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TYPE 1 OR TYPE 2?

C

carolanne80

Newbie
Hi there everyone my name is carol and i have just joined this site, i'm 27 and have just found out I have diabetes. I'm finding it really hard to handle, I had diabetes before but only in pregnancies and then it went away. But now 9 months later I have it back, but my diabetic doctor does not know which type I have for the simple fact that I had it three times in pregnancy and they say if you get it back it is type 2, but the thing is since having my son I have lost about 11 kilos in weight, and have always kept a healthy diet. So he says i may have type 1 but if so why didn't I get it before i had my children? I'm on tablets at the moment Gliclazide and i have to take two twice a day as one was not working for me, my sugars have been quite high even more so than when i was pregnant. In the mrnings pre-breakfast they read between 11 and 13mmol and after taking my tablet and having breakfast they're between 16 and 18mmol, can anyone give me some advice as to which type I could be as I wont know for about two weeks until my blood tests come back. Thankyou.
 
Hi carolanne

I am in the same situation as you, I had gestational diabetes when I had my son (15 years ago) and now at 37 it had come back, I am underweight and fit, no family history and eat healthy so it was surprise to me, even my GP was surprised (the diagnoses was from my local hospital) I am on insulin as I am trying for a baby (to many side effects with pills I believe) but my consultant is not sure what type I have, initially they said type 2 as tests proved I was not type 1, there have also been discussions about me having a more rare form of diabetes eg LADA and MODL but my hospital will not pay for more tests as they are expensive and they state 'they would treat me the same anyway'

What I'm trying to get at is there are many types of diabetes which you may have, I suggest you do some research on the internet and look through the forum and you will then be equipped to ask the correct questions when you go back for your results.

I'm sure some of the more active members on this forum will give you some pointers as well.

Good luck!!
 
I would say it sounds like you could be type 1.

I was diagnosed at 27, too. They also put me on gliclazide initially, mainly because I was about to go on holiday so I couldn't get to be seen by the hospital until I got back. They thought some tablets would be worth a go. I was also having two a day and seeing fasting readings of around 17 and up to 30 after my evening meal, despite a healthy diet and lots of exercise.

As soon as the hospital saw my levels diary they said "type 1" and gave me an insulin shot straight away!

Claire
 
Hi Carolanne and welcome to the forum.

You will soon know for yourself whether you are type 1 or type 2. The tablets you have been prescribed will only work for type 2. A type one has a pancreas that is no longer able to produce insulin and Gliclazide tablets stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. If you are type 1 then your pancreas won't be able to respond to the tablets and your sugar levels will continue to climb.

If you find your sugar levels remain static or reduce then your pancreas is still working, which makes you probably a type 2.
 
Thankyou for you advice from your own experiances, and also just to add dennis that since taking the tablets they don't let my sugars go above 18 the only time my sugars went over that was before medication and when i went out one night to a club and they rose by themselves someone told me that when your adrenaline rises so does the sugars in the blood. I must also add that also since taking the medication I don't get continuos thirst anymore or going to the toilet alot! which must say something.
 
If the tablets are working then you must be type 2 as this particular medication is completely ineffective for a type 1.
 
welcome to the forum, just to say whatever type you are the treatment isn't working, the blood glucose levels you are describing are far too high. Did you use insulin during your pregnancies at all?

Dennis, I'm not that knowledgable about LADA but I would have though that if someone had LADA and therefore had reduced but not completeley absent insulin production that gliclaide could help somewhat initially.

I hope you get the results back soon, was it testing for antibodies?
 
Sofaraway,

You are right on both counts. The BG levels are much too high, but then she has only just been diagnosed so this is to be expected. The important thing is whether they are continuing to rise or the rise has stopped. LADA is a possibility, although it is much rarer than standard type 2, and of course LADA is technically regarded as type 2 until such time as the pancreas becomes totally compromised.
 
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