Hi I’ve just been diagnosed and am so confused. Been put on Metformin slow release whilst they try and work out if I’m type one or type two. My dad was discovered as type one later in life. I have high AC1 of 81 and was tested a year ago and not even pre diabetic so it’s doubled in a year. My sugers on pills are still averaging 8-9 and they said they would do bloods to test for type 1 or type 2 but the blood nurse said she had never heard of a test for that and am still waiting to find out and it’s been two weeks and I’m so scared and confused by all this. Should I not be on insulin if a type one? Trying to eat low carb but it still is high and how do u get blood out your finger. Mine just won’t come sometimes and I feel tearful and overwhelmed as my dad dies of this. Sorry for the outpouring.
Type 1 or type 2?
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Hi @RedHood and welcome to the DCUK forums
T1 (also known as LADA for people who get it in adulthood) can develop quite slowly for adults so some people stay off insulin for years before they need it. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_lada.html
And yes, there are blood tests they can do to tell the difference.
cpeptide checks how much insulin you are making (usually lots for new T2s because their issue is their insulin does not work properly because of insulin resistance while T1s will probably be starting to produce less insulin.)
GADA autoantibody tests in your blood that show that your body is starting to kill off your insulin producing cells.
But it's not uncommon for new diabetics to be misdiagnosed one way or the other and sometimes you just have to wait for symptoms to progress because the tests are inconclusive.
If you think you might be developing T1 (and at this stage there is no way to tell without the diagnostic tests) then it is worth being aware of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is the greatest danger for an undiagnosed T1
www.nhs.uk
As regards dying from diabetes, I'm really sorry about your father, but as a 63 year old T1 who has had it for over 50 years I can promise you that modern treatments are much better than they used to be and there is no need for you to be panicking. Yes, we all die of something in the end but it doesn't have to be diabetes that kills us.
Getting blood out of your fingers can take practice (some tips are to warm your hands up first and to use the sides of your finger tips not the balls).
Do you have an appointment booked to review your blood test results or someone you can email about them?
Once more, welcome.
T1 (also known as LADA for people who get it in adulthood) can develop quite slowly for adults so some people stay off insulin for years before they need it. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_lada.html
And yes, there are blood tests they can do to tell the difference.
cpeptide checks how much insulin you are making (usually lots for new T2s because their issue is their insulin does not work properly because of insulin resistance while T1s will probably be starting to produce less insulin.)
GADA autoantibody tests in your blood that show that your body is starting to kill off your insulin producing cells.
But it's not uncommon for new diabetics to be misdiagnosed one way or the other and sometimes you just have to wait for symptoms to progress because the tests are inconclusive.
If you think you might be developing T1 (and at this stage there is no way to tell without the diagnostic tests) then it is worth being aware of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is the greatest danger for an undiagnosed T1
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Find out about diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), including what the symptoms are, when to get medical help and how to prevent it.
www.nhs.uk
As regards dying from diabetes, I'm really sorry about your father, but as a 63 year old T1 who has had it for over 50 years I can promise you that modern treatments are much better than they used to be and there is no need for you to be panicking. Yes, we all die of something in the end but it doesn't have to be diabetes that kills us.
Getting blood out of your fingers can take practice (some tips are to warm your hands up first and to use the sides of your finger tips not the balls).
Do you have an appointment booked to review your blood test results or someone you can email about them?
Once more, welcome.
