Newly Diagnosed T2D, reclassified as LADA

[traveller10203]

Hi All

Bit of a rollercoaster few months. I had been diagnosed in October 2024 as a T2D (despite being fairly healthy, active and 27 years old) and as such the doctor requested an Antibody test which has shown a 28.4 u/ml level of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase and me being reclassified as having LADA

I've met with the consultant who diagnosed LADA and has asked if I could start on a low level long-acting of insulin (6) once a day. Prior to the LADA diagnosis I'd managed to get my HbA1c down from 80, to 62 then 49 over the period of a few weeks as of November through diet and two metformin a day - but he seems to keen to get me going on the insulin.

An interesting comment was made that if I wasn't in such a pragmatic head space, he would look to delay insulin treatment.

I will of course follow doctor's orders, but wanted a bit of advice on whether it was generally better to start insulin in the hope the pancreas may last a bit longer in the 'honeymoon phase' and whether dial 6 once a day of Insulin was on the lower end? Guess I'm a bit worried I could be closing the door off insulin-free treatment and then speeding the need for more dependency on it!

Interested in any views/similar experiences! Huge thanks and Merry Christmas!

 

[lovinglife]

Hi @traveller10203 I’ve no experience of LADA but I’ll tag one of our member @Antje77 who I think was originally given aT2 diagnosis before being re diagnosed as LADA

 

[lovinglife]

It also may help others share their experiences if you update your profile info to say LADA rather than T2, just click on your name in the top right hand corner, then click on account details and scroll down and you’ll see the drop down boxes where you can change type, meds etc

 

[Antje77]

Hi @traveller10203 I’ve no experience of LADA but I’ll tag one of our member @Antje77 who I think was originally given aT2 diagnosis before being re diagnosed as LADA

Thanks for the tag.
Yes, I was diagnosed as T2 for two years before rediagnosis, but otherwise, completely different story.

After a month on tablets and lowering carbs, it was very clear that this wasn't going to do the trick so I started long acting insulin. Which worked well, unless I ate something even with little carbs, so after a month of basal insulin I begged for a bolus insulin to be added.
For me, this was perfect, giving me the tools I needed to manage my diabetes.

Rediagnosis two years later was a formality, it didn't change my treatment.

I will of course follow doctor's orders, but wanted a bit of advice on whether it was generally better to start insulin in the hope the pancreas may last a bit longer in the 'honeymoon phase' and whether dial 6 once a day of Insulin was on the lower end? Guess I'm a bit worried I could be closing the door off insulin-free treatment and then speeding the need for more dependency on it!

Possibly, insulin gives your pancreas a bit of a rest and have it work a bit better for a while.
Or maybe not, no hard and fast rules.

Do you use a meter or a continuous glucose monitor to see what happens with your blood glucose throughout the day?
Have you thought about why you'd prefer delaying starting insulin?
For me, starting insulin was something very positive, it gave me back the feeling of control that I'd lost seeing all those high numbers on my meter and nothing I could do about it. And it made me feel so much better physically as well.

T1 is not about diet (although dietary changes can be helpful), so you'll need to forget almost everything you've read about T2 so far.

So I have no answers to your questions, except be careful not to try postponing insulin for so long that you get stuck in an ever more restrictive diet. Not starting now may be fine, but ultimately the goal is to have decent numbers and an enjoyable life, including food.

Good luck, and merry christmas to you too!

 

[searley]

My view is so long as you don’t have HGV/PCV driving licenses then the sooner you start insulin the better

For many LADA including myself taking insulin seem to preserve some of my own production ability and certainly made early control easier as you own production can act as a buffer for any minor dose errors