Can a type 2 Diabetic become type 1

[robert@fm]

Some GPs (or practice nurses at any rate) seem to think that only T1s take insulin, as described in this thread. 🙄

 

[Copepod]

You mention in that post that the nurse you saw wasn't a diabetes specialist, Robert@fm. Most nurses and doctors are doing the best they can to look after people with a huge range of conditions, not only diabetes in its many forms.

 

[DaveB]

The reason for the cell death matters. That is the definition of T1, not the actual lack of insulin, as I understanding. No insulin is a symptom.
T1 is auto immune. Now, if it's down to badly managed T2, then that is a different cause, so isn't T1, hasn't transitioned, and you're still T2.
Unless I've not understood

This is where understandings vary. First, why should the reason for cell death matter? Do we ask what caused a type of cancer; we label it and treat it. Can anyone really define auto-immune? Viruses can result in islet cell damage so perhaps the virus triggers an auto-immune response - we don't know. To define someone who has non-autoimmune cell death and who has low insulin as T2 is not helpful as in general T2 means excess insulin due to insulin resistance and is a completely difference condition from having low insulin, whatever the cause, and the treatment is different as well. Low insulin is virtually always treated finally with insulin injections.

 

[Ralph-YK]

This is where understandings vary. First, why should the reason for cell death matter? Do we ask what caused a type of cancer; we label it and treat it.

Depends on what you class as The Condition. And I believe, for both T1 diabetes and cancers they are working for cures/means of prevention. I think not all cancers are the same.

To define someone who has non-autoimmune cell death and who has low insulin as T2 is not helpful...

Does seem to be confusion, misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about.

... as in general T2 means excess insulin ...

I didn't know this.

To define someone who has non-autoimmune cell death and who has low insulin as T2 is not helpful as in general T2 means excess insulin due to insulin resistance and is a completely difference condition from having low insulin, whatever the cause, and the treatment is different as well. Low insulin is virtually always treated finally with insulin injections.

Are you suggesting that you stop being insulin resistant. When T2's start taking insulin they stop taking metformin etc?!
Definitely a complete lack of knowledge and understanding of diabetes on my part.

 

[grovesy]

Depends on what you class as The Condition. And I believe, for both T1 diabetes and cancers they are working for cures/means of prevention. I think not all cancers are the same.


Does seem to be confusion, misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about.


I didn't know this.


Are you suggesting that you stop being insulin resistant. When T2's start taking insulin they stop taking metformin etc?!
Definitely a complete lack of knowledge and understanding of diabetes on my part.

Many TYpe 2 on Insulin still take Metformin and often have to have larger doses of Insulin.
Experts are now beginning to think that Diabetes is not just distinct types but a range of conditions. It is more important that people get the appropriate treatment.

 

[mark643]

Hi. I was diagnosed diabetic at the age of 16, I am now 60. I started on tablets so I was type 2. Despite this, the way it was sold to me was that tablets simply flogged the islets of Langerhans to produce insulin. Simply, flog something long enough.....

I changed to insulin and bear in mind that at a very young age I made my mother promise that if I had a certain injection I would never have to have another injection for the rest of my life, that was a very big decision.

Can type 2 diabetics become type 1? Yes, of course they can. You can read as much literature as you like and believe what you like. My attitude is simply I am a diabetic. Type doesn't come into it, the only difference is the treatment I use for my diabetes and consequences such as hypo's, eating, exercise, etc. Today even now, despite my fear of injections (flu?) and blood tests (simply because I am not in control of the needle) I don't regret choosing insulin injections over tablets.

There will be those saying I was wrongly diagnosed as type 2 initially when I was really type 1. Maybe, maybe not. It was the 1970's when we were not given so much information and misinformation that we became confused. All I can say to you is talk to your diabetic specialist, ask about your condition, what would be best for you now and long term and after taking time to think things through, make a choice on which direction you want to go - whether to stay on tablets, change to insulin or a mixture of tablets and insulin. But keep it simple, you are a diabetic and you can change your decision over treatment. After all a car is a car whether it runs on petrol, diesel or electricity.

You are the diabetic and the best person to control your diabetes is you and the choices you make based on information and help given to you by your diabetic specialist at a diabetes clinic, not something written by someone you don't know on the internet. I was extremely lucky, my diabetes specialist was Professor Alberti in the 1970's and I remain extremely grateful to him for his advice and how he helped me at that young age.

 

[trophywench]

I was equally lucky in having a teaching Prof as my consultant from initial diagnosis to his retirement. He absolutely knew his stuff and years later I discovered he was one of the professionals who facilitated the first live births in the UK for diabetic women. (at the QE in Birmingham)

What a major step forward in the short history of insulin treated diabetes that was!

I just assumed everyone was as lucky as me (and you) in our consultant and only found out later courteousy of the new fangled interwebnet thing - that they weren't.

Many many 'new Type 2s' come on this forum still and it's ruddy obvious to a lot of us they are really new T1s but there again GPs aren't experts and an awful lot of them even now plainly don't have a clue - so the poor individual would never get referred to someone who does have a clue if it wasn't for 'us random lot on the internet' informing them about what tests to ask for to get the ball rolling in the right direction sooner rather than later.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’m afraid I have to disagree with you @mark643, though I can understand why you have come to the conclusions you have, with your own experience.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes are related in some ways, but they are quite different conditions. There may be some overlap with long term risks and some treatments can work for both conditions, but they are quite different in physiology and pathology, and treatment is not interchangeable - oral medications will simply not function in ‘classic’ T1 (though it can appear to have some effect in the early stages of LADA).

Nevertheless, Im glad you switched to insulin and found a treatment that works for you.