This forum saved my life.

face990

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Hi
I Have finally been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after over a month, was initially told i was type 2
Then type 1 when admitted to hospital and then questioned by my GP, he ran more tests and didn't believe i was type 1 and finally diagnosed by a brilliant DSN as type 1 as i walked through the door (just by looking at me). by which time i have lost a stone and pretty ill.
luckily thanks to reading some brilliant advice from all the forum members i managed to keep my sugar levels low using low carb meals, although energyless it did keep my BG around about 12 and staved off any higher readings as glicazide was sending me into constant hypos.
so this message is a big thanks to all those members who post on here with your wonderful advice.
By the way on Novomix30 now and doing well.

Regards
Andy
 

sugarless sue

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That's great news face, hope you will start feeling better now you are on the right treatment.Hope we can help you some more,keep us up to date on how you are doing.
 

hanadr

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Good that you are now on the right road. Hope that doctor got a scare and will think things through more for his next patient.
They do tend to think anyone, not a child, presenting with diabetes, must be T2
 

Dennis

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2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
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face990 said:
I Have finally been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after over a month, was initially told i was type 2 . . . . glicazide was sending me into constant hypos.
Hi Andy,
I am a little confused by what you wrote because it doesn't make sense that you can be type-1 and yet gliclazide gave you hypos. Gliclazide works by forcing your pancreas to produce insulin. But a type-1's pancreas is not capable of producing insulin, so gliclazide should have absolutely no effect. It is possible that you could be type-1 and be in the "honeymoon period" between type-1 and type-2, where your pancreas is still able to produce some insulin, but not enough. But usually that would also mean not enough to create a hypo either!

Perhaps you should see your DSN or the hospital people again and ask why they believe you are type-1 when your pancreas must still be producing insulin in response to gliclazide.
 

face990

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Dennis said:
Hi Andy,
I am a little confused by what you wrote because it doesn't make sense that you can be type-1 and yet gliclazide gave you hypos. Gliclazide works by forcing your pancreas to produce insulin. But a type-1's pancreas is not capable of producing insulin, so gliclazide should have absolutely no effect. It is possible that you could be type-1 and be in the "honeymoon period" between type-1 and type-2, where your pancreas is still able to produce some insulin, but not enough. But usually that would also mean not enough to create a hypo either!

Perhaps you should see your DSN or the hospital people again and ask why they believe you are type-1 when your pancreas must still be producing insulin in response to gliclazide.

Hi Dennis.
yes i am in the honeymoon period of type 1 and currently only on 4 units twice daily.
Apparently I am a very unusual case as i keep being told. As all my bloods are normal except for the BG levels, what that means i do not know?
Sorry if i was a little unclear, i was initially given glicazide when in hospital, which seemed to work but my GP decided i should be on this and kept me on it, which was causing hypos, but eventually tapered off to the point that it was having little effect if any.
But even during my time on the Glicazide i was still losing weight, up till the point at which i had no body fat and very little muscle left.
Either way i feel very much better on Novomix and i am regaining weight, if still regaining my energy.
I have been told that i am in the honeymoon period and to expect to increase my insulin dosage in the future.

I am seeing the Diabetic specialist doctor on wednesday, so i will find out more.
 

Dennis

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2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Hi Andy,
That's a relief - I was a bit worried for you because we have seen a number of cases of misdiagnosis, and therefore the wrong meds being prescribed, but your hospital team and DSN seem to be on the ball.
 

face990

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Thanks for your concern, but luckily i seem to have a very good diabetic team where i am, they are keeping a constant check on me! and after my experience with my GP, i am glad of it!
and i can call them at anytime, which makes me feel more at ease with my condition.
I am also being reffered to bristol for some Blood tests, diabetes research or somthing, probably gonna become a lab rat lol.
 

fergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,439
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi Andy,

Dennis made a great point because gliclazide is the very last thing you should be prescribed. If your insulin production has been hit by T1 sometimes quite a bit of function can remain. This manifests itself as a honeymoon period. The remaining function can be preserved (Bernstein), but not if the pancreas is stressed by a drug which encourages it to work even harder to keep up with blood sugar levels. That way it will burn out completely.
Bernstein has a number of patients whose honeymoon period has continued indefinitely by being prescribed insulin from the get go.

All the best,

fergus
 

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I don't know how old you are, or for how long you have had symptoms but it is possible that you have LADA, latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adulthood, a form of type 1. This often confuses GPS. Initially, it may look like Type 2, primarily because of age ( having read several accounts on forums, most people seem to experience weight loss, which doesn't seem to ring bells with many GPs). It may respond initially to oral drugs and sometimes when diagnosed early to diet and exercise. However, the persons body is suffering an autoimmune reaction,the bodies own cells are destroying the beta cells which make insulin. Sooner or later the beta cells cannot produce enough insulin and the person becomes insulin dependent. Some research seems to show that the later in life of onset , the longer the period to true insulin dependence.( happened with me as I was in my 50s). This is where LADA differs to childhood onset Type 1 which usualy progresses extremely quickly.

