insulin shots, or only low-carb diet?

[Oksana-sk]

Hello, There! I’m new here.

I wonder if I have LADA and do I need insulin shots, or can control it with low-carb diet?



I’m 35, last year during my pregnancy I was diagnosed with GD (controlled it with a low-carb diet). Two months after having a baby I did glucose tolerance test, it was still the same numbers as during pregnancy. My doc said that I’m predeabetic, and should control my diet.

Recently (8 months after giving a birth) I decided to go and check my sugars again. All results, including morning glucose and Hbh1C, were normal except for the c-peptide test. It turned out to be quite low 0.74, the doctor suspected LADA. I'm going to take the antibody tests next week.



I wonder, how long can I go without insulin shots, with this low c-peptide? (of course keep having low-carb diet and sports)



And one more, but silly question .. How long do I have with this disease? (10-15 years?)

My baby just 10 months old, just imagine how I feel.



Thanks for the replies.

 

[In Response]

LADA is ill-defined variant of Type 1 diabetes diagnosed as an adult.
Type 1 is an autoimmune condition - our bodies decide it does not like the insulin producing cells so kills them off. Typically, this happens slower for adults than children which partially explains why it is sometimes misdiagnosed as type 2.
We are all different and it is unknown how long it takes to kill off all your insulin producing cells. However, evidence suggests that introducing insulin at an early stage can protect the few insulin producing cells that you have - there is no reason to delay the injections by restricting your diet. It will just make your life more challenging.
With regards to how long do you have with this disease - there is currently no cure. However, the treatment now has come on leaps and bounds. If you manage your BG through insulin, the impact on your lifespan will be minimal. It is difficult to know how much your life may be shorted as the current calculations are base don historic data including people who had no access to technology such as CGMs and insulin pumps, had access to only one type of mixed insulin and tested their BG in their urine twice a day. Despite this, there are people receiving their medals for 70 years with Type 1 diabetes.
So, if you look after yourself, you should have a full life with your baby and not have any concerns that type 1 diabetes will shorten your time with them.

 

[Oksana-sk]

LADA is ill-defined variant of Type 1 diabetes diagnosed as an adult.
Type 1 is an autoimmune condition - our bodies decide it does not like the insulin producing cells so kills them off. Typically, this happens slower for adults than children which partially explains why it is sometimes misdiagnosed as type 2.
We are all different and it is unknown how long it takes to kill off all your insulin producing cells. However, evidence suggests that introducing insulin at an early stage can protect the few insulin producing cells that you have - there is no reason to delay the injections by restricting your diet. It will just make your life more challenging.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[KennyA]

Hello, There! I’m new here.

I wonder if I have LADA and do I need insulin shots, or can control it with low-carb diet?



I’m 35, last year during my pregnancy I was diagnosed with GD (controlled it with a low-carb diet). Two months after having a baby I did glucose tolerance test, it was still the same numbers as during pregnancy. My doc said that I’m predeabetic, and should control my diet.

Recently (8 months after giving a birth) I decided to go and check my sugars again. All results, including morning glucose and Hbh1C, were normal except for the c-peptide test. It turned out to be quite low 0.74, the doctor suspected LADA. I'm going to take the antibody tests next week.



I wonder, how long can I go without insulin shots, with this low c-peptide? (of course keep having low-carb diet and sports)



And one more, but silly question .. How long do I have with this disease? (10-15 years?)

My baby just 10 months old, just imagine how I feel.



Thanks for the replies.

Hi and welcome

We can't and won't diagnose on thee forums so some of your questions will need to be resolved with your medical team.

I'm T2 myself so not best placed to respond to your questions based on my own experiences. I'm tagging a couple of T1s who might help @Antje77 @InResponse @EllieM @Nicola M

There are a large number of people on the forum with +50 years experience of T1, so you might be able to relax a lttle on that front. My great grandmother was T1 just before porcine insulin was introduced - she lived into her 70s.

 

[Oksana-sk]

Hi and welcome

We can't and won't diagnose on thee forums so some of your questions will need to be resolved with your medical team.

I'm T2 myself so not best placed to respond to your questions based on my own experiences. I'm tagging a couple of T1s who might help @Antje77 @InResponse @EllieM @Nicola M

There are a large number of people on the forum with +50 years experience of T1, so you might be able to relax a lttle on that front. My great grandmother was T1 just before porcine insulin was introduced - she lived into her 70s.

Thank you so much for your reply! I don’t have any people around me with diabetes. All my family members are pretty healthy and live long life. So I’m the first who lost the genetic lottery.

 

[In Response]

All my family members are pretty healthy and live long life. So I’m the first who lost the genetic lottery.

