How Long Until Insulin?

way to go Shawnmarie . . . totally agree :slight_smile:

Russell and Melitta,

I think you both bring up very good points and each of you is saying things that make sense to me.

Early insulin therapy may indeed preserve some beta cell function. But… if a change in diet can eliminate the need for insulin or other medications, at least for a few years, I think that’s also a pretty powerful thing. Every day without medication, even if you know it’s coming in the future, is a blessing!

I was Dx'd officially on Nov 16th. I was running very high CBGs, had lost 50# in about 3.5 months, polydipsia, polyuria, lethargic. My doc prescribed Metformin 500mg 2x a day over the phone on the 6th of November. At my appointment on the 16th she started me immediately on Levemir @ 2U a day, increasing it every day by 2 units until I got below 150. My next appointment the following week, she upped it a few extra units and dropped my "Good Zone" to 120. I am still increasing my insulin, will be at 46 tonight. She also upped my Metformin to 1000mg 2x a day. She also Dx'd me as being Type 1.5, as my C-peptide came back at 4.0, the scale is 1.1-4.4. We are waiting for the rest of the LADA antibody tests to come back. She is running GAD-65, ICA, IA2... basically the full workup.

I hate waiting. Not a very patient patient ;)

Thats for this thread! See I was under the impression through what I have read is that the older you are diagnosed with LADA the longer it takes to become insulin dependant. No idea why mind you and i'd like to read up on this if anybody has any links.

When I was first diagnosed at 16yo they thought I was typically T1, I had insulin for 6 months until I hit some sort of honeymoon period and had to come off of it, then I could still eat pretty much anything but now without any meds I am diet controlled only.

Personally, what I would love to know is why in us lot our pancreas' hasn't been entirely attacked yet, but is slowly attacked... it doesn't really make sense !

Sorry, I was rereading this thread and see that I did not respond. Yes, I had symptoms, especially extreme thirst. At first, the Endo did not believe I was diabetic, but I did go low carb, anyway. Someone turned me on to Dr. Bernstein. After reading his book, I adjusted my diet to really be low carb, excluding high sugar vegetables. I could see the thirst coming and going with the rise and fall of sugars. My eyes used to water, and I was getting fuzzy thinking. My goodness, I started arguing my case for diabetes June 2009. It is now, Xmas time, 2011. My restriction on having to use my glasses for driving was *removed* a couple of months ago because good control removed a lot of symptoms. My last fasting glucose was 89, but I had four times as many GAD antibodies to say I was Type 1, or LADA. I am strict Dr. B low carber and do Zumba until I am soaked and red in the face. I must exercise hard to keep my numbers normal. I just started glucophage xr because I am experiencing slight elevations of 100-107 in the am, but it only brings it down to 95ish. I am 58yo with a lot of arthritis, so I actually have to alternate hard exercise with a recovery time because the pain will make my bg rise. I may be batttling rheumatoid. IDK,...I have antibodies for that going on, too. It's hard to keep a balance. I have a busy life....How did I know? My older dds health improved when they went gluten free. We are Irish. I got the genetic testing and knew the link between celiac and type 1. I reread the journal articles on LADA and could not believe that I had the common gene. It was more reason to trust myself. BTW, I was probably lower carb than most people before I was diabetic. It may be why I lasted so long. I had a precipitating factor. I had an adrenal tumor causing Cushing's. When I finally was off of all replacement cortsol, and my remaining adrenal gland was functioning, my body exploded with autoimmune. I feel that that pushed me over the edge. All those years of hypercorticolism kept the autoimmune suppressed. Surviving one disease and getting another motivates me to keep well. It was a Cushie, a nurse, who helped steer me on the right path. Otherwise, I would have no idea. One person changed my life. I can feel shifts in my bg in either direction. Because of being a Cushie, I am also very aware of diurnal rhythms of cortisol, which affects glycemic control. Does that answer your question?

I was diagnosed in mid-April 2009, and began taking a small dose of insulin by the following February, 2010. Age 32 at diagnosis.

I don't think LADA can be managed with oral meds. LADA is really just type 1 with a diagnosis as an adult I was diagnosed at 39.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latent_autoimmune_diabetes

http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/type-1/about/lada_awareness_week

Same here. Perhaps all those others misdiagnosed had really bad doctors. I went straight from the hospital - they had to get my BG under 200 - to see an endo who did a bunch of test to confirm the diagnosis.

That is the common western medicine belief at this time. I'm trying to raise awareness that LADA may be reversible with diet and other lifestyle changes. In my case, diagnosed at 49, I believe the metformin merely helped buy time. I've started to hear from other type 1's who've brought pancreas function back. Even those previously on insulin, which I would not have assumed possible. I'm an experiment in progress. My numbers will have to stay perfect as they are now for years to be proof enough for some. For me, living normally, without obsession, with no lows and no needles or pumps, for however many years, is priceless. http://russellstamets.blogspot.com

For me, it was almost 2 decades. I was misdiagnosed with type 2, because I was fat and old. Took them 20 years to get around to an antibody test.

I started insulin this year. Before then, I did a fair to poor job managing with metformin and glyberide. Insulin is a blessing. My control is much better and I can eat what I want. (in reasonable portions). Don't fear it.

I'm writing a brief update. I was dxed as LADA in 2009. It is now 2013, and I'm still managing on exercise and very low carb diet. My last A1c was 4.9. That was not easy. The metaformin only lowered my bg maybe 5pts and did not make me feel well. Exercise works far better for me, but I really am required to exercise at a class or keep moving for the majority of my day. Shopping at Costco has an effect, as well as going up and down two flights of stairs all day long doing laundry. In recent months, I've found that I can drop to 70 just after being exposed to extreme cold, so I test more often in cold weather or when I sit down to relax.