Maybe LADA?

Happy new year everyone! I have an issue and would like some feedback. I was diagnosed with type 2 3 years ago. My a1c went from normal to 13 in 2 months. My doc was very concerned thinking I may have pancreatic cancer so I was tested for that and many other things. She finally decided I was type 2. At first it was easy to control my sugar with diet and exercise and metformin. But last 2 years it has been harder and harder to control. No matter how few carbs I eat my sugar stays around 200-250. She now has me on 3 different meds, 1 an injectable, and still I have sugars in the 200 range. If I eat 20 carbs my sugar goes high! Do you guys think I could be LADA?

Whether or not you are LADA it sounds like you need insulin. Your A1C going from normal to 13 in 2 months followed by a year of good control sounds like LADA and a honeymoon period. Did you ever get any antibody testing done? Type 2 meds not working well enough is also a sign of LADA. What about C-peptide or insulin level testing? If you are type 2 then you would most likely have higher C-peptide levels.

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No testing. I did ask my doctor to test but she said no need. I have an appointment with a endo next month!

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@Sandy31 - One of our members, @Melitta, has written a great deal about diabetes and misdiagnosis. I recommend that you read about her experience with this topic.

You may do a TuD search to find Melitta’s content by using the magnifying glass icon at the upper right corner of your screen. Use the search term, “Melitta.”

At a minimum, your doctor should test your c-peptide level to find out how much insulin your pancreas currently produces. A very low c-peptide number suggests type 1 diabetes. Antibody tests should also be run. There are about six antibodies to check and just checking one might lead to diagnosis confusion.

Correct diagnosis is important, especially when it comes to getting insurance coverage for things like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Type 1 diabetics generally have more liberal coverage of these items. It’s not right but that is the current reality.

Good luck!

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Hi and welcome: As Terry mentions, I write/blog a lot about the problem of misdiagnosis, which could very well be your situation. Your BGs are too high IMO, is there any chance you could see the endo any sooner? Or talk with your regular doctor about getting on insulin? We must be our own best advocates, sadly. In a separate post, I will provide you with some helpful links.

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Hi: Here are some links that may be helpful. First, is an article in Diabetes Forecast about misdiagnosis of adults (T1D misdiagnosed as T2D based on age, not etiology). Then, this is a really good article in Diabetes Forecast about autoantibody testing + c-peptide testing. Autoantibody testing is so useful for people with adult-onset Type 1 diabetes, mainly because so many are misdiagnosed, and if a person is positive for one or more autoantibodies, the person has Type 1 and gets a correct diagnosis (and correct treatment with exogenous insulin).

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I agree with the other postings on this thread and would just confirm that for bg’s consistently above 200, and given the other things you say you are doing, there is no substitute for insulin to help get you into a healthier bg range. It’s amazing stuff.

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