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How Do They Diagnose What Type Of Diabetes You Have?

HI. You say you have put on a lot of weight since your episode? That implies you are having too many carbs. Despite some on this forum saying T1s can have the carbs they want and match the insulin there are many like me who have to seriously control the carbs to control both the weight and my insulin needs go up exponentially if I overdo the carbs. Any medic who tells you to have carbs with every meal and match the insulin doesn't understand nutrition or diabetes and is best ignored. My GP refused to accept I was T1 and put me firmly down when I suggested I might be. My private C-Peptide tests showed I had low insulin. My lovely surgery DN has referred me to the Diabetes clinic at my request and I'm in the process of having C-Peptide and GAD done by the NHS. I await the results and would love to be able to tell the GP that she was wrong. Sadly there is a large amount of ignorance and arrogance amongst too many medics. This forum is of enormous help to many.
 
I started putting on weight when they first put me on Insulatard 18 months ago, and I was low carbing then.

Since this last "drama" in September when they put me on Novorapid and Lantus I have put on over half a stone in 6 weeks. This doesn't seem right to me at all.

Maybe I should just stop everything. Stop eating, stop the insulin and just live on water.

Sorry, I am in a vile mood. I eventually received a call from the hospital late today after I sent them a strongly worded email. Within 20 mins of sending it I received a call, where the nurse told me she was responding to my email as it was "concerning"and that she had called and left a message on Monday. I pointed out to her that there were no missed calls on my phone and I do not use voice mail. She was adamant she called. I told her she hadn't. And if she had called, why did she not respond to my daily calls to her? She's a liar.

After emailing my Dr and sending me a copy of the paperwork that states I was type 1, she told me on the phone I may not be as my blood test results indicted I was producing some insulin, so I may not get the libre. This was after me having to ask her what were the results of my blood test, and she asked me what test I went for...
. I told her that she made me go for two sets of blood tests that she said would tske weeks to come back, and those are the results I want to know. She said my c-peptide was 238...(which made zero sense when I googled it) and told me she was not good on diagnostics and I should discuss it with the consultant at my appointment in the middle of December. An appointment I know zilch about.

I can't even be ***** to go into all the detail right now as every time I think about it, it winds me up.


I have emailed the Dr Surgery and asked for access to my records.
 

Oh heck. You really are going through the wringer.
 
DCUKMod said:
Oh heck. You really are going through the wringer.
Click to expand...
I know right. FML.

I've had several large glasses of wine and I'm now going to bed.

Let's hope tomorrow is better.
 
XxTinkerxx said:
I know right. FML.

I've had several large glasses of wine and I'm now going to bed.

Let's hope tomorrow is better.
Click to expand...

Some times it's just got to be done (the vino or other pressure relief tactics).

Sleep well.
 
XxTinkerxx said:
I started putting on weight when they first put me on Insulatard 18 months ago, and I was low carbing then.

She said my c-peptide was 238
Click to expand...
Was it a fasting or non-fasting c-peptide test? (And the units are pmol/L based on the magnitude of the number; 80 to 250 is the normal fasting range for c-peptide). Either way, you're still producing insulin in the normal range. This would make dosing with insulin as frustrating and as difficult as you are finding it. You need to mention this to your DN.
I hope you get the support you need soon.
 
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It was non fasting. She said she wanted my blood sugars above 14mmol for the test. And it was.
 
An update since my last angry post.

Hospital / "DSN"
Spent more time than I should have, stewing about what happened with the "DSN". To recap: I had asked for a ketone meter and was told I had been given one when the "DSN" saw me just before I got discharged. I was adamant she hadn't. Came off the call, retraced hospital discharge activities in my head, and she had indeed given me a meter. However, as I already had two fully functional BG meters at home, I did not see the point of taking a third. If he had told me it was a ketone meter to measure my blood ketones, I would have snatched that up.

Anyway, I was told to come and get a meter if I wanted a meter (we're not allowed to go to the hospital because of lockdown anyway), she gave me no details on where to go - pharmacy? diabetic clinic? local shop? reception? Local kebab shop?

