My endo says that she ran the correct test for islet antibodies, but I don’t think so. The test was to be for islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies. When I went to the independent lab, they said that was vague and called the dr to clarify. The test that she had the lab run was Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, which, according to the lab test online site is:
“To help detect, diagnose, and sometimes monitor certain forms of systemic vasculitis” or “To help distinguish between Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.”
I asked her (in a vague, unassuming, non- threatening way) if that was the test for the islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies, and she said yes, but I can’t find any correlation between the two tests and I can’t find any info showing that the Antineutrophil test directly relates to LADA antibodies.
I would love to, but she is not very approachable, in my opinion. At my last visit she said (when I asked if she prefers questions to come by phone or email) that she gets a “gazillion emails” and that she is a single mom, full time artist (her eyes cut briefly to her art on the wall) and full time dr, so all questions other than emergencies should be saved for appointments. And she jumped on me for something I drank (Ensure) that caused high blood sugar, but didn’t address the fact that I had a number over 200 (I am not a diagnosed diabetic yet) which is a new development.
Also, she said “yes, the test is your ANA.” Which is not correct. The test she ran is called ANCA. The ANA is antinuclear antibody.
Endos take a long time to get into. They are very backed up and sometimes you get a bad one. We have plenty of stories of bad endos in this group. I was sent to one that was awful. I had an uncle that died of type 1 and no history of type 2 in my family. But my GP at the time said no I wasn’t type 1, that drugs wouldn’t work on me at all if I was type 1. Which is so wrong. She sent me to an endo who I asked too and he said I wasn’t a type 1 and never bothered to test me. In fact he just wanted to put me back on some of the drugs that made me so sick.
I refused to go back to him and I switched my doctor to an internist. My new doctor sent me to the new endo they hired who tested me without even asking and I was diagnosed right. Best decision I ever made. It turns out that is how a lot of Type 1/LADA’s end up properly diagnosed…when they switch doctors.
So I would switch. You want someone no matter what that you can communicate with and feel like you get the information and proper help you need.
