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Banshee2010

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Type 1.5 LADA
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Hi
to everyone
I’m slowly finding my way around the website and trying to learn more etc.
I’ve recently been diagnosed over the Xmas and new yr and it’s been a bit of a shock. I was in hospital due to my blood levels being too high and ketones.
Waiting to see the local diabetes team but I’m not sure what type diabetes I am. Insulin treatment has been mentioned a few times but it’s still early days with the medication I have been prescribed,
I’m trying to eat well and regular but just can’t get my blood sugars down !!
Already getting exasperated with it all
fingers crossed that things will start levelling off soon.
I’m going to look at recipes and more info.
New yr new me etc
Hopefully I’ll be able to learn more and it’s good to know there is valuable advice here , possibly someone could say where I’m going wrong with my plan or give me pointers with my diet please, here or on another thread
Thank you. Xx
 
Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear you had a trip to hospital over Christmas with high BG levels and ketones. I assume they put you on insulin in hospital to bring it down but it sounds like they have released you with just oral meds? Can you tell us what they are and what sort of BG readings you are getting and when you are testing? Have you spoken to anyone at your GP surgery about your diabetes treatment, so that you at least have some support until you get an appointment at the diabetes clinic?

If you can also give us an idea of what you typically eat and drink for breakfast, lunch and evening meal and any snacks, we can then perhaps advise on better choices or a testing strategy to see if you are coping with the foods you are having.
 
Welcome @Banshee2010 🙂 Do you remember how high your ketones were? Your avatar says Type 1.5 so I guess they’ve told you that you might have Type 1/LADA? If so, the treatment for that is insulin. Type 1/LADA is an auto-immune condition and nothing to do with diet. It’s where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks and kills off their insulin-producing cells. Replacing that insulin with insulin injections means the person can lead a normal life and eat a pretty normal diet, just with the appropriate insulin doses.
 
Inka said:
Welcome @Banshee2010 🙂 Do you remember how high your ketones were? Your avatar says Type 1.5 so I guess they’ve told you that you might have Type 1/LADA? If so, the treatment for that is insulin. Type 1/LADA is an auto-immune condition and nothing to do with diet. It’s where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks and kills off their insulin-producing cells. Replacing that insulin with insulin injections means the person can lead a normal life and eat a pretty normal diet, just with the appropriate insulin doses.
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Hi
Thanks for replying
I’ve had type 1 suggested along side type 2 and LADA by various medical staff but nothing actually confirmed. so I feel a bit bamboozled.
At the moment I’m just focusing on trying to eat healthy and monitoring bloods.
I don’t generally eat a lot of junk food or sweet things my main problem has been a few yrs of skipping meals and grazing.
Thank you for the extra info on LADA, I’m waiting for an appointment with diabetic nurses soon but I visit the practice diabetic nurse next week. In the mean time I need to contact g.p if I feel unwell again.
My ketones were at 104 and blood readings were averaging 25

Xx
 
@Banshee2010 I think that 104 might be an HbA1C (blood glucose test). Ketones would be at much lower numbers or sometimes given in pluses if they did a urine test, eg + +.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear you had a trip to hospital over Christmas with high BG levels and ketones. I assume they put you on insulin in hospital to bring it down but it sounds like they have released you with just oral meds? Can you tell us what they are and what sort of BG readings you are getting and when you are testing? Have you spoken to anyone at your GP surgery about your diabetes treatment, so that you at least have some support until you get an appointment at the diabetes clinic?

If you can also give us an idea of what you typically eat and drink for breakfast, lunch and evening meal and any snacks, we can then perhaps advise on better choices or a testing strategy to see if you are coping with the foods you are having.
Click to expand...
Hi
Thanks for the welcome

No insulin but they did consider it. I was given instructions to refer back to them if I became unwell again.
At the moment I’m on metformin 500mg and gliclazide 80mg I tablet each twice a day.
Eating healthy (I think) and plenty of water.
as an idea of my meals

1 slice of whole grain tst and a cuppa at breakfast
Lunch was 2 small fresh mackerel fillets with salad and one slice of whole meal
Evening meal was a few small potatoes, ham and fresh veg , broccoli and carrots
Followed by a pear
Snacked on a small piece of cheese and an apple in the evening
I’m testing before meals and two hrs after
So yesterday my BG was
19 before breakfast /24 two hrs later
15.6 before lunch /15.5
16.6 before evening meal/20.1 two hrs later

Thankfully, the last couple of days my readings have mainly stayed under 20
Sorry for long reply but I appreciate the help or advice xx
 
@Banshee2010 Do you have the phone number of the local diabetes team? Those are high numbers and if you’re Type 1/LADA you may well be better off on insulin. Gliclazide isn’t ideal as it can exhaust your remaining beta cells if you’re Type 1/LADA.
 
