Yes -I have an app with records of my blood glucose levels since December -14.2mmol/l this morning, which is normal just now.
I'm not experiencing weight loss -it's just I lost weight (purposefully) due to change in diet/excercise since December -cutting out sugar and carbs.
I'll certainly ask about these tests when I see the doctor tomorrow.
Thanks.
It will be worth going into that appointment prepared because many GPs know very little about Type 1 and even sometimes even have misunderstanding about it. For instance many believe that Type 1 only exhibits in children and young adults, so if you are a mature adult, it must be Type 2.
Diabetes is diagnosed by the HbA1c test, but that reading above 47 just tells the doctor that you are diabetic ie. that you have raised BG levels. The diabetes Type, is often just an assumption based on clinical presentation and perhaps misinformation if you have a GP who believes only children get Type 1. There is no specific test for Type 2, but there are 2 tests for Type 1 although neither are guaranteed totally conclusive and ideally need to be sanctioned and the results interpreted by an experienced consultant rather than a GP, so ideally push for a referral to a hospital diabetes clinic for these tests.
The tests are:-
The C-peptide test which measures the amount of insulin your body is able to produce itself and whilst there is a urine test which is cheaper, the blood test is more accurate but also needs specialist handling (the blood sample needs to be frozen within 20 mins of being drawn and sent off the the lab frozen which isn't easily facilitated from a GP practice. and you should be done under circumstances where
The antibody test. Usually GAD antibodies but there are a few others that can be tested. Again this is a blood test but there are only a few lads in the country which offer this test and it usually takes about 6 weeks for this test result to come back. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system gets a bit keen or confused and attacks the beta cells which produce insulin. It doesn't kill them off all at once and in older adults it may happen gradually which is why it has a slower onset than is typically seen in children.
Adjusting your diet to low carb, will help the remaining beta cells cope a little better but gradually they will reach a crisis point and levels will rise again, which may be what you are seeing. It can get to a tipping point where they are no longer able to produce enough to provide energy for your body and you start to live off your body stores, meaning that your body is no longer using glucose because it can't access it due to lack of insulin and it starts breaking down fat and protein, from your muscles. This produces ketones which is the same as with a keto diet in that you are feeding your body with fat and protein instead of carbs/glucose BUT because there is not enough insulin. BG levels go really high and create an acidic environment in the blood and the combination of acidity and ketones is extremely toxic and can result in organ damage/failure, coma and death is very extreme situations. This is called Diabetic KetoAcidosis or DKA.
I would recommend that you ask for a means of testing for ketones.... usually Ketostix to dip in your urine... to test when your BG levels are persistently mid teens or above. Usually DKA becomes more likely with BG levels above 14 and insufficient insulin in your system, but of course you have no way of gauging how much insulin you are producing on a daily basis, so being able to check for ketones is a way of keeping yourself safe and then if they suddenly develop, you need to seek urgent medical assistance, where they can give you insulin. Usually you will see easy or unexplained weight loss as you are approaching this crisis point, where the body starts "eating itself" because it can't get fuel from food. This is OK if you are Type 2 and producing enough insulin and is how Keto diets work, but in the absence of enough insulin, when BG levels go high, it is dangerous.
Sorry to overload you with a lot of info but unfortunately in the current climate GPs are reluctant to refer people to clinics because many of them are overwhelmed with cases, plus there is a cost implication to a referral and then GPs simply don't know enough about diabetes in many cases to really understand the potential risks of a misdiagnosed Type 1, so you have to gain knowledge and understanding yourself in order to keep yourself safe and push for the help you need.
I would say that the minimum you want from the appointment is some Ketostix to test for ketones when BG levels are high and to plant the seed of doubt in your GPs mind about your Type 2 diagnosis. The best would be Ketostix and a referral to the consultant, but I think you may struggle with that straight off as you haven't tried medication yet.
