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Possible causes and triggers of T1?

N

NadineV

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi All,
my son (15) was diagnosed with T1 just a few days ago and while he is still in hospital I am fighting here with myself - to accept his diagnose.
I am still asking myself what we could do differently? What recently changed in our life/environment?
What could triggered this? I have another son (younger) and of course I am worried about him as well. Recent changes in our life/environment:
- we recently got a dog
- moved a house (3 years ago) but completed a lot of interior changes just recently/new materials/etc.
- got the mice and addressed this - just a few months ago/living in the middle of nowhere - so no surprise/fields and stock around.
- my thoughts would be re: possible link between enteroviruses; parasites?
Any thoughts? Thank you for sharing your experience!
 
nothing is known what causes type 1 Diabetes, if it was known it could be preventable and I am sorry to hear about your son. Please do not blame anyone for this happening to him as it can happen to anyone
 
Gaz-M said:
nothing is known what causes type 1 Diabetes, if it was known it could be preventable and I am sorry to hear about your son. Please do not blame anyone for this happening to him as it can happen to anyone
Click to expand...

Thanks @Gaz-M , I know...it is probably the way how I am dealing with it... btw. we were told in the hospital that virus could triggered this? I know there is no evidence. ..but it is sooo difficult to accept that there is no cure, no possibility to reverse it... yet.
 

Although people have their own theories, the generally accepted wisdom is that a virus of some description will cause the immune system to run amok. Don't think there's any cast iron proof yet though.

You might be interested in this information page....
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/causes-of-type1-diabetes.html
 
there is nothing you or your son has done to cause this. its a little like asthma its his body over reacting. its very early for you and your son. but the good news is if he looks after himself he will live just as well. and his diet will be better than most of his mates.
  • Steve Redgrave is a diabetic so your son if he wants can do sport
    • Tom Hanks so could be an oscar winning actor
    • or he could even be the future pm.
simply put nowts out.
dont try to learn everything at once you simply cant. and ignore the horror stories about health problems. if he manages well he will miss them.
come here and ask as many questions as you want. and dont over protect him. he wont break and it wont stop him washing the pots
 
Hi @NadineV
a warm welcome but so sorry you have had to join us
your whole family emotions will be all over the place..

my mother tells me that prior to my diagnosis in august 1972 -- I had suffered with a severe flu like virus in may 1972( I don't really remember having it )

you must keep us as close friends and use the knowledge and support that makes up this forum
I know I am here to help you and your son in any way I can.

do keep posting
all the best !
 
No one is sure, but something seems to trigger our bodies to attack themselves, I was fit and healthy ( still am really ) before my diagnosis, it happened when my Ex left the home and I had two children to look after. The shock hit me so much, I was devastated at the time and my body reacted. My little granddaughter was diagnosed at 2 1/2 years ( she is 9 now) why? maybe in the distant future people will have a better understanding.
Take care and your boy will get through this, it's a scary, anxious and a difficult time for all the family, but kids are tough cookies and nothing should stop him from having a full, active, happy life
Take care x
 
 
It's kinda strange that after hundreds of millions of years of evolution, the human body still has the ability to randomly attack itself to the extent of irreparable damage. I guess we're lucky we live in a time where medicine can compensate for it (and maybe, in the not too distant future, cure it).
 
@himtoo @urbanracer @paulus1
@Robinredbreast
@Bertyboy

Thank you All sooo much for your support. My son is going to be discharged tomorrow and I feel that I am not ready for that yet, and not sure if I would be at all at any time - ready for something like this? There was a good education provided by the hospital but you do not feel supported as I feel hear, Thank you. It is good to know we are all not alone. We are here for each other. Thanks!
btw. I am always surprised why research is so slow. There are articles that were posted 10 years ago and nothing changed since... wondering how many companies would loose their business if there is a cure...ehm.
but still thinking it might be something small and simple what could triggered this, just to know what? I know that answer would not probably change anything anyway, or at least - not immediately.
 
Btw. One thing that crossed my mind re:triggers is a cow milk. My son was drinking too much milk prior his diagnoses. However I am not sure if he was drinking too much milk as he was extremely thirsty - as a symptom of T1 or if it was cause of T1. He drank a lot of milk in past 2 months. I got 3 x 3l bottles and they were gone in 2 days. Do you all drink cow milk? Btw. We were off cows milk for approx. 2 years - (4 yrs ago...) Would be interesting to know if there are any people who developed T1 while not drinking cow milk at all?
 

There's an interesting news item just out about reversing T1 in mice - so keep those fingers crossed.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...cells-reverse-type-1-diabetes-in-mice.129718/
 
I was drinking lots of milk just before I was diagnosed. But, as you say, that's probably just because it's appealing as a thirst quencher when you have a dry mouth. It isn't something that would trigger a strong antibody reaction though.
 
@Bertyboy
Thanks Bertyboy, I just mentioned that because of this article:

Cows’ milk
A further theory is that cow’s milk could be a factor linked with development of type 1 diabetes.
Research studies have shown earlier introduction of cow’s milk to be associated with a higher risk of type 1 diabetes.
Researchers have hypothethised that bovine insulin within cow’s milk could be a risk raising factor.
A Finnish study published in 2012, showed that using insulin free cow’s milk resulted in a reduced number of autoantibodies in children at 3 years, corresponding to a lower risk of type 1 diabetes.

Source: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/causes-of-type1-diabetes.html
would be interesting to know how many vegans got T1.
 
All of my family, 3 brother's and 1 sister, plus my parents, always drank cow's milk, we and many generations before us did the same and I am the only one with type 1. Hopefully, one day a positive ( scientific) understanding of why an auto immune condition, like type 1 develops and attack our bodies.
 

So pleased to hear your son will be discharged tomorrowJust remember to take one day at a time, take deep breaths, count to ten and learn as much as you can and ask questions, as there is a parents section on the forum and also a teen section for your son, you may feel alone, but honestly you're not. The forum has lots of supportive and helpful members.
Take care and wishing you and your boy all the best X
 

No one knows what triggers the autoimmune attack of type 1. You need the "prone" genetics to be vulnerable to type 1, but having the genetics is no guarantee the autoimmune attack will happen. In identical twins (so they have exactly the same genetics) 1 twin can have type 1 and there is only a 50% risk the other twin will get it. Now, unless they are living in some sort of movie where dad has twin 1 and mum has twin 2, I'm assuming identical twins are exposed to pretty much the same putative environmental triggers: both will be breast fed, or neither, both will be exposed to the same viruses etc at school.

If your are worried about your other sons risk, have a look at trialnet, who will test siblings aged 4-40 of those with type 1 to check if they have any antibodies associated with type 1.
 
My parents think my trigger was going into hospital to have my adenoids out, rather than a virus. Cows' milk wouldn't've been a factor in my case - we kept goats so didn't buy cows' milk.

It's all a mystery - I'm confident though that one day they'll find the magic answer and therefore a means to prevent type 1 altogether!
 
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