I maybe a 'type 1.5'

Hi there! I fall into that category too and in terms of treatment it depends on how far the condition is advanced,some in the early days may be able to control their Bg's on diet and oral meds and not need insulin for quite a while and others like myself,found that Insulin was the only way forward but to be honest,going on insulin wasn't no-where near as scary as I thought it would be-the insulin pens are very easy to use and the micro fine needles are almost painless.

Paul

Hi there,

More and more of us fall into this category - me included. It will be a year in December since I was diagnosed and no change in my condition, still not on insulin and still just on Metformin and low GI diet..... Sometimes I think insulin would be a welcome change..better than being stuck in limbo never knowing when complete beta cell destruction is going to hit....


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

Hi. There are many T1.5s so you would not be alone. The HBa1C test will determine your average blood sugar over the last 3 months and the NICE Diabetes Pathway document (Google it) guides GPs on what medication to give at specific levels. I was diagnosed as 'T2' but have always had the behaviour of T1.5 and am now on insulin. You may be given additional meds such as Gliclazide for a while but if T1.5 then you will end up on insulin eventually but do not worry. Having been on just tablets for many years I can assure you that the flexibility of insulin is far better than the limitations of tablets. I have a 4mm needle with a pen and it hurts less than the prick to do blood sugar tests with the meter. As you may be aware do review your diet if a bit overweight or if you have high'ish blood sugar. Keeping the carbs in control is fairly important.

The reply from Daibell is almost word for word what I would have put so it saves me going through all that. I have had diabetes since 1995, diagnosed as Type 2 after just a couple of days of feeling extremely thirsty and with sugar levels of 22. They wanted to put me onto insulin straight away but I wanted to try tablets first and was on them for about 8 years before going onto insulin. A few years ago I found an article on Type 1.5 and I fitted the description. They're always banging on about people who are overweight, don't exercise etc. getting Type 2 but I'm not overweight and never have been.By the way, my father had "Type 2" although he wasn't overweight and my twin sister has it and neither is she. The description of Type 1.5 "may include being healthy looking, slim and physically fit". I mentioned to a diabetes doctor about Type 1.5 but it was brushed off (how DARE I question their diagnosis!!) I was put onto once a day Lantus and that was OK for a while but was put onto Novomix, (a mixture of slow and fast acting) then settled onto Novorapid as well as Lantus, so four injections a day. I have to say that I have much better control since going onto the insulin, my needles are also 4mm and almost as fine as a hair and I agree they aren't as bad as the finger pricking!

As for the blurred vision, mine was bad on diagnosis, I had needed glasses for distance but started to notice that I couldn't see clearly at closer things either. After my blood sugar settled down my eyesight went the other way and I needed glasses for reading but could see clearly for miles. Newly diagnosed diabetics are advised not to rush out and buy glasses etc. until their levels are more stable. I've had diabetes for 18 years and it's only in the last two or three that any diabetic changes have been noticed. Regarding the floaters, lots of people have them, with or without diabetes, so it may not be anything to worry about.

Diabetes isn't a very nice thing to have but it can be controlled and there is the advantage, if you can call it that, that you get lots of checkups and tests and free prescriptions etc. so as long as people accept that they have diabetes and don't just ignore it, there's no reason why they should have too many complications.