Something Very Strange!

[fellview]

My best friend got married in the Dominican republic last year, two weeks after her return her husband was diagnosed with type A diabetes and is now on insulin (he is 43). The husbands family have a history of diabetes but there is none on my friends side.

Two weeks after he had been diagnosed their youngest son (7yrs) was also diagnosed with the same type! Also on insulin

Three weeks after that my friends neice was diagnosed with the same type, there is no history of diabetes on either side of her family! Also on insulin

Just a couple of weeks ago my friends daughter (15yrs) became ill ......her sugar levels are irratic but she is still producing insulin!....so now they are keeping a close watch on her too.

I scoured the net feeling that this was too much of a coincidence! Apparently diabetes is prevalant in the Dominican and area's around it such as Haiti etc.........there was also mention of mice which carry a virus type diabetes! you can imagine that this has stuck in my mind...........

All four of these affected had sickness while we were away........is it possible that they have contracted the disease through a virus?.............or that a virus could bring it on if you may be prone to contracting diabetes?

hmm I wrote type A........not sure if that should be type 1!

 

[LesleyB]

mmmmm, interesting

Two comments, when a country's health board write about prevalence of diabetes they usually do not distinguish between type 1 and type 2, it is just lumped into "diabetes" Type 2 is more common that type 1

I also do not have a family history of diabetes, none at all on either side of my family, I had an unexplainable virus approximately 9-12 months prior to the onset of symptoms of diabetes (lived with symptoms for up to 12 months prior to diagnosis.

So I agree with your virus theory, however you may need to do more research into the "types" of diabetes and ensure that T1 and T2 are not lumped into the same category as they are distinctly different diseases

 

[sofaraway]

Have they looked into MODY as a type of diabetes, I think it's pretty common for several family members to be diagnosed in short amounts of times, because families becomes aware of diabetes and pick up the early symptoms and test the non-diabetics and discover that they too have raised blood glucose.

If they have been all been confirmed as definate type 1's, then maybe there is a link to the virus.

 

[fellview]

Have they looked into MODY as a type of diabetes, I think it's pretty common for several family members to be diagnosed in short amounts of times, because families becomes aware of diabetes and pick up the early symptoms and test the non-diabetics and discover that they too have raised blood glucose.

If they have been all been confirmed as definate type 1's, then maybe there is a link to the virus.

Not sure what MODY is but I will take a look going back to the first two that were diagnosed (father and son) The father became ill two weeks after the return from the holiday.....nobody else was tested at that time but two weeks later their 7 year old son woke up during the night and drank lots of water and told his parents that he felt really ill, this did alert them and they tested him immediately.......his count was so high that they took him straight to hospital where he was diagnosed and taught how to inject himself (bless him) so far all concerned have been told they are definately type 1's

 

[sugar]

I met a girl once who had a very similar experience. her brother was diagnosed type 1 shortly after a holiday virus...can't remeber where they went though. I met her afew years back now, when she was a student working with our group during her holidays. She was going to medical school, and aimed to study this theory. i just wish I still had her details, so I could pass your story on. I have no idea alas what she found out. It is interesting though!

 

[LittleSue]

Type I is caused by the immune system attacking the cells which produce insulin, in people with certain genes. Research suggests this autoimmune attack may be triggered by a common virus, though there's more work needed on this. So there could be something in the virus link as you suggest.

With type 1 your insulin production is probably down to about 10% of normal when symptoms start. Also, when someone's body (diabetic or not) is under stress such as illness, or even a wild weekend partying, they need more insulin, maybe 50% extra. A non-diabetic pancreas produces the extra automatically, but if you're starting to develop diabetes maybe you can't, your blood sugar rises and symptoms start. So diabetes often shows up when you have another illness, because you can't produce the extra insulin required. But that doesn't mean it was caused by the other illness or party. It would've shown up a bit later anyway, when you got down to 10% insulin production.

 

[sofaraway]

thankyou littlesue for that explanation, i'd never thought about things in that way.

 

[fellview]

ok thanks for that, but there is still the one member who has no history of diabetes at all! does anybody know what research is being done at the moment with regards to virus triggered diabetes?

 

[Dennis]

Hi Fellview, There are several viruses that are known to trigger diabetes and many others that are suspected, and there is an enormous amount of research being undertaken in this area. If you Google "virus and diabetes" you will get some idea of just how much work is ongoing on this.

The fact that someone has no family history or pervious personal history of diabetes doesn't mean they won't become diabetic, with or without the help of a viral infection. Diabetes can hit anybody, at any age. When I was diagnosed with type 2 about 6 years ago I was fit, not overweight ,and am the first in my family ever to have had it.

 

[fellview]

ok thanks for that

 

[geezer]

When i was first diagnosed, the specialist did the usual blood tests, but one of the things he was looking for was "GAD Antibodies" in my system/blood. Any normal person should have a count of between 0-1, mine was in the 80`s!
Upon further investigation by me on the net, there is a theory in the medical circles that the GAD antibodies are a by product from a virus that has invaded your body. General symptoms are thought to be similar to having a bad cold or cough. This particular virus is thought to be quite "clever", in that once it has invaded, to avoid detection, it mimicks the beta cells in the pancreas. The body knows that it has a foreign body in it`s system, and attacks the beta cells, rather than the mimicking cells of the virus. This then may cause the onset of diabetes.
It`s only a theory, mind, but i guess anything may be possible.

 

[hanadr]

Whilst there is a well-known theory that diabetes can be triggered by a virus. Probably only in carriers of certain genes, It may also be that once you know what it looks like, you recognise it more easily. Both my husband and i are diabetic, he type 1 and I type 2. I'm naturally observant and have found a couple o cases in people who didn't know they had it and one case of reactive hypoglycaemia. Once tested by doctors, I was found to be right each time.

 

[Marz Barr]

I got mine through chest infection dr put the kad do to asmah and nearly killed me b,s of 44 but ot written up in the BMJ

 

[BOWENI]

I had a similar experience 2 years ago. After a wonderful month's holiday in Australia, enjoying good health throughout, I experienced rapid onset of type 1 diabetes, losing 12lbs in weight within a fortnight of my return to the UK. I was 41 at the time, slim & reasonably fit with no history of diabetes in my family whatsoever. The coincidence of that holiday/long haul flight and my diagnosis still sticks in my throat.

 

[ally5555]

If u look at the times of diagnosis in kids there are peaks at change of school times - junior to high , winter, summer etc - so i guess everyone looks at virus etc.
I rmemember one year the week before xmas we had 4 kids diagnosed from the same school. It is interesting.