Type 2 Following Distal Pancreatectomy

Dean_Stevens

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
After advice please having been recently diagnosed diabetic following surgery. I have had the tail of my pancreas removed along with my spleen following a bout of pancreatitis which led to the discovery of cysts which contained pre-cancerous indicators. I was diagnosed following a glucose tolerance test and I am being treated with type 2 medication. Metformin max dose and Dapagliflozin. Both have lowered my sugar levels ranging between 6 - 10. I am still feeling rough suffering with headaches and having to drink about 4 litres of water a day to keep up with my rate of peeing. I have not been referred to a diabetes specialist or doctor. Just need advice regarding where to go as I am not sure if I am on the right treatment. The practice nurce that is treating me has been advised to treat me as a standard type2 patient and she is slowly working through the type 2 medications. With what i have read i am not so sure i am a standard type 2 case. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks Dean.
 

SimonCrox

Well-Known Member
Messages
317
I would totally agree with above. Things are not always clear cut, and I have been surprised by folk who have had a lot of thier pancreas removed and do not have diabetes, and diabetes is a risk factor for pancreatitis.

How do you feel in yourself? What is your weight doing? Any diarrhoea?

As above, one can look at your insulin secretion with a urine test, although it is difficult to get the urine test through the system (you will probably get an ACR measured, and then told you need a blood test and then get the test that you want done): urine c-peptide to creatinine ratio http://www.diabetesgenes.org/content/urine-c-peptide-creatinine-ratio.

It sounds like you are very symptomatic despite glucose levels being OK to a bit high - odd. I would be very surprised if you were making mistakes with the blood glucose testing My patients on Dapagliflozin would sometimes note that they peeed more overnight than usual, but not to this extent. There is an association between high calcium levels in blood and cysts on pancreas (MEN 1).

I am not sure how much your nurse will do, but might have an open mind and do the tests, or it might be too much for her and need to go via GP.

But I would check your blood glucose testing technique with the nurse to show OK, get some blood tests done to show DM control and other causes of peeing gallons (Random glucose, HbA1c, calcium, U&Es, LFTs,) and see GP about your headaches. If the above does not show what is up, then you might want to see a diabetes specialist about your type of diabetes and why you are drinking / peeing gallons.

Best wishes.
 

Dean_Stevens

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I have been back to the doctors and requested referral to diabetes specialist. I have also had the c peptide urine test. So hopefully soon I will start to get some tailored treatment. Practice nurse was very helpful and in full agreement that a referral was the right way forward. I have been on a spotlight diabetes management presentation which was very useful I did not realise insulin actually allowed your cells to use glucose I thought it just controlled the levels. Might explain why I am peeing so much on these new tablets which lower your glucose tolerance level. I guess I am flushing it out without actually using the glucose? Hopefully get appointment soon.

Thanks for advice guys.
 

PenguinMum

Expert
Messages
6,782
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
After advice please having been recently diagnosed diabetic following surgery. I have had the tail of my pancreas removed along with my spleen following a bout of pancreatitis which led to the discovery of cysts which contained pre-cancerous indicators. I was diagnosed following a glucose tolerance test and I am being treated with type 2 medication. Metformin max dose and Dapagliflozin. Both have lowered my sugar levels ranging between 6 - 10. I am still feeling rough suffering with headaches and having to drink about 4 litres of water a day to keep up with my rate of peeing. I have not been referred to a diabetes specialist or doctor. Just need advice regarding where to go as I am not sure if I am on the right treatment. The practice nurce that is treating me has been advised to treat me as a standard type2 patient and she is slowly working through the type 2 medications. With what i have read i am not so sure i am a standard type 2 case. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks Dean.
Hello Dean by coincidence I have just started a thread about my pancreas. I never had pancreatitis but did have Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm picked up when being scanned for other reasons. Mine was also precancerous and I was very lucky. In 2012 After 5 1/2 hours of surgery the surgeon saved my spleen. I have never looked back but I am prescribed Creon enzymes to take with food. I was diagnosed Diabetic 4 months ago after investigating a bleed behind my eyepicked up at routine trip to optician. I have been told I am type 2 and after research and discoveringthis forum decided to adopt a low carb approach. My first follow up HBA1c result took me to just nonD levels but despite that success I have stalled and wonder if I am expecting too much from my depleted pancreas. I was offered Metformin and Statin but declined to see how I could manage it myself. I will be very interested to see where you go from here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mick1959

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello Dean by coincidence I have just started a thread about my pancreas. I never had pancreatitis but did have Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm picked up when being scanned for other reasons. Mine was also precancerous and I was very lucky. In 2012 After 5 1/2 hours of surgery the surgeon saved my spleen. I have never looked back but I am prescribed Creon enzymes to take with food. I was diagnosed Diabetic 4 months ago after investigating a bleed behind my eyepicked up at routine trip to optician. I have been told I am type 2 and after research and discoveringthis forum decided to adopt a low carb approach. My first follow up HBA1c result took me to just nonD levels but despite that success I have stalled and wonder if I am expecting too much from my depleted pancreas. I was offered Metformin and Statin but declined to see how I could manage it myself. I will be very interested to see where you go from here.

Hi PenguinMum - Dean created his thread over a year ago, and hasn't been on the forum for a while now.

You didn't do anything wrong posting on Dean's old thread, I'm just pointing it out as it's unlikely he will respond to you. Of course, if he does pop in, it'd be good to see him.
 

PenguinMum

Expert
Messages
6,782
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi PenguinMum - Dean created his thread over a year ago, and hasn't been on the forum for a while now.

You didn't do anything wrong posting on Dean's old thread, I'm just pointing it out as it's unlikely he will respond to you. Of course, if he does pop in, it'd be good to see him.
Thanks I just realised! But I hope I get some info from the other thread I created.