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How to preserve working beta cell

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fingerpain

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Referring Dr. Bernstein- Diabetic Solutions book, during initial days of T1D the partly working beta cell can be preserved (I suppose , honeymoon period?). Any experience or advise, please share.
Thanks in advance.
 
I think @MarkMunday has some info on this.

My (very limited) understanding is that you probably need to low carb to do this....

Some LADA seem to manage a few years?
 
I have seen this suggested by others.
It was not mentioned when I was diagnosed so I do not understand why you would want to eat a restrictive diet when you can leave be a full life with Type 1 diabetes with injected insulin.
 
Reactions: ert
I was advised by a specialist that you would need to keep your levels within range to prevent stress to the beta cells to pro long the honeymoon phase, however it’s inevitable that your insulin requirements would still increase over time with the decline in beta cell function, mine lasted around 8 months, I had the insane belief that I could find some way to prevent this from happening, part of the denial of my diagnosis, but I didn’t realise that it was more useful to be out of honeymoon as my control was much easier to manage then.
 
Reactions: ert
Beta cells are killed off due to high blood sugars. For type 1's they are also killed by an autoimmune response. Even though I kept my blood sugars low when I was first diagnosed through keto and exericse, a GAD antibody-positive result corresponded to a sudden drop off in c-peptide, where I deteriorated onto insulin.
 
Thanks all. Helpful information . I asked the Diabetic team to understand the analysis taken during early days (Aug2020)and waiting for their update.
 
fingerpain said:
Referring Dr. Bernstein- Diabetic Solutions book, during initial days of T1D the partly working beta cell can be preserved (I suppose , honeymoon period?). Any experience or advise, please share.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I’ve recently read a thing about GLP1 agonists: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23955813/

I’ve seen somewhere that they increase C peptide by 3.5 times, they promote beta cell proliferation and therefore probably reduce (but not completely stop) the damage from the autoimmune processes

GLP1 agonists can be prescribed to diabetics by doctors, you just need to be smart about it and make sure you know about what it is as they don’t give out stuff to people who don’t know what they’re talking about. GLP1 agonists also delay gastric emptying so diabetics can use it with a combination of insulin to achieve better glucose control

Apart from that, as others have stated... you need to keep within range

Although I haven’t seen anything online about it, I would take vitamins related to beta cell function and immune function just to help (we all know it doesn’t work but what’s wrong with trying)
 

Thanks. Very helpful.
 
I was diagnosed T2 in 2010 but almost immediately put on insulin.. December 2019 i was rediagnosed T1

When talking to my pump nurse recently.. who was my DSN when first diagnosed... (she said to me in 2010 she though I was T1 but the consultant insisted I was T2) during the chat she said I was probably LADA and the only reason my insulin production lasted 10 years was my early introduction to insulin and the fact that I kept good control back then so my pancreas was not overworked.

However lifestyle in recent years changed where MDI was difficult to manage so my pancreas had more work todo and has almost given up now

My last cpeptide test showed extremely low production but still producing a small amount t
 
At the Diabetes UK conference in Liverpool a couple of years back there was a very interesting talk about long term T1s having "guerilla beta cells" which masqueraded as alpha cells to avoid being zapped by the immune system and occasionally popped up to p[roducse some insulin.

The idea from this was if you could stop your immune system killing off beta cells then your pancreas might regenerate from these remaining cells.

I can't recall seeing anything about this since, but it is an interesting theory.

@searley I was diagnosed T2 in 2008 and my insulin production seems to be slowing further (or I have something not working in the control system) although I haven't had a test for a while. I assume the difference between T1 and just an old and knackered pancreas is the presence of antibodies. Probably.
 
I've never had antibodies but have stopped producing insulin hence T1
 
searley said:
I've never had antibodies but have stopped producing insulin hence T1
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Which points up the ongoing confusion over the different types.
Basically, did your beta cells just die or did something kill them?

In practical terms I assume that it makes very little difference once one is insulin dependant.
 
LittleGreyCat said:
Which points up the ongoing confusion over the different types.
Basically, did your beta cells just die or did something kill them?

In practical terms I assume that it makes very little difference once one is insulin dependant.
Click to expand...
This i will never know.. whatever happened it took 10 years to happen.

Point is im not overweight never have been, infact at one point consultant refused a medication as it can cause weight loss and she didn't want me to lose any more so weight was not a factor

Age I was under 40 although not a true metric any more but most t2 we diagnosed over 40

My dad.. and his mum when she was alive both t1... which is why some of my care team insisted I was t1 from the beginning

Either way... I now don't produce insulin so am officially classed t1

I thing currently understanding and the fact there are so many variables and everyone shows different symptoms in different orders make in some cases a true diagnosis very difficult
 

My Mum was similar to you, ie slim and 40. They would not class her as type 1 but said she was a type 2 on insulin, I think that was because she had no antibodies either so they said 'type 2 but with a pancreas that no longer produced insulin following years of it struggling' and put her on insulin immediately. The label mattered not later because her pancreas ended up shot over the following years, but I do wish they were able to classify from the start as if she was a type 2 she MAY have been able to stop its progression onto insulin.
 
They can do a cpetide test which shows how much insulin the body is producing and if its too low then you become classed type1

For me I fought to be classed type 1 as t1s get better care.. it was only when I said to my consultant that if I'm t2 I'm stopping insulin that she did the cpeptide a d said you cant as you are type 1

But since then I now have an insulin pump and have better control than I've ever had
 
searley said:
They can do a cpetide test which shows how much insulin the body is producing and if its too low then you become classed type1
Click to expand...

Hi searley, I know it doesn't matter as such and it sure is complicated but a type 2 CAN end up with a pancreas that has stopped (or is producing too little insulin) and still NOT be a type 1 but a type 2 ON insulin. . It's not the having to use insulin that determines the type (on its own) but whether the issue is down to an autoimmune issue, ie the body attacking itself. Good that you were diagnosed though.
 
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