Hi:)

So I’m new to all this and I know alotttt about type 2 but not any other types really. I haven’t been truly diagnosed yet but my GP is thinking there’s something up because my symptoms are diabetic. Shaking/headaches, insatiable thirst, frequent urination, numbness/tingling in my toes/feet.

I don’t really know about my dads side since I live with my mom but my moms side has many type 2 diabetics (mom, aunt, grandfather and his siblings etc). I didn’t realize you could be athletic small build and low weight/bmi but still be type 2? I just turned 24 and I’m only 5 ft and weigh 115.

I’m waiting on the bloodwork to come in a1c?, glucose, and some others she had ticked off. In the mean time I got my own metre (cheap one from Walmart) and the readings I’ve gotten so far are :

Friday was 8.9 mmol 2 hours after eating dinner, Yesterday morning was 6.9 when I woke up and 2 hours after lunch yesterday was 8.4, I just had a reallyyyy small bowl of rice today because it was one of those quick microwave ones and glucose was 7.7, I haven’t tested yet from dinner tonight cuz I got home late from practice and due to test at 11 cuz I ate at 9.

Any insight would be helpful. Apparently I can’t be type 1? But I don’t see how I could be type 2. I know the readings aren’t crazy high but they aren’t all “normal” either.

Unfortunately, your numbers are definitely diabetic. You could definitely be Type 1. Type 1 in adults tends to come on more slowly. In addition to the tests you mention you need to get a c-peptide and antibody panel to determine your Type.

I hopefully will discuss this with my GP. She starts at her new office tomorrow and I know she has a diabetes "team" and there is an endo there among other specialists. I just tested from after dinner and got 6.4 which is a "normal" value. Is it possible at the beginning to just have fluctuationg glucose readings? I'm so confused :(

Who knows ...you maybe type 1 ?? and " honey mooning" :) ...let's wait till the results are in ..take it one step at the time AliciaM ...and Welcome to Tu and the Canada group as well !! ...I live in the Shuswap

Numbers fluctuate in general and it also depends on what you eat.

and activity ...I am off for my eve.... walk next :)

Hi Alicia: I am not sure why you say "apparently I can't be Type 1"? With elevated blood sugar, age 24, and athletic, certainly it is more likely that you are Type 1. If Type 1 is caught early, readings won't be "crazy high." I hope you get the answers that you need from your doctor, and TuD is a great place to ask questions and get support. Also, I wrote my top ten tips for the newly diagnosed Type 1 that may be useful to you. Keep us updated!

Well, your blood sugars are higher than normal and you should get it checked out. And while some authorities (like Bernstein) would diagnose you as diabetic, you don't really meet the threshold of an overt diabetes diagnosis. You tested your morning blood sugar and it was at 6.9 mmol/L (124 mg/dl), the threshold for a fasting number is 7 mmol/L (126 mg/dl) and usually applied to a before meal reading (as opposed to first thing in the morning). And your after meal readings were 8.9 mmol/L (160 mg/dl) at their highest 2 hours after a meal and often much lower even with what was probably a fair amount of carbs. The threshold for diagnosis 2 hours after a meal is 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dl).

So right now, your measurements, while not normal would categorize you as a pre-diabetic with both impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. Your numbers before and after meals are not normal, but they are not officially diabetes. Yet.

That being said, I do think this is cause for alarm. It is cause for alarm for anyone, including a young woman such as yourself. It is prudent to follow up and do all the tests necessary to diagnose and characterize your diabetes. You could be either T1 or T2 and the suggests from Melitta and others are helpful. And remember, despite many claims that T2 is a condition of old fat people, it actually is much more complex and can strike people who are younger and are thin. And you are too young and your blood sugar does not seem high enough to have caused any complications and your symptoms may not be due to diabetes at all.

And just to keep things in context, if I had your blood sugar readings, I would be pleased.

So I went to the doctor this morning.

She was really mostly concerned apparently with my B12. It's supposed to be over 220 and mine was 17. So I started monthly B12 shots today. She said that was what's more or less responsible for most of my symptoms. I then said what about the dry mouth/insatiable thirst and frequent urination and high sugars?..She said that my sugars aren't too bad and that she wouldn't worry about it until I get to like 13 or 14 post prandial. She did however say I am pre-diabetic but not to worry about it for now. I was like well how do I fix the problem of ALWAYS being thirsty and I drink and it doesn't do anything? She said well that may be because of the B12 so hopefully that fixes it?...and the frequent urinating she sent a urinalysis.. So that was the consensus I'm "pre-diabetic but don't worry about that for now". ..

Ok..lol

A B-12 that low is concerning. How is your diet? You aren't a vegetarian or vegan are you? B-12 deficiency can cause neuropathy and it is just like diabetic neuropathy (and is just as serious).

I supplement with Costco B-12 supplements which are a mega dose of 16,667% of the RDA. There is an even higher dose Costco supplement as well.

I was a vegetarian ...I am not anymore so I'm gonna try to up my red meat comsumption and veggies that have b12. She said in 3 months that I'll have to redo bloodwork and I have to get the shots once a month. Got the first one today and it hurt...lol stupid muscle injections!

She was not very concerned about my 10.2 reading I got..she was like well that is almost diabetic but not too concerning and if it goes into the 13/14 range then I'd be more concerned.

this is what CDA's 2013 Clinical Practice Guide lines state http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/Browse/Chapter4
I hope I am not confusing your issue Alicia ...but have a read , when you have a chance