Shock type2 diagnosis aged 42

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carla42

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Type 1.5 LADA
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Hello all
I've just accessed my hba1c result online, so not yet confirmed by the gp but it looks like I will be diagnosed type 2. The result is 72. The test was repeated because it was 69 last week, which came as a complete shock having taken the test yearly for the last 3 years, always getting in the high 30's range.
I've not yet been offered any treatment or advise but I'm completely panicking, knowing nothing about this condition and hearing all the terrible potential outcomes.
I was being tested because I'm overweight and diabetes runs in my family. But no-one was diagnosed this young (I'm 42) and I considered it a condition of old age. Even the GP was shocked that I'd skipped the 'pre' stage, hence requested the repeat test.
My concerns is that since I have no symptoms, I'm going to struggle hugely to lose weight while feeling absolutely fine and having no urge to change anything.
Any advice welcome.
Edited to add screenshot of results in case this is helpfulScreenshot_20240820_101811_Patient Access.jpg
 
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What a big jump! No wonder you are surprised. Question is what caused it, diet or something else. As an initial dietary check you could compare this red, amber, green list with what you eat.

I imagine members with experience of something else will reply too.
 
Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear that you have jumped straight into full blown diabetes quite suddenly. Have you been ill recently or perhaps put on medication for something else. Steroids in particular can increase blood glucose levels. Have you noticeably put on or lost weight recently or been more sedentary than usual?

Unfortunately people are developing Type 2 a lot younger these days but also Type 1 diabetes can develop in people of any age and comes on more slowly in adults sometimes so whilst it is perhaps most likely that you are Type 2 if you are overweight and have a family history of it, there is always the slight possibility that you might be Type 1 with a sudden and dramatic increase in HbA1c like that.

I appreciate that it is not easy to make dietary changes, but with an HbA1c that high it is necessary as medication alone will not manage it. I think one of the hardest things about diabetes is that most people don't get symptoms until it is too late or the symptoms deveop so slowly that they simply don't notice them. Unfortunately long term complications of diabetes have huge negative impacts on people's lives and their nearest and dearest, so it is really important to make some changes and get it well managed. Tablets will only do so much and if you don't make dietary changes it usually becomes progressive and stronger or more medication is required.

That said, making dietary changes has had a very beneficial effect on many of us, not just for diabetes but also other health issues. Since I went low carb, I have less joint pain, my gut health is much improved and no longer have regular acute migraines and my skin is much happier..... I have had dry itchy flaky skin all my life and it is much improved. I was a sugar addict and carb monster (bread and potatoes particularly) pre diagnosis, so there was a big dietary change to make, but I have discovered new tasty foods to replace them and actually I enjoy my food just as much now, but it is just different.
 
Thank you for your replies, much appreciated. To answer your questions, no, I haven't changed anything regarding lifestyle or medication for years (hypothyroid for years but stable). The gp agreed there is a small possibility of type 1 and I'm waiting for results of that but it's unlikely. I have no symptoms and lead a very active lifestyle. I do love sugar and carbs but that has always been the case and I would say I eat a fairly healthy diet along the occasional treat. I am going to try to curb the sugar and carbs but I'm a bit in shock to be honest, trying to take this all in.
 
Is your hypothyroidism an autoimmune condition? Just wondering because Type 1 is also autoimmune and it is common to get others once you have one autoimmune condition.

Do you know which tests they did for Type 1? Hopefully C-Peptide which if a blood test needs special processing which is generally only available at a main hospital. The urine C-Peptide test is generally less reliable but easier to process. The other tests are for antibodies. Sometimes they just test GAD antibodies but ideally they should check for the full range. It takes about 6 weeks for the antibody tests results to come back. If you have had a virus (Covid is suspected to have triggered a number of additional cases of Type 1) then that could be a tipping factor in your levels suddenly heading upwards so dramatically. .
 
carla42 said:
Thank you for your replies, much appreciated. To answer your questions, no, I haven't changed anything regarding lifestyle or medication for years (hypothyroid for years but stable). The gp agreed there is a small possibility of type 1 and I'm waiting for results of that but it's unlikely. I have no symptoms and lead a very active lifestyle. I do love sugar and carbs but that has always been the case and I would say I eat a fairly healthy diet along the occasional treat. I am going to try to curb the sugar and carbs but I'm a bit in shock to be honest, trying to take this all in.
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It can be a shock to have a diagnosis especially when it has come very suddenly but I hope it will motivate you to make some changes. People often feel they eat a healthy diet but it is sometimes not the case if diabetic.
Have a look at this link for some ideas for modifying your diet which is a low carb approach which many have found successful in both losing weight and reducing blood glucose. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Yes my hypothyroidism is an autoimmune condition. What you're saying is interesting, I hadn't considered it and the gp didn't mention it. I believe the test was the antibody test but not sure. It came as a regular blood test request, which I had done at my local clinic. I will look into autoimme comorbodities.
The other thing I thought relevant was that I donated blood the day before the first test which I thought might have spiked my results. But the gp dismissed this and the second test corroborated that.
 
@carla42 I have been taking Thyroxine for a very long time and was diagnosed type 2 almost 8 years ago now.
My weight gain seems to have been a consequence of my type 2, not the reason for it, and by getting my blood glucose back in the normal range my weight fell quite dramatically without any effort at all. The amount of Thyroxine I need to take has gone down in the time I've had normal numbers.
 
Leadinglights said:
It can be a shock to have a diagnosis especially when it has come very suddenly but I hope it will motivate you to make some changes. People often feel they eat a healthy diet but it is sometimes not the case if diabetic.
Have a look at this link for some ideas for modifying your diet which is a low carb approach which many have found successful in both losing weight and reducing blood glucose. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
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Thank you. I am learning that my diet is certainly problematic for a diabetic. And I probably was a bit in denial about quite how much junk I was eating.
 
