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gingermum2

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Hi all.

my partner is a very slim type 2 who cannot control his sugars - is a hgv driver, never had a hypo but none of the suggestions I make for food seem to be correct. As he is under his expected weight I’m struggling to see how he’s type 2. Is there a type 1.5 ? How come my GPS not see that he is in between type one and two? I really don’t know what to do for meals now .

me? I’m an overweight mum of 2 with PCOS so finding out how I can regulate my meals to help me - not type 2 or pre type 2 either (considering) anyway enough of me, hoping to help him and by gosh he needs it. He binges on sugary stuffs when bored
 
Welcome @gingermum2 🙂 To answer your questions, yes there’s a Type 1.5 but some people don’t really use the term. Type 1 can be diagnosed at any age. More people are diagnosed with Type 1 as adults than as children.

There are slim Type 2s so that doesn’t automatically rule Type 2 out. Can I ask a little more about his diagnosis, his blood sugars now, etc? Is he on any medication for the diabetes.
 
Inka said:
Welcome @gingermum2 🙂 To answer your questions, yes there’s a Type 1.5 but some people don’t really use the term. Type 1 can be diagnosed at any age. More people are diagnosed with Type 1 as adults than as children.

There are slim Type 2s so that doesn’t automatically rule Type 2 out. Can I ask a little more about his diagnosis, his blood sugars now, etc? Is he on any medication for the diabetes.
Click to expand...
Yes he’s on glucophage, jardiance, gliclazide as well as thyroxine and ramapril. Blood sugars usually 10 ish. He eats breakfast when he comes home from work, sleeps til 5, has tea and then goes to work
 
Quite a few meds then. That must be hard. One option is to ask for a C Peptide test and possibly a Type 1 antibodies test. That would help confirm this diabetes type. Does he have Type 2 in his family?
 
His uncle had type 1. Mum who’s also thin has type 2 but dad had no diabetes that he was aware of. Been type 2 for 20 odd years but always been slim. Lost all his body mass most recently having been on stigagliptin (?) now on thyroxin but displays as under active thyroid. Will have a word with the surgery as he’s already had a restriction on his hgv licence despite never having a hypo. But his blood sugars are usually high. He binges the kids lunchbox snacks - not just one but say a whole packet and he can’t help himself. I buy porridge oats and lacto free milk, I buy fresh fruit and veg. He won’t eat rice or pasta - or even much potato … he’s so hard to cater for
 
Hmm, so a history of both types then. I think I’d speak to the surgery but I’d also try to encourage your partner to stick to a reasonable diet if only for a week, say, so that you can get a true picture of whether it helps.
 
Hi @gingermum2,

Sounds like you have got your work cut out for you with such a sweet tooth! I'm certainly no expert, but as you've already alluded to, his diet seems to be the primary cause of his T2 condition. Being stick thin isn't a guaranteed way to avoid T2 I'm afraid. Here's a link to an article that covers additional risk factors, including smoking, diet etc.

www.healthline.com

Is It Possible for Skinny People To Get Diabetes?

It's a myth that only overweight or obese people can develop diabetes. In fact, other risk factors such as a family history, excess visceral fat, and high cholesterol play a larger role.
www.healthline.com www.healthline.com

Good luck!
 
Hi.
I would be pushing for a referral to a specialist diabetes clinic because the current regime through the GP surgery does not seem to be sorting the problem. The sudden loss of body mass and craving sweet stuff could be an indication that he is no longer producing enough insulin.
I would be curious to know if his mother is on insulin? If people are diagnosed with diabetes as mature adults they often get labelled as Type 2 when in fact they may be Type 1. This is because Type 1 often comes on more slowly in older people and so may initially respond to Type 2 medication and doctors are often of the misunderstanding that Type 1 only exhibits in children so it is not uncommon for people to be misdiagnosed particularly if they are slim. It is just assumed to be progressive and they need stronger and stronger drugs and eventually insulin rather than doing tests to clarify the Type and being put on insulin sooner.
How frequently does he test and when?
What was his most recent HbA1c result and when was that. How recently did he start noticeably losing muscle mass?
 
Sorry to hear the struggles you and your partner are facing @gingermum2 :(

Sometimes it can be really hard for people to come to terms with a long term diagnosis like diabetes, perhaps especially if they don’t feel they ‘fit the mould’.

It does sound like it might be worth getting some additional support and input because of his a-typical presentation and because there are different sorts of diabetes in the family.

Hypothyroid can be autoimmune in nature and autoimmune conditions can come in pairs or more.

Let us know how you and he get on
 
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