Hello!

[DavidFrazer]

First of all, can I say what a wonderful resource this actually is! Great to see people helping people in the same situation (or close enough)
Im rocking type 2 and have been for about a year and a half, with one of the most rollercoaster days in A&E telling me I was type 1, then type 2 just before I left for home. I had been managing it quite well but then Christmas reared its festive head and I may have binged a bit...
Now on the process to getting bloods down every day, had to go to the hospital for a ketone check as I couldn't get strips anywhere quick (Amazon has saved this). Ketones fine just my actual level high, which is now coming down everyday with regular exercise and a rehashed view and approach to my diet.

Just here to say hello and get involved as much as possible, I know it can be quite daunting when diagnosed so if I can make anyone's process a bit easier that would be swell!

Hope you are all having a good day and thanks for reading!

 

[lovinglife]

Hi @DavidFrazer & welcome to the forum

 

[_Steve_]

Welcome!

I'm only ~10 months into my diagnosis so also pretty new, found this forum a great resource as you say

 

[Chris24Main]

Hi @DavidFrazer - and welcome..

I was another - initially thought to be type 1 - then re-diagnosed..

The particularly difficult thing I struggled with was that the way things were explained, it seemed quite possible that there was a bit of a grey area between the two that I had fallen into.

While there are (quite rare possibilities) - they really involve having both - type 1 and type 2 are totally opposite in terms of how you go about dealing with them - they seem similar because we concentrate on blood glucose, but in terms of what sits underneath, Type 1 is not enough insulin and type 2 is too much.

Part of the confusion that stems from the "mushing it all together and worrying only about blood glucose" - is that even quite experienced consultants can give you advice about ketones that really doesn't make sense.

For a type 1 - who is not producing any insulin; very high levels of ketones AND very high blood glucose marks a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis - which is a big deal, and is worthy of a trip to A&E..

However, for someone with a functioning pancreas, generating ketones is totally natural - babies come into the world in blissful ketosis - because ketone production is regulated by insulin.

Therefore - ketones are one of the opposites for T1 & T2 - for T1; it's possible that it's a marker that everything is out of control. For T2 - it's a sign of only good things.

So - the critical thing, is being 100% sure whether you are really T2 or not - and that comes down to two tests (which you may already know about)
T1 is caused by an auto-immune attack on the pancreas, so there is an anti-body test that looks for the results of this kind of attack.
C-Peptide is the left-over part of insulin when the pancreas produces it, so there is a test for that which should show a properly functioning pancreas.

Have you had either test?

 

[lovinglife]

Hi @DavidFrazer - and welcome..

I was another - initially thought to be type 1 - then re-diagnosed..

The particularly difficult thing I struggled with was that the way things were explained, it seemed quite possible that there was a bit of a grey area between the two that I had fallen into.

While there are (quite rare possibilities) - they really involve having both - type 1 and type 2 are totally opposite in terms of how you go about dealing with them - they seem similar because we concentrate on blood glucose, but in terms of what sits underneath, Type 1 is not enough insulin and type 2 is too much.

Part of the confusion that stems from the "mushing it all together and worrying only about blood glucose" - is that even quite experienced consultants can give you advice about ketones that really doesn't make sense.

For a type 1 - who is not producing any insulin; very high levels of ketones AND very high blood glucose marks a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis - which is a big deal, and is worthy of a trip to A&E..

However, for someone with a functioning pancreas, generating ketones is totally natural - babies come into the world in blissful ketosis - because ketone production is regulated by insulin.

Therefore - ketones are one of the opposites for T1 & T2 - for T1; it's possible that it's a marker that everything is out of control. For T2 - it's a sign of only good things.

So - the critical thing, is being 100% sure whether you are really T2 or not - and that comes down to two tests (which you may already know about)
T1 is caused by an auto-immune attack on the pancreas, so there is an anti-body test that looks for the results of this kind of attack.
C-Peptide is the left-over part of insulin when the pancreas produces it, so there is a test for that which should show a properly functioning pancreas.

Have you had either test?

Sorry @Chris24Main i have to disagree with some of the things you say here about T2 & ketones only being a sign of good things

I was admitted to hospital with another emergency but I was also whilst in hospital diagnosed with originality T1 and was put on insulin then changed to T2 about 6 weeks later I had very high BG in the low 30s and high ketones and was very near DKA - T2 with both high BG & high ketones can get DKA so it’s not always a good thing and can be dangerous. Low to normal BG when your controlling your T2 with a low carb diet and having ketones of course is usually absolutely fine

 

[Chris24Main]

You're quite right @lovinglife .. I thought I had made that clear, but you're right when I read it through. It's not obvious that I only mean ketones by themselves are fine and natural.

