type 1 or type 2

[scotstigress]

when i was first diagnosed they treated me as a type 2, 2 weeks down the line they decided i was actually a type 1, or type 1 and a half as the cosultant jokingly described it (sister D had dragged him out of a seminar to see me) she was concerned about the dodgy readings and the fact that while on tablets i couldnt really eat ANYTHING without spiking up to the 20's, is this common?? they said i displayed symtoms of both types?? no ketones in urine on admitance to hospital with bloods of 30+ but just a complete mess on tablets with major improvements on insulin...im type 1 they told me but how can i display both??

 

[aymes]

I had a similar experience when diagnosed. I initially went to the doctor at home (as opposed to uni) over the summer and the gp there treated me as type 2 as I 'hadn't been taken in in an ambulance' and initially had no ketones and was age 21 so from the gp's perspective older than would be suspected for t1.after a couple of weeks on tablets while getting steadily worse. When I returned to uni the doctors were very shocked and I was sent straight to the hospital and put on insulin, by that time I was displaying ketones and was on the verge of being very very ill. Very much type 1 and treated as such now!

 

[scotstigress]

cheers, i feel a million times better since they started to treat me as a type 1 guess the fact that i had to go see sister D for 7 weeks running was because they were unsure, probably because like you i didnt need an ambulance, was only 29 and had no ketones

 

[tracey w]

Aymes, so annoying that doctors just decide you are type 2 because of age? They did this to me too at age 42! You trust and believe them, they are doctors. After a while you realise that just because most type 1's are diagnosed as children it certainly is not rare to be diagnosed much later in life!

😡

 

[annemaria]

true tracey, frightening. i was diagnosed a few weeks ago without being ever told wat type, i read it on here and had to ask the specialist yesterday if i was rite. wat if i am type 1 instead? i got no bloods taken since the sample they took in hospital 2 weeks prior to diagnosis and havent been told any numbers or to check any numbers since. im a little in the dark which is beginning to make me think now.......

 

[aymes]

Since joining this forum I've been surprised by just how many were diagnosed type one as an adult, most people I've met were diagnosed quite early. It was a pain having the misdiagnosis initially but I'm certainly not critical of the healthcare I've received as a diabetic at all. I do sometimes wonder if it would have been easier developing it as a child but I guess on that one there's no real answer, the grass is always greener and all that...!

 

[Northerner]

Since joining this forum I've been surprised by just how many were diagnosed type one as an adult, most people I've met were diagnosed quite early. It was a pain having the misdiagnosis initially but I'm certainly not critical of the healthcare I've received as a diabetic at all. I do sometimes wonder if it would have been easier developing it as a child but I guess on that one there's no real answer, the grass is always greener and all that...!

I was diagnosed Type 1 at age 49 this year. Actually, they said I was 'probably' Type 1 but wouldn't wholly commit to it. I think I've been very lucky - the way I see it I've had 40-odd years with the potential of developing it, but living a 'normal' life🙂

 

[annemaria]

can i ask how they know? how do they make the call thats its one or two based on wat?

 

[Vanessa]

Type 1 or Type 2? This confused me and then I read about Type 1.5. I checked this out with a state registered dietician who specialises in diabetes care and there are differences in presentation for Type 1 and Type 2 that should lead to a diagnosis but equally there is nothing to stop a Type 1 developing insulin resistance (particularly if overweight and/or inactive) or a Type 2 developing Type 1 if their own insulin production stops! Apparently some experts believe that the two types are different diseases but others believe that it is simply a range from Type 1 to Type 2.



Vanessa

 

[aymes]

as I understand it it's the underlying causes that distinguish between the two types. In type1 the insulin producing cells are destroyed whereas in type two some of these cells remain but there are not enough and insulin resistance is often present (although as some others said can also be present in type 1).
There are common characteristics to each although as we can all prove there are exceptions to all these rules! Eg t1 usually occurs before age 40, t2 usually over. T1 must be treated with insulin (as it's an absense of the beta cells so no natural insulin) and t2 can usually be treated or helped, at least initially,by diet, exercise, tablets.

