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Recent type1 diagnosis

Echerontius

Member
Messages
6
Hello, last Friday I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Unlike majority of people getting this news it almost came as a blessed relief. 10 weeks prior to that I was told I was type 2 and put on strict carb restricted diet. I went strict from day 1, lost a stone in 8 weeks but blood glucose levels did not improve at all . Stubbornly I ignored advice to stop finger pricking and pricked my fingers to death to see if any improvement. Along the way was given metformin and statins. Metformin dosage was increased to max over this 10 week period. Still no real improvement. After speaking with GP 2 weeks ago, they eventually decided to refer me to local diabetic clinic. When I met the consultant last Friday, within a minute of seeing I am very fit for my age, healthy BMI (22), he said 'Bad news...you're type1 and need insulin immediately. Good news, you will now get right treatment, come off awful low carb diet, put some weight back on, get better and enjoy life again.' He was not wrong. In the past 7 days my readings are out of mid to high teens, sometimes 20's, and in the target green zones between 5-9. Still have occasional blip as learning dosages v carbs and times of day etc, but it was a blessed relief to get correct diagnosis so could get correct treatment. Now off metformin and statins and making friends with new life partner 'Insulin'. Still early days and need to speak to dietician re: fuelling and dosages for exercise so can get back to hiit and karate, but the last week has been salvational after 10 gruelling weeks with type2 treatment. If I had been told 10 weeks ago I was type1 it would have been big shock. Instead type2 was initial shock and the 10 physically and mentally gruelling weeks, made the type1 diagnosis seem a godsend as I could finally get correct treatment. And how lucky and grateful I am that the medication and amazing specialist support is around for us all.
 
Good to be diagnosed as T1 without the relevant tests. I would suggest you still need to keep some control of the carbs as you may start to gain weight and then insulin resistance creeps in. See how you go. My BMI is 22 but I still need to keep on a low carb diet otherwise my BS rockets up regardless of insulin Bolus dose.; you may be fine. BTW statins have nothing to do with diabetes. If your cholesterol lipids 'panel' readings are good then you don't need them but may be you do anyway? Check your next blood tests and look at your various ratios.
 
So glad you got the right diagnosis eventually and we all know how awful having high blood sugars feel.
Insulin (your miracle partner has you say!) dosage is an art more than it is a science. I hope you have access to freestyle libre sensors to save your fingers? These are now supposed to be available to all type 1s but not all health authorities have got that memo yet!
I do low carb as a type 1 because it makes the dosing question easier but by low carb. So the errors are likely to be smaller and give me less hypos and spikes.
I just limit myself to 30g per meal and no snacks then eat more protein, fat and above the ground carbs to compensate. This is just to say don't let your experience of a diet that sounds on the extreme end and didn't cure your type 1, put you off the concept.
All that is further down the line as you adapt to getting some energy back and as you say, adjusting to the new diagnosis which if handled well won't limit your life in any way.
 
My understanding is that NICE recommendations are that statins are offered to everyone with diabetes over the age of 40 regardless of weight, blood sugars, etc as we are more susceptible to heart disease.
Regarding carbs and weight gain, I believe someone is no more susceptible to weight gain than someone without diabetes. Sure weight gain can lead to insulin resistance but, with a BMI of 22, @Echerontius (and I) is typically unlikely to experience it with a "normal" healthy diet with his exercise regime.
 
Hi. I agree that NICE recommends statins for all diabetics but I suspect the data and science behind the advice is weak for those who have good BS control. If your lipids are good why would you ignore real data than generalised NICE advice? But, each person has to make their own decision. Ref diet we are all different but I go to the gym 3x each week and a 'normal' diet would result in weight gain for me. Hopefully the poster has a good metabolism to avoid any weight gain.
 
Reminds me somewhat of my diabetes story which started in 1973 .No types were referred to but was put on a low carb diet and no meds .This went on for a year and after losing 3 stone in weight was put on insulin, spending 1 week in hospital to stabilise. Was given a glass syringe and told to practice injecting an Orange . No education was given , nothing mentioned about hypos . Insulin was 10 units / ml so large volumes were injected . Now I have a Medtronic 780G closed loop system and it’s brilliant. The old dark ages are long gone thankfull
 
I was diagnosed T1 in my 40s after a fortnight where they kept telling me I must be T2 due to my age. I was skeletal by the time I visited the GP with high ketones so bit ridiculous in hindsight

Anyway they also tried to get me to take statins but I pointed out that with a hba1c of 147 they really weren't "normal" blood results so how about we stabilise the diabetes then reassess. 5 years down the line and my cholesterol has been normal for most of those years.
 
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