Ketoacidosis is characterised by very high ketones and very high blood glucose at the same time.

 

[DavidFrazer]

Hello!

Thanks for the replies, yes I am 100 per cent a T2. When I went in last year for first diagnosis I remember being hooked up to Saline IV (Which with having a mouth like a desert, and a constant need for a pee) was the best feeling in the world, and being given a shot of Insulin. I was then sent home with a tablet of Metformin and told to come back the next day for observations where they confirmed I was a T2 after me and my partner had prepped for me being a T1.

I find all in all its quite luck of the draw how your diagnosis goes - the hospital staff were really nice, however the diabetic nurse who came to explain this massive life change gave me ten minutes (it was supposed to be an hour) and then left, though I do understand the pressures of the NHS.

I think im now in the groove of regular excercise (I used to be in a band which provided more than enough movement) and starting to eat well again. The worry around the ketones thing was mainly I think because I have never had the proper education on it, most meetings for bloods, eyes yada yada are in and out. Always happy to learn though


(Also have had the tests that say all my organs are happy and functional)

 

[Antje77]

First of all, can I say what a wonderful resource this actually is! Great to see people helping people in the same situation (or close enough)
Im rocking type 2 and have been for about a year and a half, with one of the most rollercoaster days in A&E telling me I was type 1, then type 2 just before I left for home. I had been managing it quite well but then Christmas reared its festive head and I may have binged a bit...
Now on the process to getting bloods down every day, had to go to the hospital for a ketone check as I couldn't get strips anywhere quick (Amazon has saved this). Ketones fine just my actual level high, which is now coming down everyday with regular exercise and a rehashed view and approach to my diet.

Just here to say hello and get involved as much as possible, I know it can be quite daunting when diagnosed so if I can make anyone's process a bit easier that would be swell!

Hope you are all having a good day and thanks for reading!

Well done, and thanks for wanting to support others, this can be very helpful, especially with your rough start to diabetes!
May I asked what tests were done to determine your type?

Therefore - ketones are one of the opposites for T1 & T2 - for T1; it's possible that it's a marker that everything is out of control. For T2 - it's a sign of only good things.

Sorry @Chris24Main i have to disagree with some of the things you say here about T2 & ketones only being a sign of good things

I was admitted to hospital with another emergency but I was also whilst in hospital diagnosed with originality T1 and was put on insulin then changed to T2 about 6 weeks later I had very high BG in the low 30s and high ketones and was very near DKA - T2 with both high BG & high ketones can get DKA so it’s not always a good thing and can be dangerous. Low to normal BG when your controlling your T2 with a low carb diet and having ketones of course is usually absolutely fine

And to add to @lovinglife 's addition, ketones in a T1 following a low carb enough diet to go into ketosis while using insulin in a way to maintain normal blood glucose is not alarming.
Exogenous insulin works just as well as endogenous insulin to ward off DKA, T1's aren't different from non diabetics in this.

No matter the type of diabetes, ketones from a low carb diet are not usually an issue if paired with normal bg.
The exception lies in people using flozins, even more so if they are misdiagnosed, you can go into DKA with normal bg on flozins.

 

[DavidFrazer]

Well done, and thanks for wanting to support others, this can be very helpful, especially with your rough start to diabetes!
May I asked what tests were done to determine your type?


And to add to @lovinglife 's addition, ketones in a T1 following a low carb enough diet to go into ketosis while using insulin in a way to maintain normal blood glucose is not alarming.
Exogenous insulin works just as well as endogenous insulin to ward off DKA, T1's aren't different from non diabetics in this.

No matter the type of diabetes, ketones from a low carb diet are not usually an issue if paired with normal bg.
The exception lies in people using flozins, even more so if they are misdiagnosed, you can go into DKA with normal bg on flozins.

Honestly, I can’t remember as I was pretty out of it when it was all being done and a million things were going through my mind.

I have my checkup next week however so can ask and come back! Yeah I wish I would have signed up here sooner cause leaving the hospital I felt like I’d been thrust into a world of doom and gloom with no guidance

 

[Antje77]

Yeah I wish I would have signed up here sooner cause leaving the hospital I felt like I’d been thrust into a world of doom and gloom with no guidance

Ah, but you're here now!
No doom and gloom, except when we need to vent, plenty of room for that on top of sharing what works for us to keep the doom and gloom away.