I’m even more confused after speaking with the GP!

[fiona35]

So I’ve spoken to my GP about my recent blood tests. He had to call me back as the surgery said no further action required but he did say that they were not okay and he needed to call the DSN at the hospital.
He called back later and he’s said that after speaking to the DSN at the hospital they are not sure if I am Type 2 or LADA but they won’t do anymore blood tests as they don’t feel it will reveal anything else and won’t alter my current treatment. They’ve said no point in doing GAD tests as I’ve had diabetes for too long.

My test results 1 hour after eating were
Blood Glucose 21.2 mmol
C Peptide 1290 pmol

For the time being they’ve said I’m to be treated as a LADA with regards to my insulin/carb counting/targets but still be labelled as Type 2 diabetic on my medical record and they’ll review my progress in 3 months time.

Should I just get on with my life now, after all I do feel heaps better on a basal Bolus regime or would you try and push for a better explanation, maybe try and go private and see if they can do the other blood tests that the hospital doesn’t want to do.
Does it really matter what type of Diabetes I have, although if you are producing yourself, why would you also inject?
I’m just so confused as to what to do and fed up of everything at the moment. It just seems nothing is clear cut and dry where diabetes is concerned!
Sorry I just needed a rant! Thank you

 

[AndBreathe]

So I’ve spoken to my GP about my recent blood tests. He had to call me back as the surgery said no further action required but he did say that they were not okay and he needed to call the DSN at the hospital.
He called back later and he’s said that after speaking to the DSN at the hospital they are not sure if I am Type 2 or LADA but they won’t do anymore blood tests as they don’t feel it will reveal anything else and won’t alter my current treatment. They’ve said no point in doing GAD tests as I’ve had diabetes for too long.

My test results 1 hour after eating were
Blood Glucose 21.2 mmol
C Peptide 1290 pmol

For the time being they’ve said I’m to be treated as a LADA with regards to my insulin/carb counting/targets but still be labelled as Type 2 diabetic on my medical record and they’ll review my progress in 3 months time.

Should I just get on with my life now, after all I do feel heaps better on a basal Bolus regime or would you try and push for a better explanation, maybe try and go private and see if they can do the other blood tests that the hospital doesn’t want to do.
Does it really matter what type of Diabetes I have, although if you are producing yourself, why would you also inject?
I’m just so confused as to what to do and fed up of everything at the moment. It just seems nothing is clear cut and dry where diabetes is concerned!
Sorry I just needed a rant! Thank you

Oh dear. I feel for you.
Personally? I'd want one of two things to happen. Either:

Whatever testing it took to establish my type, because I don't care what anybody says, there are differences in treatments and options available to yo in the UK. For example, I have only ever heard of one T2 in UK using an insulin pump, whereas they are extremely common amongst those living with T1 and it's sub-types.

You may have no interest in pumping now, butin my world it is important to keep all available options open.

I don't know if you are prescribed the Libre, but, in England at least, any T2 who wants it should be provided with the Libre or a CGM.

Attitudes between types do vary enormously. I'm not talking about everyone, but some of the worst things I have heard said about people living with T2 have been from T1s and even HCP. Frankly, I'd like to swerve that nonsense where possitble.

Now, the OR.

Or have my diagnosis amended to reflect LADA, and thereby achieve the benefits of the foregoing.

Those are just my off the cuff thoughts.

 

[urbanracer]

So I’ve spoken to my GP about my recent blood tests. He had to call me back as the surgery said no further action required but he did say that they were not okay and he needed to call the DSN at the hospital.
He called back later and he’s said that after speaking to the DSN at the hospital they are not sure if I am Type 2 or LADA but they won’t do anymore blood tests as they don’t feel it will reveal anything else and won’t alter my current treatment. They’ve said no point in doing GAD tests as I’ve had diabetes for too long.

My test results 1 hour after eating were
Blood Glucose 21.2 mmol
C Peptide 1290 pmol

For the time being they’ve said I’m to be treated as a LADA with regards to my insulin/carb counting/targets but still be labelled as Type 2 diabetic on my medical record and they’ll review my progress in 3 months time.