Like you, no one else in my family has diabetes. However, I have had Type 1 for over 20 years and consider myself healthy with no complications from the condition (I don't like to call it a "disease").
It was a shock when I was first diagnosed but it is now just part of who I am and does not stop me doing what I want to do. I just have to be a little bit more organised. There is no reason to consider it a death sentence.

 

[Oksana-sk]

Like you, no one else in my family has diabetes. However, I have had Type 1 for over 20 years and consider myself healthy with no complications from the condition (I don't like to call it a "disease").
It was a shock when I was first diagnosed but it is now just part of who I am and does not stop me doing what I want to do. I just have to be a little bit more organised. There is no reason to consider it a death sentence.

Thank you again. I feel better now. When I googled it the first time, the first thing I saw that the average life expectancy for a person with diabetes is shorter 12-15 years, than someone without diabetes. So, I was very upset, imagining that I won’t be able to see my grandkids.

 

[Rokaab]

Thank you again. I feel better now. When I googled it the first time, the first thing I saw that the average life expectancy for a person with diabetes is shorter 12-15 years, than someone without diabetes. So, I was very upset, imagining that I won’t be able to see my grandkids.

If it helps, I was diagnosed with Type1 in 1977 and I'm still happily here - initially apparently my parents were told I wasnt expected to make it past 30, but and this is a big but, tech and medicine is now a lot lot lot better than it was back then (or earlier), cos now yes I'm somewhat older than 30

 

[Oksana-sk]

If it helps, I was diagnosed with Type1 in 1977 and I'm still happily here - initially apparently my parents were told I wasnt expected to make it past 30, but and this is a big but, tech and medicine is now a lot lot lot better than it was back then (or earlier), cos now yes I'm somewhat older than 30

That’s very encouraging! Thank you for telling me this. I feel much better, luckily I found this forum. I was literally crying yesterday all day long.

 

[KennyA]

Thank you again. I feel better now. When I googled it the first time, the first thing I saw that the average life expectancy for a person with diabetes is shorter 12-15 years, than someone without diabetes. So, I was very upset, imagining that I won’t be able to see my grandkids.

One of the problems with googling. There's an issue that "diabetes" is often used indiscriminately in the media and online as a way of not saying, or a shorthand for, "morbidly obese, very high blood glucose, multiple other conditions and diseases, takes no care of themselves".

This slanted description simply doesn't fit everyone with diabetes, overlooks the huge differences between the T1 and T2 conditions, is grossly inaccurate - but everyone still gets lumped in together as "diabetic". It's one of my pet hates.

 

[Nicola M]

I was diagnosed a week after my first birthday with Type 1 Diabetes. Whilst my younger years were a struggle (mostly mentally) I am now to a point where life is a lot better. When I was first diagnosed I was on insulin injections and testing my blood sugar 4x per day with a blood sugar meter whereas now with all the technological advancements I am using a Continuous glucose monitor and an Insulin pump combined to be a hybrid closed loop system. I think with all of the advancements in technology, better understanding of the condition and how best to manage it people are living longer than was previously predicted.

 

[Oksana-sk]

One of the problems with googling. There's an issue that "diabetes" is often used indiscriminately in the media and online as a way of not saying, or a shorthand for, "morbidly obese, very high blood glucose, multiple other conditions and diseases, takes no care of themselves".

This slanted description simply doesn't fit everyone with diabetes, overlooks the huge differences between the T1 and T2 conditions, is grossly inaccurate - but everyone still gets lumped in together as "diabetic". It's one of my pet hates.

That’s true. Every situation is unique. I’m happy to find this forum, you and other guys supported me yesterday, so now I feel way better. (feeling not like I’m dying anymore )

 

[Oksana-sk]

I was diagnosed a week after my first birthday with Type 1 Diabetes. Whilst my younger years were a struggle (mostly mentally) I am now to a point where life is a lot better. When I was first diagnosed I was on insulin injections and testing my blood sugar 4x per day with a blood sugar meter whereas now with all the technological advancements I am using a Continuous glucose monitor and an Insulin pump combined to be a hybrid closed loop system. I think with all of the advancements in technology, better understanding of the condition and how best to manage it people are living longer than was previously predicted.

Thank you for telling me your story. I had brain stroke when I was 26 (3 surgeries after). Now, 9 years later I found out to have diabetes. Obviously, if I had been born 100 years ago, I would no longer be alive Thanks to medicine and modern technology, people began to live longer, but natural selection stopped working, as it was conceived by nature. All future generations are accumulating more and more genetic bugs. Are there any perfectly healthy people? As they joke in my country, there are no absolutely healthy people, there are underexamined ones.

