Hi all.
New here. I recently had a glucose tolerance test done, ordered by my neurologist, as he is looking to endocrine or metabolic causes of neuro symptoms. Apparently I have “the look” of someone with some type of metabolic disorder. The test showed impaired glucose tolerance, and my primary care doctor said I had ‘pre-diabetes’. (The neuro is out of town for a couple weeks, so I am waiting for his opinion as well. Since I think he was looking for the more uncommon/ rare carbohydrate disorder. He ran every type of blood test I never knew existed!) Anyway, my primary basically said you’re on the way to type 2- and it’s not uncommon to manifest highs and lows in the pre-diabetes stage. I find this diagnosis hard to believe. For several reasons:
** I’m not overweight- at all! Honestly, I am probably underweight, because I have a horrible time keeping weight on, even though I eat ALL THE TIME. The running joke among my friends is about me needing eat every 3 hours. “gotta feed her every three hours, otherwise she either turns into the incredible hulk, or gets shaky and faint feeling.”
** I walk moderately every day- at least 20-40 minutes.
** I eat a balanced diet. I have other congenital heart conditions-- so I’ve always eaten healthy.
I don’t doubt the blood sugar levels being high. Just I don’t think I “fit” the mold, anywhere near at all for type 2. I think I had the GAD testing done, I had an amino acids plasma set done, which included some of the tests that I saw here under that testing. all came back normal. some at the low end of normal and some at the high end of normal. I’m a little confused, overall. I have a family history of type 1 (one cousin), hashimoto’s syndrome (another cousin), celiac disease (uncle), and various thyroid issues all on the maternal side. I have also had what I now know are reactive episodes since high school ( where i will get extra shaky, dizzy, blurring vision-- but once I sit or lay down and eat something, I feel tons better.)
I do have a horrible sweet tooth. Just awful, but it goes in cycles. Like I crave sweets sometimes. Sometimes I crave water, or something like tomato’s with salt.( I think it’s the salt.)
anyhoo— any thoughts? ideas? comments? words of wisdom? Thanks!!
Welcome, indy!
There are thin Type 2s & there are thin T2 members here. There’s also LADA & people who are misdiagnosed T2 based on age &/or weight.
You’re fortunate your doctor ordered many tests. Double check about GAD to see if it was done & which GAD tests were run. There’s a whole panel. Also, if just TSH thyroid was done, that’s not accurate to diagnose. Free T3 & Free T4 are the thyroid tests needed. Most docs just do TSH. Another test is C-peptide to measure how much insulin your pancreas is producing.
I had hypoglycemia my entire life. My symptoms were like yours–faint, shaky, ravenous. The family joke was to give me something to eat at the first sign of crankiness. It always worked. Despite doctors stating I was hypoglycemic, they never cautioned me to what this meant down the road. At 53, I was diagnosed Type 1. Like you, I’ve always been thin & could eat anything & everything without gaining weight. I often ate more than my 6’2" husband.
There can be highs & lows in the beginning stages of diabetes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re T2. You should see an endo.
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There’s a popular belief that persistent hypoglycemia early in life predisposes one to Type 2 diabetes later in life; I’m not sure why (the popular belief is “the pancreas just poops out because it was producing too much insulin”).
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There’s a slow-forming version of Type 1 diabetes called LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults). At its early stages, GAD and C-peptide levels will read the same way as they will for someone without diabetes (or with Type 2 diabetes). Many people with LADA have a “honeymoon period” (averaging in range from six months to two years) in which their doctors have them diagnosed as Type 2 and they respond (well at first, but then increasingly poorly) to oral diabetes medications. It is only towards the end of this period that the signs specific to Type 1 diabetes (presence of GAD antibodies) will become clinically observable.
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A number of the chronic medical conditions you’ve noted in your family are autoimmune diseases. Some of these conditions – like Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease – have a number of genes in common, making someone who has one autoimmune condition more predisposed to developing others.
One of the things to do is to get a meter now and start monitoring your blood sugars before and after meals. A normal fasting blood sugar is between 70-100 and you should be below 140 after 2 hours and back into normal range after that. See if your Dr can get you a meter and a prescription for test strips. Maybe you have done that.
As mentioned eating low carb now will help you alot no matter the type of diabetic you are.
I too am very thin actually considered “underweight” by my doctors, and I am a type 2 diabetic (diagnosed 9 months ago) I see now that there is no “mold” anyone can be a victim. Personally, I believe there is no pre-diabetes it means you are in the early stages of type 2 diabetes. I have hashimoto’s thyroid as well. I had horrible hypoglycemic episodes for about 6 years before diagnosis just like you, my Dr. said that “hypoglycemia” typically turns into “hyperglycemia”. I still have to eat every 2-3 hours even as a type 2 diabetic controlled with only diet and exercise because I still get low blood sugar. If I were you I would get a meter and start testing yourself. Did they do an A1C? Your best bet to prevent high and low blood sugar is a low carb diet. I personally eat about 80-100 carbs a day.
Thanks everyone for the replies. I know in the rational side of my brain that type 2 can come in all kinds of body types—I just also think that “classic” risk factors are just that for a reason. 
But, I will keep that bit of wisdom in mind.
It may also be important to note that the heart condition that I have is most often found in offspring of mothers with autoimmune disorders (particularly Lupus), of which my mom has none. Or at least has not been diagnosed with any of the more common ones for which we have been tested. Also my new-ish cardiologist has, since he met me 5 years ago, been trying to figure out which “syndrome” I have, as I apparently have the features of several. The neurologist I see is a resident and so he is overseen by whomever is available that day when I see him— and this last one said it was quite clear just by looking at me I had a metabolic or autoimmune disorder of some type. (he’s the one who ordered the endocrine panel, he said something about GAD panel, which I remember thinking was a weird name for a blood panel.) So, that’s two doctors who both feel basically the same way. Maybe that’s why I am having a hard time believing a straight pre type 2 diagnosis. My primary—well, I have felt for a while that I need a new one, and she just brushed this test off as nothing. Said she’d test me twice a year and that would be it. I am waiting for the test results from the glucose tolerance test to be posted to mychart, but if it’s not up soon, I will contact the endocrine lab directly for the results. (my primary just told me the test showed pre-diabetes but didn’t tell me the exact numbers, maybe because she figured they’d pop up on mychart eventually. mychart is an online snapshot of my medical chart that the hospital I go to has.)
I am not a needle person at all… you’d think with all the blood draws I’ve had just in the last year alone It wouldn’t bother me anymore… and the thought of sticking myself… ick. I know, I know-- something I have to get used to. 
thanks everyone for being so welcoming,
Welcome Indy! Please look at groups at the top of your page and click on it then you will find the group for Thin Type 2’s there. I think this will help you.
Finger sticks for glucose testing is nothing like having blood drawn, I promise. Just a tiny drop is needed.
Please keep us posted.