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Type 1 type 2?

jake60

Well-Known Member
Messages
281
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Is it true that type 2 throws up far more complications than type 1 and is therefore harder to control more difficult to deal with and more dangerous than type 1?
 
I couldn't say if one or the other is more dangerous. I mean T1s can typically suffer greater hypers due to an absolute deficiency of insulin and more sudden as sever hypos because they administer insulin.

The problem in T2 is that it's not so cut and dry to treat because the means by which the system has broken down is so varied between sufferers. It can be triggered so many ways, so many factors could have the majority of bearing on it. Some benefit from losing weight. Others can't because weight wasnt a factor for them.

It's not as cut and dry as 'you make no insulin, take some and feel free eat as normal' though for some carb counting and dosing can be so difficult and have trouble not going off the deep end either way. Lots of people havin difficulty dosing with exercise being taken into consideration or what their BGs do overnight

That being said T2s are told to get on with it and either change their diet to achieve control (and some have to cut it down DRASTICALLY) to stay in range or bad things happen. Most T2s do not use insulin so food dictates everything to them.

My partner is T1 and we have had some heated arguments over choosing what to eat and I (trying desperately not to worsen my insulin resistance) did not want to eat the carb filled takeout he was making me eat. He doesn't realize I can't just bolus for that pizza. I will be passed out for hours afterwards, with a headache and feeling sick with blurry eyes, or even worse- the downside to having live islet cells- a reactive hypo! He ran out of insulin right before he flew home so I tried to explain how he felt at the time was what I was feeling after every takeout he ordered

It's a bit annoying that bread is just as bad as sweets and if we don't cut out normal, everyday foods we will only have ourselves to blame.

Although some people think some forms of T2 may have an autoimmune trigger.

Everyone has it hard. DKA is a frightening complication and injecting oneself is a bit stressful for a lot of people.

Don't feel like I can say one or the other is 'worse'. *shrug*




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No, both types are prone to the same complications.

Micro vascular complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy are in part associated with length of time with diabetes . For example, after 20 years most people with diabetes have some signs of retinopathy and many people with T1 have more time to develop it.

Until recently most people were not diagnosed with T2 until later in life so have fewer years in which to develop these complications . However, some people can have high glucose levels for a considerable time before T2 diagnosis and as a result may have already have the onset of micro vascular damage and sadly some children are now being diagnosed with T2.

The two most immediately serious complications of diabetes are both more likely in T1 (though not unknown in T2): These are:
DKA which untreated leads to death . Before insulin this was the primary cause of death in T1, basically you can't survive long without insulin.
Insulin induced severe hypoglycaemia which again can occasionally kill or cause serious brain damage.

The most common complication in both T1 and T2 is cardio vascular disease.
I think the ease of control depends on a lot of things and none of us can say what it is like to walk in another's shoes!
 
Both types have their challenges IMHO.
 
First, in practice there is no such think as 'T1' and 'T2'. There is a complete spectrum thru the range from T1 at birth thru to insulin resistant T2s later in life; I'm one of those in the middle somewhere. There are so many genetic causes, antibody attacks, pancreatic failure due to viruses, pancreatitis etc that both the causes and complications are varied. I sympathise with T1s who can, with experience, and a lot of injections control their sugars just about well enough to avoid the worst complications. Insulin resistant T2s can by, losing weight and some meds, often get near to normal blood sugars and hence avoid the worst symptoms. People like me in the T1.5 area are perhaps in the best position to control due either to the onset being late and therefore a bit less damage done by old age or having some islet cell life left and able to have better sugar control with fewer insulin injections. I guess my view is that everyone has the potential to control sugars well enough to avoid serious complications but discipline is needed for all.
 
LittleWolf said:
It's a bit annoying that bread is just as bad as sweets and if we don't cut out normal, everyday foods we will only have ourselves to blame.

I was told to switch to wholegrain bread... that's what I was told on my DESMOND course... of course I knew that was rubbish as I had a meter and could see what WHolegrain bread was doing to me... unlike other T2's on that course...

The DESMOND course book that they give you talks about testing using meters, BUT, and this is a very big BUT, you will find that your team do not believe in you testing at all and will most likely not offer you a meter and strips to test with.
 
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