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Type 2 Pancreatic Parasites

F

Flora123

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,078
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I’ve been a bit quiet on here trying to get my head around the fact my diabetes is out of control and I need insulin now. My endo is very confused by me but has no answers.

Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of reading and parasites keeps cropping up as a possible cause of unexplained diabetes. Eurytrema pancreaticum is a fluke that settles in the pancreas. Has anyone heard this or experienced this? The drug to kill them isn’t licenced in the UK - praziquantel.
 
This disease seems to be rare in humans, and rare in the UK. You have evidently done more reading on this than I have, so I don't say you are wrong, but I personally would not be surprised if there is a more straightforward reason for your issues. I suppose you could start by listing the usual factors and eliminating them: check your age, weight, diabetes type, family history and diet. If none of those make sense, see if a scan or endoscopy for flukes is available. I'm personally skeptical about it being flukes, but if you've exhausted the other avenues, who knows?

If you could give us more details of your diet and readings, or the other factors above, it might help someone with similar experiences give you more specific advice.
 
@Flora123 have you been tested fro Type 1 diabetes?
If you are unable to control your blood sugars despite other drugs, diet, etc. you may have been misdiagnosed which is far more common than pancreatic parasites.
 

Thanks. Yes all checked and I’ve discussed it previously here. Just wondered if any of our international members have heard anything. I worked in Asia for a few years prior to diagnosis so that was the link that sparked my interest. I have several friends who picked up liver flukes in their time in Asia.
 
In Response said:
@Flora123 have you been tested fro Type 1 diabetes?
If you are unable to control your blood sugars despite other drugs, diet, etc. you may have been misdiagnosed which is far more common than pancreatic parasites.
Click to expand...

Yes. My insulin is very low end of normal when last tested. Endo thinks mody possible but a type not yet identified.
 
How was your diabetes previously being controlled and for how long before you began underproducing? Fatty pancreas is not impossible. Less likely if you’ve been low-carb or keto for a number of years prior to decline.
 
Yes, well now basic liver flukes are quite common in Asia (I'm in Asia, for what it's worth), so I see your concern. I think you would show other symptoms after a couple of years, but I guess it's worth getting tested for flukes if possible: blood tests, fecal tests- that sort of thing to check for eggs etc. Good luck with it- I had mysterious biliary pains for a year that couldn't be diagnosed, so I definitely sympathize: I just had to go down the list of possibilities until the doctor worked it out!
 
Daibell said:
Hi. Don't forget that viruses can also damage the pancreas which many medics don't realise.
Click to expand...
I thought it is common knowledge that a virus may cause or initiate Type 1 diabetes.
It is not fully understood but I definitely had a viral infection before my Type 1 diabetes and know others who did too.
My GP and DSN and endo were aware of this connection.
 
It's good to hear your endos understood. I had a viral infection shortly before my diagnosis and believe that was the cause of my dead beta cells. I don't believe it is common knowledge BTW. Normally T1 is said to be an auto-immune disease which may be the main cause in childhood.
 
Maybe it is because I mentioned that there is no history of any form of diabetes in my family that my team thought to bring up the viral infection theory.
 
Jim Lahey said:
How was your diabetes previously being controlled and for how long before you began underproducing? Fatty pancreas is not impossible. Less likely if you’ve been low-carb or keto for a number of years prior to decline.
Click to expand...

I was previously controlled by keto for more than 2 years. It just suddenly got worse. No fatty pancreas or liver according to a scan.
 
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