As Fergus said, evidence so far suggests that sulfonylureas are not the best form of medication. . A Cochrane review (2007) said there was little evidence available (as to the best treatments)
' However there does seem to be evidence from this review that the drug sulphonylurea could make patients insulin dependent sooner and does not give better blood sugar control than other possible therapies.'


website about LADA http://www.locallada.swan.ac.uk/what.html
 

face990

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Wow phoenix you really know how to confuse someone! lol.
its enough to take in without more info overloading my brain. but thanks for the info.
All i Know is type 1 diabetes runs through my fathers side of the family, they all have it bar 1.
Ever since i was a teenager i have shown signs but at every test had i was told i was OK.
but just before my 27th birthday i had a virus put me out of action for 2 weeks.
then after that the thirst and urination started. but i put that down to work because my job is extremely physical, and because i eat healthily and go to the gym. this may have kept my sugars under control.
Then i had a 2 week break from work, and Bam it hit me just like that, made me very ill.
thats when i went to see my GP. and the rest as they say is history.
 

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
sorry to have confused you.
:( There have been lots of people that have been misdiagnosed as type 2 by their GPs and subsequenly discovered that they had LADA, thats what I thought had possibly happened to you.

With your history, and you're still relatively young, I'm surprised that your doctor didn't investigate Type 1 from the outset..
It is (to me) interesting that you have signs over some time.
Sorry again

Whatever the reasons, at least you will have a lot of family support and help.
 

LittleSue

Well-Known Member
Messages
647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I too seemed to have a slower than typical onset of type 1, but aged 8. Complicated cos I'd been busy with concussion, road accident, then glandular fever which wouldn't seem to shift. GP tested for glandular fever (negative but said I could still have it), then after a few weeks insisted it was all in my mum's head, so no more tests. Hard to tell when the diabetes kicked in, but I certainly had classic symptoms of diabetes for a few months before diagnosis. I often wonder if the "glandular fever" was really a minor transient virus along with gradual onset of diabetes - otherwise I'd expect to have been in big trouble far quicker.

I think there are many more types than we currently have names for. More like subtle shades of grey than distinct black and white.
 

Trinkwasser

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Messages
2,468
phoenix said:
I don't know how old you are, or for how long you have had symptoms but it is possible that you have LADA, latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adulthood, a form of type 1. This often confuses GPS. Initially, it may look like Type 2, primarily because of age ( having read several accounts on forums, most people seem to experience weight loss, which doesn't seem to ring bells with many GPs). It may respond initially to oral drugs and sometimes when diagnosed early to diet and exercise. However, the persons body is suffering an autoimmune reaction,the bodies own cells are destroying the beta cells which make insulin. Sooner or later the beta cells cannot produce enough insulin and the person becomes insulin dependent. Some research seems to show that the later in life of onset , the longer the period to true insulin dependence.( happened with me as I was in my 50s). This is where LADA differs to childhood onset Type 1 which usualy progresses extremely quickly.

Yes this is where it gets difficult, a child with Type 1 will generally go from "normal" to "die without insulin" within days. For some LADAs it can take weeks or even months and there are cases of Type 2 that progress faster. Some Type 1s still have measurable insulin output after years.

Apparently adult onset Type 1 is about twice as common as childhood onset. Not a lot of people know that.
 

Trinkwasser

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LittleSue said:
I too seemed to have a slower than typical onset of type 1, but aged 8. Complicated cos I'd been busy with concussion, road accident, then glandular fever which wouldn't seem to shift. GP tested for glandular fever (negative but said I could still have it), then after a few weeks insisted it was all in my mum's head, so no more tests. Hard to tell when the diabetes kicked in, but I certainly had classic symptoms of diabetes for a few months before diagnosis. I often wonder if the "glandular fever" was really a minor transient virus along with gradual onset of diabetes - otherwise I'd expect to have been in big trouble far quicker.

Not a few Type 1s report some virus infection, often fairly trivial, just before the diabetes onset. That may be what sets off the autoimmune reaction.

I think there are many more types than we currently have names for. More like subtle shades of grey than distinct black and white.

This is undoubtedly true.
 

face990

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phoenix said:
sorry to have confused you.
:( There have been lots of people that have been misdiagnosed as type 2 by their GPs and subsequenly discovered that they had LADA, thats what I thought had possibly happened to you.

With your history, and you're still relatively young, I'm surprised that your doctor didn't investigate Type 1 from the outset..
It is (to me) interesting that you have signs over some time.
Sorry again

Whatever the reasons, at least you will have a lot of family support and help.

Don't worry i Am always easily confused. lol, must be the high sugars killing off some brain cells.
I too was surprised that they didn't investigate type 1 but then i was surprised by my entire treatment by my GP.
The family support is good, but my dad can be a bit stuck in his ways and seems to think what works for him works for me! which it certainly does not, he has also had it so long (since he was a child) he seems to forget the time it takes to adjust to something like this even if your are kinda expecting it.

On another point Has any one experienced this, just before it really hit me i was going to the gym and lifting weights, but my strength for a few days went through the roof i was suddenly lifting 10KG or more than i have ever lifted before, then a day later i could barely lift my eyebrows, let alone a weight. It was almost like if you can imagine a power surge just before a lightbulb blows if you catch my drift.