Newly diagnosed at 34

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JamesW

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Type 1.5 LADA
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Hi everyone,

I got diagnosed 3 weeks ago as T2 with HbA1c of 105 and prescribed Metformin then a week after it got changed to LADA after a antibody test, looks like I went undiagnosed for over 2 years as a referral from the opticians got lost. And now injecting insulin once a day as well as the Metformin.

This whole situation seems like it’s never going to get better
 
Welcome @JamesW 🙂 It will get better. You’ll gradually find things easier as time passes. The good news here is that you’ve now got the correct diagnosis. Too many adults are assumed to be Type 2 when they’re actually Type 1/LADA.

What insulin are you taking? How’s your blood sugar?
 
Thanks, I have been prescribed 6 units of Abasaglar and 3x 500g metformin per day and my average blood sugar for the last week has been 8.4
 
It’s strange they didn’t take you off the Metformin @JamesW Will they be adding a bolus/fast/meal insulin and stopping the Metformin soon?
 
Not that I know about I spoke with the nurse at the start of the week and they confirmed to continue my current medication
 
Is that a hospital Diabetes Specialist Nurse or just a nurse at your GP surgery? Metformin is for insulin resistance, which is associated with Type 2 rather than Type 1. Personal question, but are you overweight at all? That can cause insulin resistance.
 
Hi James
I was in your situation a few months ago. It can be quite overwhelming at first, but you will get into a routine as time goes by. I was treated for Type 2 and given Metformin originally. When I was put on Insulin in January the practice nurse suggested I stay on Metformin also. I stopped as soon as I’d seen the diabetes nurse- who had a different opinion. Make sure you talk to the specialists. My go prevented me from seeing them for an entire year- which wasn’t helpful for me in any way.
Duncan
 
Inka said:
Is that a hospital Diabetes Specialist Nurse or just a nurse at your GP surgery? Metformin is for insulin resistance, which is associated with Type 2 rather than Type 1. Personal question, but are you overweight at all? That can cause insulin resistance.
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It is a nurse at the GP I have an appointment in August to see a specialist. Yes I have a BMI of 44
 
It is strange to leave you on Metformin James. As you are effectively Type 1 with a slower and later onset you will need insulin eventually, and usually people are put straight onto insulin to protect your remaining beta cells. I am glad that you have your referral to the specialist team, as the GP nurse will be much more used to treating T2 and may have little experience of T1.5/LADA/Type 1.

You will gradually get into a new
Routine of testing/checking and injecting. Do ask any questions that arise and know that nothing is considered silly on here. Just ask.
 
I was initially assumed to be Type 2 and left on Metformin alongside MDI until my second consultant appointment about 6 months after diagnosis, and I am not sure if it was simply overlooked or they were waiting for confirmation of Type 1 (ie antibody test results) before removing it from my treatment.
Perhaps in your case, the Metformin is being retained because you have a high BMI, or like me they haven't thought to remove it. Do you suffer any side effects from it? Might be worth making a note to ask about it if your Type 1 diagnosis is confirmed, but they may continue with it because of your BMI
 
SB2015 said:
It is strange to leave you on Metformin James.
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I don’t think it’s that strange to take metformin given BMI 44
 
rebrascora said:
. Do you suffer any side effects from it? Might be worth making a note to ask about it if your Type 1 diagnosis is confirmed, but they may continue with it because of your BMI
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Side effect wise I haven’t noticed any but it was the opticians that originally sent me to the GP 4 weeks ago to get a blood test as they noticed bleeding in the back of my eyes and the referral they sent 2 years ago seemed to get lost.
 
Have you had your diabetic retinal screening yet? Really sorry to hear that you have a bleed and very bad that your levels have potentially gone untreated for 2 years. 😱 If you haven't had your retinal screening appointment yet, do push for that to be sorted urgently, particularly when an issue has been identified by the optician.
 
rebrascora said:
Have you had your diabetic retinal screening yet? Really sorry to hear that you have a bleed and very bad that your levels have potentially gone untreated for 2 years. 😱 If you haven't had your retinal screening appointment yet, do push for that to be sorted urgently, particularly when an issue has been identified by the optician.
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Is a retinal screening different from a normal eye test as that is all I have had so far?
 
JamesW said:
Is a retinal screening different from a normal eye test as that is all I have had so far?
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The retinal screening is an NHS service although sometimes contracted out to private opticians and is separate of any optician appointments that you have. A bleed identified by the optician needs checking out and perhaps a course of treatment if it is very serious, although most tend to be minor, but definitely push for a retinal screening appointment asap when your optician has spotted a problem.
Retinal screening is one of the routine tests for those of us diagnosed with diabetes. It used to be an annual test but if you have the all clear for several years it may become once every other year. As you have a bleed, that needs checking out and a plan formulated. If it is just very minor, then they usually just monitor via the annual check and can resolve itself as your diabetes is better managed and your BG levels become more stable, but if it is more serious then they may need to monitor it more closely, perhaps every 6 months or opt for treatment straight away if very serious. It definitely needs checking out and a decision made. Many of us have had very minor bleeds which are referred to as "background retinopathy" and certainly mine and others resolved itself with good diabetes management, but others have had more serious bleeds and needed treatment and it is very important to get prompt attention in those cases.
 
Welcome to the forum @JamesW

When I read your thread title, even before reading your first post my immediate thought was “I wonder if he’s been classified as T2 but will end up actually being T1”. Mid-30s seems to be a definite hot-spot for that particular merry-go-round.

Good to hear you’ve been started on insulin, but sorry to hear it looks like things ought to have been started 2 years ago!

Hopefully you’ll be started on mealtime insulins soon. To my mind there’s no benefit in just taking long-acting insulin in your situation. Far better to use the insulins for their proper purpose, even at small doses. Long acting to cover glucose trickled out from the liver 24/7, and short acting to cover meals and snacks.

Long acting is hopeless at dealing with meals - even if you still have a few remaining beta cells gamely fighting on.
 
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