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Type 1 development - can someone explain?

carina62

Well-Known Member
Messages
349
Location
Leicestershire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
miserable weather, rude and bad mannered people
My partner's mum told us some news last night. My partner's aunt has just returned from a trip to Australia and while she was out there, she apparently collapsed in a restaurant and it seems like she may have Type 1 diabetes (she was supposed to be seeing a diabetic nurse today), possibility her pancreas has given up. How is this possible? I thought you were born with Type 1 diabetes? can someone explain? I am Type 2. Just wondering how and why a pancreas can no longer work at all.
 
Hi @carina62 Sorry to hear about your partner's aunt. I hope she's ok.

No, you're not born with Type 1. It can develop at any time in life. It's an auto-immune disease. Something causes the immune system to attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Eventually so many cells are destroyed that the person is unable to control their blood sugar and Type 1 is then diagnosed.

I hope that brief explanation helps

Edited to,add that the PM Theresa May is a good example of a late-onset Type 1.
 
Hi. Yes it can happen at any time. I was age 60 when my decline started. It can come on quickly or there can be a 'honeymoon' period for several years. Note that although it's mainly an auto-immune condition there can be other causes.
 
Thanks, I didn't know that. What sort of auto immune conditions can cause this?
 
carina62 said:
Thanks, I didn't know that. What sort of auto immune conditions can cause this?
Click to expand...

Type 1 is the auto immune condition. The cause is currently unknown. Something in the environment causes the body to attack those specific cells in the pancreas. Possible culprits have been studied, including cow's milk (particularly to replace breast milk) wheat, various viruses, etc, but no one is sure about what starts the auto immune attack off.

In adults, Type 1 often develops more slowly, so the 'trigger' could have been years back, and then the insulin producing cells are gradually killed off and Type 1 develops.
 
This information has concerned me a little - so as I have T2 diabetes (on metformin), is it possible then that my pancreas could 'give up' and then I would be insulin dependant? My GP has never mentioned this to me but now I feel more strongly about getting my weight down even more so.
 
Type 2 does not develop into Type 1, however it is possible for T2s to become insulin dependent, which is different. In this context, if your glucose levels remain high, and you retain hyperinsulinemia, eventually the combination of high glucose levels and beta cell exhaustion can cause them to die off/not be able to produce enough insulin.
 
I was diagnosed at age 50. Who knows when it really started as I have always been sensitive to carbs and have eaten a vlc diet for 25+ years. Who knows if this prolonged the inevitable or if a nasty nasty virus I had about 8 years ago started the decline? Nobody can answer that. So now it just is what's it is. I know it wasn't my fault.

If you have weight to lose it's never a bad idea to lose it. If your blood sugars run high, it's never a bad idea to lower them.
 

I am now back on track with diet/exercise after Xmas so am hoping to carry on with my journey to a great weight loss this year and lower BS levels. I can only do what I know I need to do. Thanks for all your replies. I was just shocked to hear of my partner's aunt who could possibly be a T1 after collapsing. She isn't particularly overweight and as far as I know she is quite active in her job (she is a carer). This bit of news just made me sit up and take notice. There is so much I'm learning about this dreaded 'D'.
 

Some Type 2s do eventually end up on insulin but that just makes them Type 2 on Insulin (like our Subforum in Type 2 here).

Being on insulin doesn't make someone Type 1. It's the auto immune nature of the disease that is the important thing in distinguishing Type 1.

If you're concerned about how much insulin your pancreas is making, you could ask your doctor or nurse for mo information.
 
Thanks, I may well do that as I've always wondered how good/bad my pancreas is doing in producing insulin. Will make an appointment soon.
 
It's called a c-peptide. It measures how much insulin your pancreas is producing. I think mine just died recently haha. The GAD test shows if you have autoimmune diabetes
 
carina62 said:
She isn't particularly overweight and as far as I know she is quite active in her job (she is a carer).
Click to expand...

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease and causation is not in any way related to weight or activity levels. No one knows what causes type 1, but it is the persons own immune system killing off the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Nothing to do with weight or activity levels.
 
Just a thought - is a C-peptide test the one you have where you drink the Lucozade, wait 2 hrs then get tested? if so, then I have already had this at the start to diagnose I was T2. My doctors are usually very good but I think if I make an appointment to go and ask for this test, they will probably fob me off saying I don't need it - what do others think?
 
So avoiding the medicine that stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin may not prevent Type 1? I always thought Type 1 was because that medicine burns out the pancreas. So its very possible that I may end up on Type 1 at anytime? WOW I had better not reproduce so I can spare the offspring a faith of inferior genetics.
 

@john5220 Type 1 is an auto immune disease. The pancreas doesn't burn out - it's insulin producing cells are killed off by the body's own immune system.

If you have Type 2 and your pancreas burns out so that you need to take insulin, that is not Type 1.
 

I don't know what your talking about. But it isn't type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes doesn't happen because "that medicine burns out the pancreas" it happens because the persons immune system gets bored/confused and decides to kill off the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. I certainly wasn't on any medication prior to diagnosis with type 1. If you are type 2 diabetic and your pancreas is exhausted by over producing insulin to compensate for insulin resistance that might mean you require treatment for type 2 diabetes with insulin therapy. That doesn't make you type 1, it makes you a type 2 treated with insulin.
 
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