Inka said:
@Banshee2010 I think that 104 might be an HbA1C (blood glucose test). Ketones would be at much lower numbers or sometimes given in pluses if they did a urine test, eg + +.
Click to expand...
Sorry yes , told you I was bamboozled lol
The ketones were 1.4/1.5
HbA1c were 104
 
1.5 is on the border between slightly high and needs attention. Have you been given the means to test for ketones yourself?
 
Inka said:
1.5 is on the border between slightly high and needs attention. Have you been given the means to test for ketones yourself?
Click to expand...
No I haven’t, only my blood testing kit.
It could be that I contact the diabetes team myself tomorrow and see if I can be seen quicker ?
 
It would be sensible to ask @Banshee2010 I’d also have your blood glucose results and what you ate ready to read to them to give them an idea of what’s happening. Although you’re eating very moderately and not a lot of carbs, your blood sugar is high.

You could also ask if you should be testing for ketones (you can get urine test strips very cheaply at around £5 a pot called Ketostix) and give them a gentle push as to what their feeling on your diabetes type is, how soon you can be seen, and what, if any, things you should watch out for, eg blood glucose going above a certain number, etc.
 
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Inka said:
It would be sensible to ask @Banshee2010 I’d also have your blood glucose results and what you ate ready to read to them to give them an idea of what’s happening. Although you’re eating very moderately and not a lot of carbs, your blood sugar is high.

You could also ask if you should be testing for ketones (you can get urine test strips very cheaply at around £5 a pot called Ketostix) and give them a gentle push as to what their feeling on your diabetes type is, how soon you can be soon, and what, if any, things you should watch out for, eg blood glucose going above a certain number, etc.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that advice. It’s appreciated.
I’ll contact the team tomorrow. it’s been a bit of a shock and I’m feeling a bit exasperated with the readings, like you say I’m not having a lot of carbs and still they are high readings.
The Doctor rang me today and asked me to increase the gliclazide from Saturday. From what you have said about it being detrimental if I am LADA it may be best to discuss with the diabetes team before hand.
Thank you.
 
Welcome to the forum @Banshee2010

As you aren’t getting much response from the oral meds, even on a low-ish carb menu, and because you were producing ketones (rare but not unheard on in T2) my non-medically-qualified inkling is that you are most likely a variant of T1.

Non-specialist Drs sometimes get hung up on age, and seem to feel that outside of childhood T1 is unusual, when in fact there is no maximum age for a T1 diagnosis, and as many people are diagnosed with T1 as adults as are in childhood.

Hope you can quickly get a more appropriate treatment (insulin) and aren’t made to wait too long with them tinkering with oral meds, that ultimately are trying to encourage a busted pancreas to produce extra insulin (if you are indeed T1).
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Welcome to the forum @Banshee2010

As you aren’t getting much response from the oral meds, even on a low-ish carb menu, and because you were producing ketones (rare but not unheard on in T2) my non-medically-qualified inkling is that you are most likely a variant of T1.

Non-specialist Drs sometimes get hung up on age, and seem to feel that outside of childhood T1 is unusual, when in fact there is no maximum age for a T1 diagnosis, and as many people are diagnosed with T1 as adults as are in childhood.