 

[becca59]

Ironically I think an advantage with this disease, for those who take it seriously, is you can be a lot healthier than the general population. We think about food, exercise and medication daily and getting the balance right. I’m 10 years in at the age of 65 and think I’m in a far better place physically than I would have been.

 

[Oksana-sk]

Ironically I think an advantage with this disease, for those who take it seriously, is you can be a lot healthier than the general population. We think about food, exercise and medication daily and getting the balance right. I’m 10 years in at the age of 65 and think I’m in a far better place physically than I would have been.

That’s what I was thinking about yesterday. Thank you!

 

[ert]

If your waking result and HbA1c are normal then your diet and exercise regime is working without extra medication at present until they are sure of your diagnosis. My GP does not deal with type 1/LADA diabetes and I am under the care of a specialist team at the hospital. You may already be under the care of a specialist with GD.

Do you know what the units of your c-peptide test are? If they are nmol/mmol then 0.74 is on the high side rather than a low result. Have a look at this link from the University of Exeter which was responsible for rolling out the c-peptide test nationally.
https://www.exeterlaboratory.com/test/c-peptide-plasma/ https://news-archive.exeter.ac.uk/featurednews/title_707155_en.html This is something to ask your specialist/GP.

On diagnosis I tried diet, low carb, one meal a day and running and eventually could not get my blood sugars below 15 mmol/l so agreed to take insulin. My c-peptide was 0.18 nmol/mmol on diagnosis. My waking blood sugars were always above 15 mmol/l which supported I was not producing insulin but initially my blood sugars would come down during the day with exercise but that did not last long.

Gestational diabetes is linked to type 2 rather than type 1: https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1361 That doesn't mean you can not also have an autoimmune response separate to this as rare events do still occur which antibodies would support.

I hope they get your diagnosis right and you get the best support. Having type 1 no longer lowers your life expectancy if you have good control of your blood sugars. With technology managing blood sugar become a lot easier and you can have a good blood sugar control supported by your HbA1c.

 

[Oksana-sk]

If your waking result and HbA1c are normal then your diet and exercise regime is working without extra medication at present until they are sure of your diagnosis. My GP does not deal with type 1/LADA diabetes and I am under the care of a specialist team at the hospital. You may already be under the care of a specialist with GD.

Do you know what the units of your c-peptide test are? If they are nmol/mmol then 0.74 is on the high side rather than a low result. Have a look at this link from the University of Exeter which was responsible for rolling out the c-peptide test nationally.
https://www.exeterlaboratory.com/test/c-peptide-plasma/ https://news-archive.exeter.ac.uk/featurednews/title_707155_en.html This is something to ask your specialist/GP.

On diagnosis I tried diet, low carb, one meal a day and running and eventually could not get my blood sugars below 15 mmol/l so agreed to take insulin. My c-peptide was 0.18 nmol/mmol on diagnosis. My waking blood sugars were always above 15 mmol/l which supported I was not producing insulin but initially my blood sugars would come down during the day with exercise but that did not last long.

Gestational diabetes is linked to type 2 rather than type 1: https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1361 That doesn't mean you can not also have an autoimmune response separate to this as rare events do still occur which antibodies would support.

I hope they get your diagnosis right and you get the best support. Having type 1 no longer lowers your life expectancy if you have good control of your blood sugars. With technology managing blood sugar become a lot easier and you can have a good blood sugar control supported by your HbA1c.

Hi! Thank you for your long reply, and for the links. I’ll check them out.
My blood test results are:
c-peptide 0.74 ng/ml (unfortunately)
waking blood sugar 4.24 nmol/L
HbA1c 5.14%

I’m going to test antibodies, then visit again my endocrinologist.

 

[ert]

Hi! Thank you for your long reply, and for the links. I’ll check them out.
My blood test results are:
c-peptide 0.74 ng/ml (unfortunately)
waking blood sugar 4.24 nmol/L
HbA1c 5.14%

I’m going to test antibodies, then visit again my endocrinologist.

Was it a fasting (or eating low carb) c-peptide test as anything above 0.3 ng/ml is normal? (A normal result is between 0.3 to 3.3 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL)) It is something to ask a diabetes specialist. Does your endocrinologist specialise in diabetes? I had to drink a glucose drink for mine.

 

[In Response]

@Oksana-sk today, I read this about the recent research into Type 1 life expectancy and thought of you.
It is the first research I have seen that backs up the logic we have been saying about the impact of the improved treatment for Type 1.

 

[Oksana-sk]

@Oksana-sk today, I read this about the recent research into Type 1 life expectancy and thought of you.
It is the first research I have seen that backs up the logic we have been saying about the impact of the improved treatment for Type 1.

Thank you. Well yes, I still have a chance