She also told me I had to call my GP to have the sensors (which she said I may not get because of my blood test results) added to my repeat prescriptions. I was sent a copy of the letter that was allegedly sent to the GP requesting the sensors the week before.

I emailed them last week asking where to collect the ketone meter. No reply. Emailed the following day. No reply. As I type - still waiting for a reply.

I asked about my care plan and told them my sugars were all over the place and I did not know what I was doing. She told me I had an appt mid December. MID DECEMBER!!! I was discharged end of Sep, and all I have had so far is 1 phone call with a scatty and disorganised “DSN” who had told me to call her on the morning of my appt date to remind her to call me.. WTAF?! I am literally relying on this forum and the great ole “tinternet” to tell me what I need to do. This is nothing short of a disgrace - pandemic or no pandemic. I am trying hard not to be too hard on them because of the COVID-19 situation, but they are making it real hard to be sympathetic.

GP - Dr Surgery
Was told I could have the sensors. Had to scan/email the "DSN" / Hospital letter to them as they had not received it. Turns out the DSN had lied on the form and said I had been trailing the sensor since Jun (impossible since I was hospitalised end of Sep). Hospital are meant to supply me for 6 months before it is added to my prescription - they clearly hadn't and had tried to "doctor" the form. Anyway, because I had been self-funding for over 18 months, they said they would add it to my prescription (and not fight with the hospital) - which I was very grateful for.

I asked if they had any ketone meters. They didn't supply the meter I needed but they added the ketone strips to my repeat prescriptions. All I needed to do now was get my hands on the ketone meter!

I asked about no one calling me from the Diabetic Clinic and was told that as I had been diagnosed as Type 1, my care automatically comes under the hospital as the local GP only deal with Type 2. Still, a courtesy call to say so would have been nice, so I am not sat here wishing all manner of evil things upon them and calling them every name under the sun.

Came off the phone and emailed Abbott and asked where I could buy a ketone meter, as I was struggling to find one online. They replied to say they will send me one for free. #result

So, in summary, I am getting my sensors, ketone meter and ketone strips, but it really should not have been this hard and this difficult. My next appt is for middle of December with the Consultant – which I think is pretty disgraceful and I will be telling them so too.

A friend of mine put me in touch with a friend of hers who has been type 1 for over 35 years and we had a long chat. She told me I should call the hospital every day and ask for an earlier appt / cancellation, as the support and way I have been treated so far is abysmal. We discussed omni pods, foot on the floor syndrome and red wine vs white wine.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for reading this far – this looks like the start of a book!!
Looking forward and really appreciate your on-going support.
 
Past caring now. Hopefully when I go to sleep tonight I won't wake up...
 
I think you goto A and E now!
 
 
When I was diagnosed I had 3 blood samples taken, first one taken after fasting for 12hrs, this was a base line to work to. Was then given a glucose drink, after about 1/2 hr had 2nd blood sample taken had to then wait for 2 more hrs before 3rd sample taken. These were all sent to lab for analysis, to determine type one or two depended on how close you returned to your base line over a set time period. By then using a chart can be determined your type, after 2hrs BG should have dropped nearly to normal.
 
Many people with late onset type 1 are misdiagnosed as type 2. In my case it took a near death experience before a new doctor referred me to a diabetes endocrinologist.
 
@XxTinkerxx I think your last couple of posts got buried under an older thread. Plenty of us would love to try help you. I hope you are okay.
 


If GAD or any of the other autoantibodies are found, it means you most likely have type 1 diabetes. If no GAD or other autoantibodies are found, you probably have type 2.
 
I was told they class you as type two to start off with and if your bloods settle with medication then they just see you for regular check ups, in my case my bloods did settle for three months and then I needed more medication this went on like this for a year, after a bad time with keotosis and a night spent in hospital I was put on slow release insulin and told I was now type 1.5, this year my hab1nc was high did it again three months later and was still high so in April was put on a fast release insulin as well now classed as type 1
 
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