 

[kirsty-ann]

I am type 1 diabetic and had symptoms for over a year and was really poorly, my doctor said that it was unlikely I had diabetes because I was not overweight or over 30. It is amazing that you have to prescribe to a set of characteristics before action is carried out.

 

[sunflower_harvester]

when i was first diagnosed they treated me as a type 2, 2 weeks down the line they decided i was actually a type 1, or type 1 and a half im type 1 they told me but how can i display both??

Type 1.5 is called LADA-Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults-its type 1 plain and simpl but is often misktaken for type 2 as its usually diagnosed over age of 25-30 years, and usually doesn't present with ketoacidosis and sometimes people can be managed with tablets initially but if their blood levels of insulin are checked they are found to have a big insulin deficiency and most Drs feel its best to get them onto insulin straight away.

Basically its nearly identical to type1 (geneticall, metabolically and symptomatically) but in the early stages it behaves like type 2. Hope that helps explain where the confusion comes from

 

[paulnicholls]

GP says he thinks I'm a type 2, but maybe a Type 1 and he'll tell me when tests are back.

It's a bit like my hearing a weather forecaster last week talk of a '50% chance of rain'.

Talk about covering your bases!

 

[scotstigress]

thanks sunflower, i suppose they have to be caucious, insulin can be dangerous so administering it to someone who doesnt need it would be worse than letting the sugars spike for a few weeks. have not seen a consultant yet and they have not sent away bloods but being on insulin has made a tremendous difference to my well being so as far as im concerned, i follow a family tradition and stab myself daily...lol..

 

[Plastirion]

I was diagnosed type 2 in January. I'm 65 and not overweight. After months of feeling really poorly with muscle wastage and neurothopy I have been put on insulin and told I'm probably type 1. I still feel very ill and hope the insulin will do the trick. Joan

 

[runner]

Type 1.5 is called LADA-Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults-its type 1 plain and simpl but is often misktaken for type 2 as its usually diagnosed over age of 25-30 years, and usually doesn't present with ketoacidosis and sometimes people can be managed with tablets initially but if their blood levels of insulin are checked they are found to have a big insulin deficiency and most Drs feel its best to get them onto insulin straight away.

Basically its nearly identical to type1 (geneticall, metabolically and symptomatically) but in the early stages it behaves like type 2. Hope that helps explain where the confusion comes from

Thanks. that has explained a lot - sounds like me - diagnosed at age 52, and my DSN told me he likes to use the term 1 1/2 to describe my condition, but for all intnets and purposes, its type 1.

 

[runner]

Just found these 2 - they do explain a lot. I was a bit overweight, but had inexplicably started to lose it, get thirsty, thrush etc. prior to diagnosis. Once diagnosed, I lost about 2 1/2 stone (on purpose) trying to manage what was thought to be type 2, through diet, pills (metformin) and exercise. BSs went down, but not as much as expected. Went on to gliclazide - again helped a little bit, but not significantly - felt very demoralising as I was really trying hard with diet , exercise etc. Then, just a year later, it was decided I should go on to insulin. I proved to be quit sensitive to insulin, so took a little while to get dosing right, but management is not bad now, although I'm still trying to improve it 2 years down the line. Was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the same time as diabetes - which the article explains is a common feature of LADAs. I guess if they had used the test in the UK that they use in other contires, I could have gone on to insuoin earlier and retained some function in the pancreous - maybe I have?? Any other LADAs out there?

http://www.diabetesexplained.com/lada.html

http://www.locallada.swan.ac.uk/faq.html

 

[SacredHeart]

Yeah, when I was in the hospital, they gave me insulin AND metformin, because they 'couldn't quite make up their minds' which I was. It wasn't until they stopped giving me metformin, and I actually saw my discharge sheet, which said New Dx Type 1' on it, that I went, 'So I guess that's type 1 then!'

 

[runner]

I'm still on metformin as well as Insulin

 

[SacredHeart]

Oh, I know you can be on both, but their rationale for giving me metformin was 'just in case you're actually type 2!', which was a touch bizarre!