Hope you can quickly get a more appropriate treatment (insulin) and aren’t made to wait too long with them tinkering with oral meds, that ultimately are trying to encourage a busted pancreas to produce extra insulin (if you are indeed T1).
Click to expand...
Hi
Thank you for the welcome and also the advice.
I keep getting told to give the oral meds a chance and to increase this weekend,
I have only been on gliclazide a week and metformin two weeks, would I expect to see more of a drop in readings by now ?
Thanks
 
Gliclazide should work quite quickly if it is going to, Metformin takes time and doesn't have a huge impact anyway, but yes, doubling the Glic might give you/them more evidence as to your Type. If your insulin production is failing then the Glic is unlikely to have any effect, so doubling it would make little difference. I was on it for about 5 weeks along with the full 2g dose of Metformin before they started me on insulin. Personally I found the honeymoon period where you pancreas is still producing small amounts of insulin quite frustrating because it made my levels more erratic and I was pleased to see the end of it, so I don't necessarily share @Inka's view on preserving what beta cells you have left, but it is quite individual and some people find the remaining beta cell function smooths off the edges of their injected insulin doses and for others it just causes unpredictability, so personally I would not be overly concerned about following the doctor's advice to up the Glic doze. As with everything, diabetes is quite individual and what works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for another. If you take it for another week and still don't see any benefit in reducing your levels, then you have evidence that your insulin production is waning and you need insulin. That said, continuing with levels that high for another week isn't ideal. You definitely should have a means of testing for Ketones, usually Ketostix which you dip in your urine when your levels are persistently mid teens or above and you should have an agreed protocol as to what to do if ketone levels start to rise and you get beyond a certain limit... So perhaps go to A&E if you get a result of 2 or more on the Ketostix. This should be discussed and agreed with your nurse or doctor, but either way, ask for a means of testing for ketones as this will help to keep you safer or if you can't get them prescribed, then buy some either online or possibly over the counter at a pharmacy. Ketones are very serious because they can be life threatening pretty quickly and need urgent attention whereas high BG levels themselves are more a long term concern, so being able to test for ketones is a safety net for you to get help if you need it before things go horribly wrong. I am lucky and have never developed dangerous levels of ketones but there are plenty of people who have had emergency admissions and been very ill and sadly some people have ended up in a coma with organ failure, so being able to test for them and get emergency treatment if they start to develop is important.
 
rebrascora said:
Gliclazide should work quite quickly if it is going to, Metformin takes time and doesn't have a huge impact anyway, but yes, doubling the Glic might give you/them more evidence as to your Type. If your insulin production is failing then the Glic is unlikely to have any effect, so doubling it would make little difference. I was on it for about 5 weeks along with the full 2g dose of Metformin before they started me on insulin. Personally I found the honeymoon period where you pancreas is still producing small amounts of insulin quite frustrating because it made my levels more erratic and I was pleased to see the end of it, so I don't necessarily share @Inka's view on preserving what beta cells you have left, but it is quite individual and some people find the remaining beta cell function smooths off the edges of their injected insulin doses and for others it just causes unpredictability, so personally I would not be overly concerned about following the doctor's advice to up the Glic doze. As with everything, diabetes is quite individual and what works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for another. If you take it for another week and still don't see any benefit in reducing your levels, then you have evidence that your insulin production is waning and you need insulin. That said, continuing with levels that high for another week isn't ideal. You definitely should have a means of testing for Ketones, usually Ketostix which you dip in your urine when your levels are persistently mid teens or above and you should have an agreed protocol as to what to do if ketone levels start to rise and you get beyond a certain limit... So perhaps go to A&E if you get a result of 2 or more on the Ketostix. This should be discussed and agreed with your nurse or doctor, but either way, ask for a means of testing for ketones as this will help to keep you safer or if you can't get them prescribed, then buy some either online or possibly over the counter at a pharmacy. Ketones are very serious because they can be life threatening pretty quickly and need urgent attention whereas high BG levels themselves are more a long term concern, so being able to test for ketones is a safety net for you to get help if you need it before things go horribly wrong. I am lucky and have never developed dangerous levels of ketones but there are plenty of people who have had emergency admissions and been very ill and sadly some people have ended up in a coma with organ failure, so being able to test for them and get emergency treatment if they start to develop is important.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that advice, I’ll persevere with the meds and see over the next week what happens.
At the moment I’m feeling a lot better than during the Xmas period, so I’m just trying to understand it all.
I am starting to see patterns and it seems the meds have started to reduce the BG , also when my readings are around 15 -17 I feel awful so obviously they have been high for quite a while and my body has been accustomed to that.
Thanks again.
 
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