If anything the blood donation would have dropped your HbA1c a bit as those red blood cells would need to be replaced with new "clean" ones which had not been exposed to the glucose in your blood, but it would take longer than a day to replace those red blood cells, so if you had donated a week or more earlier it might have lowered your levels. They will likely cause the person who received the blood to have an increased HbA1c at least short term, but if they need blood, that is probably the least of their worries and it will be diluted by their own blood as your pint would only be a fraction of their total.
 
Thank you for all the replies. I can see that some of you have been in remission for awhile, and that's reassuring. I have an appointment to speak to the gp tomorrow and hope to learn how to work towards remission and to get some advice about diet. In the meantime, I've just tried to eat less and cut out sugar.
 
carla42 said:
Thank you for all the replies. I can see that some of you have been in remission for awhile, and that's reassuring. I have an appointment to speak to the gp tomorrow and hope to learn how to work towards remission and to get some advice about diet. In the meantime, I've just tried to eat less and cut out sugar.
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Remember it is all carbohydrates that convert to glucose not just sugar.
 
Hi @carla42 and welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry about such an unexpected spike in your results, I'm sure it came as a shock and I'm hoping that your appointment with the GP tomorrow can shed some light on things for you.
Sadly there are a lot of misconceptions about the different types of Diabetes, but you getting on top of your diagnosis now is an investment not only into your present, but also your future. Of course it's easy to say these things as motivation can often be a real challenge, but the necessary changes need to be enjoyable to you, something that can become your new 'usual' and be sustainable. There's no reason to push ways of taking care of yourself that make you miserable.
Nowadays there's a lot of information out there (forum included), folk sharing their experiences, tips and tricks for food, struggles and successes, so it's not all 'doom and gloom'. See what the GP comes back with tomorrow and if there's anything that we can support with here - please reach out.
 
So here is an update on my unusual journey to discover I am diabetic.
My GAD and 2 other anybody tests, which my GP had ordered on the off chance I'm type 1 (considering age, suddennes of hba1c spike, and autoimmune thyroid comorbidity) returned today as positive and definitive. The diagnosis has been changed to type 1 (LADA).
It's another huge shock. Up until a few hours ago, I knew hardly anything about type 1.
I was doing well on a VLC diet, having lost about 6kilo in 4 weeks, and believing I have a good chance to achieve remission.
I feel lost....
 
Don’t feel lost @carla42 You’ve now got the correct diagnosis and you can move forward with that knowledge. Have you been given any extra or different medication yet? As you probably know, the treatment for Type 1/LADA is insulin, which might sound very scary, but it’s really not.

Ask anything you want. There are plenty of Type 1s here who can help, and a number diagnosed as older adults (not that you’re old!).
 
carla42 said:
I feel lost....
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Ah sorry you’ve had a bit of a whirlwind in recent weeks, but at least you have an explanation for the previous rapid rise in your HbA1c.

T1 is very manageable, and you will have access to the latest technologies, gadgets, and gizmos.
 
Thank you that is reassuring. I have been advised to carry on with VLC and metformin while I am waiting for the referral to endocrinology. At least that seems to help with weight loss. But tbh I feel like I am back to square 1, having to educate myself all over again while looking after a busy family and working full time. It's so overwhelming. Also, I found my motivation previously thinking I can make a difference but this feels so final and unforgiving, I am struggling to keep my spirits up.
 
Getting your head round it is ALWAYS difficult mate - before they invented the internet or anything useful day to day, more so - yet some of us are still here!

Classic LADA often responds well to metformin and carb reduction to begin with, sometimes even for years - but gradually keeping the BG down to a sensible level becomes harder, so insulin is introduced. Don't fight that when it happens - I know that will be another 'difficult' concept, of course it is - but HONESTLY not anywhere near as bad as your imagination thinks it is! - I know this, personally! Teeny tiny little needles - not like when you have eg a flu jab or the Covid ones as they are usually intramuscular jabs necessitating much longer needles than we need for the subcutaneous jabs we use for insulin! Oh and plus - the needles themselves are much thinner too - scarcely thicker than a human hair!

Best advice I can offer you is to ASK. Never, ever, stop asking, however many times you happen to need to ASK! - even if it's about the same thing. Some folk just aren't very good at explaining, is all, not because you're stupid!

Finally - {{{Hugs}}} - cos we all need them however old we are! :care:🙂
 
trophywench said:
Getting your head round it is ALWAYS difficult mate - before they invented the internet or anything useful day to day, more so - yet some of us are still here!

Classic LADA often responds well to metformin and carb reduction to begin with, sometimes even for years - but gradually keeping the BG down to a sensible level becomes harder, so insulin is introduced. Don't fight that when it happens - I know that will be another 'difficult' concept, of course it is - but HONESTLY not anywhere near as bad as your imagination thinks it is! - I know this, personally! Teeny tiny little needles - not like when you have eg a flu jab or the Covid ones as they are usually intramuscular jabs necessitating much longer needles than we need for the subcutaneous jabs we use for insulin! Oh and plus - the needles themselves are much thinner too - scarcely thicker than a human hair!

Best advice I can offer you is to ASK. Never, ever, stop asking, however many times you happen to need to ASK! - even if it's about the same thing. Some folk just aren't very good at explaining, is all, not because you're stupid!

Finally - {{{Hugs}}} - cos we all need them however old we are! :care:🙂
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Honestly, this means so much to me. On a very logical level explains better than my gp why metformin seems to help. But also, just the reassurance that it's going be OK. Thank you!
 
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