly to your liking. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ should help. Don't mix this diet with the gliclazide, or you will faceplant with an actual, proper, honest-to-god hypo. It's something to try and keep your levels alright until you get a LADA/T2 confirmation. With LADA insulin's pretty much a given, eventually, but if it's T2 this diet can put you in remission. (You'd still be a T2, but a well controlled one, without complications/progression of the condition).

In any case, you're going to be alright. Whatever way this turns out.
Jo

For me I was on metformin for a year and a half then gliclazide with no effect on my bg...the only thing that did affect it was going low carb, problem with that was I was losing weight and I’d already lost weight, around a stone and a half,due to the diabetes. After being referred to a specialist I was re diagnosed Lada and am now on insulin with almost normal bg readings...for me the gliclazide didn’t work as I was producing little to no insulin and was averaging bg readings in the 20’s hope it all gets sorted for you soon

Chris12345 said:

Thanks so much @JoKalsbeek, your reply made me chuckle a few times! Reassuring to know that what I thought were hypos were just false ones, and since I've halved the glic dose to 40mg and my body seems to be adjusting to lower sugar these feelings are less frequent. I seem to be running at around 5-6 most of time now, lower before bed, but had the odd spike a few hours after lunch to 11 ish despite having taken a hatchet to my carb and sugar intake. I'll keep learning

I've looked at your nutritional posting, really interesting and given me some ideas. One question is that I have hereditary high cholesterol, but dont take stains as my risk factor (was) low. As such I've been told to avoid fatty foods.... BUT if I avoid them and carbs I'm not left with much so cant do it. Any thoughts? I can see myself possibly losing more weight than I want. I think I'll keep eating the fats, just try and do so in moderation.

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Hi again, Chris,

When you have those spikes, do they relate to a certain type of food? Stress maybe? Because that's quite the spike, with your numbers looking so good the rest of the time.

As for cholesterol.... Do you mean you have Familial Hypercholesterolemia, (defective receptors) or do you mean relatively high cholesterol runs in the family? There is a difference, apparently. Never mind all the pop-ups on this website, the guy's got good info and a lot of it is free, so just click the pesky little adverts away: https://www.drberg.com/blog/genetic-high-cholesterol Something to look into. He does mention you can have FHC in the family, but if there's no indicators of early heartconditions, you're safe as houses with no increased risk. Anyway, I rather loved apple cider vinegar and it did help my metabolism, but alas, it gave me migraines, so it's a no-go for me. Maybe it'll help you though. I went with keto and Intermittent Fasting. There's a family history of high cholesterol, but nothing too dramatic, but my mom had her first cardiac event at 54, so that's early, and looking back at my grandparents, I'm... Let's say, not particularly blessed on both sides of the family far as heart disease and vascular issues are concerned. I guess if I had let the diabetes run rampant I'd regularly see a cardiologist now. Still, with first LCHF and later keto and IF, I got my cholesterol down and in an excellent ratio, without statins. Good thing too, because my rheumatism went off the charts on that stuff.

The fats help you get nutrients and keep you feeling full, so that's good. So just stick with good fats if you're concerned, and in moderation. Avocado, fish, olive (oil and proper olives), that sort of thing. I haven't given up my bacon yet though, I have to admit.

Chris12345 said:

One question is that I have hereditary high cholesterol, but dont take stains as my risk factor (was) low. As such I've been told to avoid fatty foods.... BUT if I avoid them and carbs I'm not left with much so cant do it. Any thoughts?

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Take a read of this when you have a bit of time. It’ll answer a lot about cholesterol, particularly if it’s not the FH variety.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/

Basically it says the accepted “wisdom” about cholesterol over the last 40yrs is seriously in question and the whole fat is evil and will give you a heart attack is also seriously in question.

@bulkbiker i quote this thread so often I have a permalink in my notes to it

I found an article in the BMJ Open site which reports that a higher level of LDL is statistically likely to result in living longer - they decided to check the accepted wisdom.

@Chris12345 welcome to the forums.

My journey from initial T2 diagnosis to LADA was in about the same time frame as @mike gibson 's.