Should I just get on with my life now, after all I do feel heaps better on a basal Bolus regime or would you try and push for a better explanation, maybe try and go private and see if they can do the other blood tests that the hospital doesn’t want to do.
Does it really matter what type of Diabetes I have, although if you are producing yourself, why would you also inject?
I’m just so confused as to what to do and fed up of everything at the moment. It just seems nothing is clear cut and dry where diabetes is concerned!
Sorry I just needed a rant! Thank you

Hi @fiona35

If you're a LADA your pancreas may still produce some insulin but it may not produce enough to keep your glucose levels in check. That's why you might need extra injected insulin.
Your pancreas may continue to produce insulin but its output may diminish over time until you reliant solely on injected insulin. Then again, it may not, there are no rules, unfortunately.
If you're classed as an insulin dependent T2, do you get free glucose test strips from your doctor?

 

[sgm14]

Does it really matter what type of Diabetes I have.

I was told by one Endo that it didn't matter to him whether I was 1 or 2 or 1.5 as the treatment was the same. (Note he was referring to me specifically and did not say that the treatment for all types are the same). But you might find it harder to get a Libre (etc) on prescription if you are considered Type 2 so it might matter to you.

I was diagnosed as Type 2 and put on metformin and a few years later moved to insulin. At that stage I was told that they were not sure which type I was when I was first diagnosed, but was treated as Type 2 and the medication worked for a while. I thought that this meant that they had now changed their mind and considered me Type 1, but I later found out that that was not the case.
So I requested a test to clarify my type but was told that it didn't matter as I needed insulin regardless of whether I was 1 or 2 and that the test was likely to be in-conclusive (and he also mentioned that the test is more reliable and more important when done early on).

Strangely enough, a year or may two later on I asked to attend a 'Type 1 Diabetic clinic' at the hospital and when there asked the endo (a different one) about that and he said that I was still considered Type 2, but agreed to do a test and the results of the test was I am now considered Type 1.

although if you are producing yourself, why would you also inject?

Insulin resistance means that some Type 2 diabetes produce a lot of insulin, but it does not work as well as it should, hence you need more.

 

[fiona35]

If you're classed as an insulin dependent T2, do you get free glucose test strips from your doctor?

They’ve upped my allowance of tests strips from 100 a month to 200 as I’ll need to test 5 to 6 times a day and at the moment I’m not entitled to a Libre unless I want to self fund.
I guess that’s one way of wanting to find out my exact type, you’d be entitled to better technology if I am LADA.

 

[fiona35]

Thank you all for your helpful comments, I’ve got a lot of thinking to do!

 

[Fuzzykayuk]

I’m even more confused than you! Post meal c-peptide came back as 351, that’s a definite T2 according to my diabetes team. So surely you’d be T2 also?

 

[fiona35]

I’m even more confused than you! Post meal c-peptide came back as 351, that’s a definite T2 according to my diabetes team. So surely you’d be T2 also?

I really don’t know.
As I’ve lost weight, my sugars have increased until they finally ran out of tablets to give me, hence putting me on insulin, but supposedly if you are a type 2, then reducing weight has health benefits which is why they are now questioning it. I was 28 when diagnosed with type 2, no other tests apart from random glucose and pretty much left to get on with it. Each year my HBA1C would get worse and I’d be told off for not taking the meds and not having a healthy lifestyle even though I was!
I felt that the medical teams didn’t listen to me although they couldn’t argue about my weight going down on my records!
I finally started on insulin about 2 years ago, think it was just a background insulin but of course it didn’t help when I ate anything. Even bacon & eggs would have a rise! This was changed to a mixed insulin for about a year until recently when a DSN looked again at my HBA1C and said it’s not working for you and she commented that I was rather young to be going onto a Basal Bolus with Type 2 diabetes ( I don’t know if that’s true or not ) That is what has prompted the tests, additionally I have family members that are Type 1 & Type 1.5 LADA which has never been asked before.
I hope you get some answers, I’ve got an appt next week with my GP to ask for a second opinion.

 

[Antje77]

I have family members that are Type 1 & Type 1.5 LADA

Has anyone in your family been tested for MODY?
It's a type of diabetes that runs strongly in families, and it's often misdagnosed as either T1 or T2.

 

[fiona35]

Has anyone in your family been tested for MODY?
It's a type of diabetes that runs strongly in families, and it's often misdagnosed as either T1 or T2.

