• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Misinformation, so confused re T2-T1

Zoe-75

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I could write an essay as I’m that confused after a hospital Diabetic clinic appointment yesterday but I’ll just ask the questions that are really bothering me -

Can type 2 ‘progress’ into type 1?

Is it true that even though you have positive antibodies (blood test to see which type you are) that you can still be ‘type 2 at the moment’ ?!

Does having the c-peptide test only give you a risk level for becoming type 1, not actually confirm if you are or not?

Any advice gratefully received, I don’t see the point of having these blood tests to confirm which type of the Drs still disagree with the results!

Many thanks! Xx
 
I could write an essay as I’m that confused after a hospital Diabetic clinic appointment yesterday but I’ll just ask the questions that are really bothering me -

Can type 2 ‘progress’ into type 1?

Is it true that even though you have positive antibodies (blood test to see which type you are) that you can still be ‘type 2 at the moment’ ?!

Does having the c-peptide test only give you a risk level for becoming type 1, not actually confirm if you are or not?

Any advice gratefully received, I don’t see the point of having these blood tests to confirm which type of the Drs still disagree with the results!

Many thanks! Xx
Oh dear.
No. Type 2s can get to a state where they require insulin, but not for the same reasons as a type 1. There are some unfortunate souls who have both type 1 and 2 at the same time.
If you are positive for antibodies then you are not an ordinary type 2 but some other sort. You might be able to cope for a while treated as type 2, but eventually things to treat type 2 might stop working for you.
I don't know about the c-peptide test, but most type 2s are actually over producing insulin but getting ignored, and the pancreas becomes a bit hysterical.

At least if the tests are done then it should eventually become clear what is happening - perhaps over a period of years.
 
Can type 2 ‘progress’ into type 1?
No. Completely different conditions.
Usually when someone is labeled as T2 first and the diagnosis is changed later, it's just because the first diagnosis was incorrect.
It should also be possible to actually have T2 first and later develop T1 as well, having T2 doesn't protect you from developing autoimmune conditions.
(Also, a T1 can develop insulin resistance like T2's have, which could be called a form of double diabetes but this wasn't your question.)
Is it true that even though you have positive antibodies (blood test to see which type you are) that you can still be ‘type 2 at the moment’ ?!
No.
It can be you still do well on T2 treatment for a while though, it can take a long time before so many beta cells are gone that you absolutely need insulin. Or it can be very quick.
Does having the c-peptide test only give you a risk level for becoming type 1, not actually confirm if you are or not?
The C-peptide test is not a straightforward one to interpret.
The 2 easy possibilities are very low or very high. Very low means you hardly produce any insulin anymore, very strong pointer to T1. Very high means you're overproducing insulin, which is common in T2's and prediabetics.

Anything between a bit under low normal to a bit over high normal can be either T2 or early T1 (LADA), and it needs to take into account current blood glucose and some types of medication as well.
Any advice gratefully received, I don’t see the point of having these blood tests to confirm which type of the Drs still disagree with the results!
Did you already have those tests, and was it an endocrinologist talking you through those tests/results, or another type of doctor?
 
No. Completely different conditions.
Usually when someone is labeled as T2 first and the diagnosis is changed later, it's just because the first diagnosis was incorrect.
It should also be possible to actually have T2 first and later develop T1 as well, having T2 doesn't protect you from developing autoimmune conditions.
(Also, a T1 can develop insulin resistance like T2's have, which could be called a form of double diabetes but this wasn't your question.)

No.
It can be you still do well on T2 treatment for a while though, it can take a long time before so many beta cells are gone that you absolutely need insulin. Or it can be very quick.

The C-peptide test is not a straightforward one to interpret.
The 2 easy possibilities are very low or very high. Very low means you hardly produce any insulin anymore, very strong pointer to T1. Very high means you're overproducing insulin, which is common in T2's and prediabetics.

Anything between a bit under low normal to a bit over high normal can be either T2 or early T1 (LADA), and it needs to take into account current blood glucose and some types of medication as well.

Did you already have those tests, and was it an endocrinologist talking you through those tests/results, or another type of doctor?
I’ve had the first one to detect zinc/GAD/IA-2 antibodies - only one that was positive was the IA-2 at 49.7. It was a Diabetes specialist and Endocrinologist at the hospital Diabetic clinic. She’s organising another blood test to check how much insulin I’m producing (I’m assuming this is c-peptide but she didn’t say - honestly she couldn’t get rid of me fast enough!)
 
I’ve had the first one to detect zinc/GAD/IA-2 antibodies - only one that was positive was the IA-2 at 49.7. It was a Diabetes specialist and Endocrinologist at the hospital Diabetic clinic. She’s organising another blood test to check how much insulin I’m producing (I’m assuming this is c-peptide but she didn’t say - honestly she couldn’t get rid of me fast enough!)
That sounds like LADA to me, regardless of the c-peptide results, but c-peptide would tell you if you still have normal pancreatic function. Your immune system is attacking the islet cells. I'll let others with more experience answer, but my understanding is that using insulin early on may slow the attack.
 
Just wanted to throw this into the convo following my own experiences recently Do you have any of the symptoms corresponding to type 3c? Because thar caused a lot of confusion for me.
 
Back
Top