Hello, not sure if this will post. I am a LADA, or that is what I figure since I am not a 2 and I have an autoimmune disease, but not on insulin. I have heard from another source in the US that one should start insulin to keep the beta cells from being destroyed. Is this true?Hi Fraser!
No, you are not odd in wishing that - perhaps a little unwise, but not odd.
LADA is a difficult condition because sometimes you produce insulin and sometimes you don't, so control is unpredictable and insulin doses are constantly needing adjustment. There are many of us on this forum with the same condition and many of us have had difficulty with diagnosis and on-going treatment. However, LADA does have benefits over Type 1 in that your body is likely to still 'save' you from extreme hypos (I won't go into detail as you don't need to bother about that right now!)
Firstly, have you had any tests to reach an accurate diagnosis? Specifically, have you had a GAD-antibody test and a c-peptide test? The GAD anti-body test shows whether you have GAD antibodies present - if you have you probably have an autoimmune form of diabetes (Type 1/1.5). The C-peptide test shows how much insulin you are producing - simplistically, high levels of insulin and high levels of glucose usually means Type 2, low levels of insulin and high levels of glucose usually means Type 1/1.5. If this has not been done and explained to you, that is your first step - otherwise it is just guesswork as to which Type you are and what an appropriate form of treatment might be.
LADA generally responds very well to insulin treatment as insulin often kicks the pancreas back into production for a while. In its early stages, people with LADA often produce enough basal insulin to get BGs down in a matter of 3 or 4 hours after eating, but don't have the first phase insulin to deal with food - this deteriorates over time and they progress to insulin-dependance. So, as an LADA, you might choose to go onto small doses of insulin (both basal and rapid-acting) immediately - I am not a doctor, but i would suggest that Lantus alone might not be the best choice for an LADA type - a rapid-acting at meal times is more likely to help with the replacement of the natural first-phase insulin that you will probably be lacking (just my thoughts from my own experience). Type 2 generally has a large elemnet of insulin-resistance, so insulin treatment usually involves far higher doses and is therefore maybe not such a good first choice of treatment. LADA does not generally respond well mid/long-term to oral diabetes drugs - they might work for a short time, but progression to insulin is inevitable and the oral drugs will get progressively less effective as your own insulin production diminishes. All forms of diabetes react well to the reduction of carbs in the diet, although you would need to do that carefully as you will probably have to reduce your Lantus dose accordingly.
LADA is not the end of the world. We all get frustrated with it sometimes, but you can manage it with a little effort!
Let us have a few more details about the tests you've had, your Lantus dose, your diet and your BG levels, and I'll try to make some suggestions.
Take care
Smidge
That's what a lot if us think, yes, and that's how Dr Bernstein, who you should read, treats his patients.Hello, not sure if this will post. I am a LADA, or that is what I figure since I am not a 2 and I have an autoimmune disease, but not on insulin. I have heard from another source in the US that one should start insulin to keep the beta cells from being destroyed. Is this true?
I was told to read that book. You are another person that highly recommends it. Maybe I should just fork out the $30 dollars to read it. Have you all had the C-Peptide test? The GAD Antibody test? C-Peptide is a regular test for those of us with diabetes. I am not sure if that tells them if it is a clear 1 or 1.5. Maybe someone can enlighten me.That's what a lot if us think, yes, and that's how Dr Bernstein, who you should read, treats his patients.
http://www.diabetes-book.com/diabetes-solution/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...&pi=AC_SX118_SY170&keywords=diabetes+solution
Also his YouTube lectures: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs_TA02I6IvV6-1s2pL4BPhvMo0Ck_lcY
Thanks for the sight for Dr. Bernstein, I will tell others about that site. I did not know he even had one.Also, just a note here, may I suggest you get a pump. I know that they are expensive, but I have heard they give a better result. Also, a friend of mine that had a kidney transplant recommended the pump right off. I have another friend that says she gets better results from the pump. I don't know how much they cost in the UK.
Look around at Kindle and iTunes and I think you can get it for much less.I was told to read that book. You are another person that highly recommends it. Maybe I should just fork out the $30 dollars to read
Well I am LADA for ten years, not on insulin still make plenty of insulin GAD 0.333 whatever that means and it is extremely frustratingHello, not sure if this will post. I am a LADA, or that is what I figure since I am not a 2 and I have an autoimmune disease, but not on insulin. I have heard from another source in the US that one should start insulin to keep the beta cells from being destroyed. Is this true?
What does anybody think of GAD antibodies and producing high insulin? At what point do the GAD antibodies go to, ie, 6.00 or what? I don't understand these antibodies. Mine is actually 0.333 what exactly does that mean. Please help so confused about LADASounds like you are in the same boat as a lot of us. I was the same, type 2 then 1.5, then type 2 again, then type 1.5 depending on what doctor I see. I am just doing what they tell me, but I worry too that the wrong meds and continuously high BG is killing what is left of my insulin producing cells. It frustrates me that they cut costs by not doing the tests we need. I understand completely how you feel being sort of left in limbo with your pancreas working some days and other days not. I sometimes wish too that it would just stop and I would be on insulin and I could just get on with my life. Nothing worse than having this black cloud of unknowing when we will need insulin, if we will need insulin.
Welcome to the forum though, there are some great people in here, and extremely knowledgeable. I would go mad without this forum!
It means you still have some life in your beta cells, which is great. But they won't last unless you go on insulin to lower BG so they won't need to work so hard.What does anybody think of GAD antibodies and producing high insulin? At what point do the GAD antibodies go to, ie, 6.00 or what? I don't understand these antibodies. Mine is actually 0.333 what exactly does that mean. Please help so confused about LADA
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