No, no one has ever been tested for MODY Diabetes.
When I speak to my GP I’ll mention it to him, thank you.

 

[Mungobean]

I was diagnosed as T2. I was given metformin, but it made me so sick, that I was started on insulin. Fairly early on, I was given a trial of the Libre, but when I queried it, I was told that I had no hope of getting it on prescription, ad a T2. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t convinced that I was T2 - from the reading I had done, I just had nagging doubts. So, I asked my GP (quite forcibly) to test to determine which type I was. A couple of weeks passed and my results came back, but my GP didn’t understand them, so had to talk to the hospital diabetes team. The result came back - that there was no doubt that I was T1. The differences? I was prescribed my Libre straight away and I have been given an Iport to inject. Hopefully going to look at pumps when closed loop systems are more widely available. I just feel as though I am treated really differently, as a T1.

 

[Fuzzykayuk]

I really don’t know.
As I’ve lost weight, my sugars have increased until they finally ran out of tablets to give me, hence putting me on insulin, but supposedly if you are a type 2, then reducing weight has health benefits which is why they are now questioning it. I was 28 when diagnosed with type 2, no other tests apart from random glucose and pretty much left to get on with it. Each year my HBA1C would get worse and I’d be told off for not taking the meds and not having a healthy lifestyle even though I was!
I felt that the medical teams didn’t listen to me although they couldn’t argue about my weight going down on my records!
I finally started on insulin about 2 years ago, think it was just a background insulin but of course it didn’t help when I ate anything. Even bacon & eggs would have a rise! This was changed to a mixed insulin for about a year until recently when a DSN looked again at my HBA1C and said it’s not working for you and she commented that I was rather young to be going onto a Basal Bolus with Type 2 diabetes ( I don’t know if that’s true or not ) That is what has prompted the tests, additionally I have family members that are Type 1 & Type 1.5 LADA which has never been asked before.
I hope you get some answers, I’ve got an appt next week with my GP to ask for a second opinion.

My diabetic team have told me I’m not to have anymore tests. I’ve demanded I come off insulin as a T2 I’m not going to need it. I can’t lose weight. The drs are looking into it. Even with daily exercise and low carb and low fat. I’m gaining approx 2-3kg a week.

New tests say THS is extremely elevated so something is wrong with my thyroid. It’s showing as under active which would explain no weight loss.

Hoping I can sort it too. But I wish I could switch diabetic teams.

 

[Fuzzykayuk]

I hope you get answers too. It’s horrible to feel you’re being messed about.

 

[AndBreathe]

My diabetic team have told me I’m not to have anymore tests. I’ve demanded I come off insulin as a T2 I’m not going to need it. I can’t lose weight. The drs are looking into it. Even with daily exercise and low carb and low fat. I’m gaining approx 2-3kg a week.

New tests say THS is extremely elevated so something is wrong with my thyroid. It’s showing as under active which would explain no weight loss.

Hoping I can sort it too. But I wish I could switch diabetic teams.

Yes, TSH is a basic hormone indicating your thyroid isn't working well.

For a majority of folks, this is sorted by taking a thyroid hormone to take the strain, however, be aware it isn't necessarily a quick fix. Treatment is started at a very low dose, and levels retested every 6-8 weeks and the dose adjusted according to the test result. With that in mind, it can take several months to get to a decent level.

Getting your thyroid into a better place will certainly help with your efforts to trim up, but it isn't usually a miraclce cure. Many folks find it lessens or halts weight loss, rather than results in dramatic loss.

Just to finally add, depending on what your result actually was, your Doc may want to repeat the test in a few weeks or months, because thyroid hormones are variable. It is also important to have antibodies tested to ascertain if your thyroid challenges are auto-immune in nature.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Fuzzykayuk]

Thanks for your reply.

Apparently I’m showing thyroid antibodies and they want more tests. TSH are varying between 7-9 and they don’t usually start prescribing meds until over 10. I can’t lose weight anyway. Not feasible at the moment. They want to retest and look into further tests. Against every expectation and advise,
Forum, post etc… my diabetes consultant has said I’m possibly heading towards type one (I’m apparently a type 2 with minimal c-peptide but I’m still producing hence the t2 diagnosis) …. But doing further tests to confirm if it’s heading that way