After a rocky first week I’m starting to get the hang of it and I’m seeing some great numbers. My waking BG has been great, 5.5 - 6.5 and 2 hr post numbers have been great also, 4.6 - 8. I’m so thankful that I can now eat 30g of carbs per meal. For the last couple of years I was keeping my meals to 0-10g of carbs and still my numbers were 10 - 14 at 2 hours. I’m like you very thin at 6’-1" and 150lbs with very little body fat so I’m probably insulin sensitive and dont need much (I take 4 units of Apidra at meals and 8 units of Lantus at bedtime). My A1C had gone from 6.1 to 7.9 in the last 6 months so that’s why insulin was started. I was also diagnosed by my family Dr as Type 2 but when specialist saw me 5 years later he told me I’m Type 1 or 1.5.
I doubt with your A1c of 5.7 you will be put on insulin unless you find a Dr who believes starting insulin therapy early helps save some of your remaining beta cells. Please let me know how it goes and if you need any help just let me know.
Thank-you so much for your response. Really appreciate it.
My story somewhat mirrors yours. Had a fasting BG of 101 eighteen months ago on a routine physical. Six months later had an A1C of 6.0 and given the type 2 talk by my primary care doc. Reduced carbs and lost 10 pounds in 2 months, not that I needed to. A repeat of my A1C this Feb. yielded a 5.7. I purchased a glucometer and only looked at arising BG and 2 hour post meal BG for awhile, then abandoned this thinking I was okay.
A functional medicine doc spoke to me about diabetes 1.5 and the use of GAD antibody testing. Well he order the GAD blood work and it came back positive at 157.9. His response–go home and meditate to cure yourself! And I am paying for this. Primary care doc said I was too old to be a type 1 at age 60. Well I am autoimmune hypothyroid well controlled on medication for the last 13 years. One autoimmune disease can lead to another. Primary doc asked for me to send him info on 1.5! Shouldn’t he be paying me for this? BTW, he teaches at a local medical college one day a week!
Oh well, off to see an endo. Had other antibodies checked out, and all negative. He wants me on 30 grams carbs per meal, mainly of whole grains. Well I am gluten intolerant (questionably celiac) for 15 years now. Even safe grains like rice spiked me about 150 quickly and would not come down for hours, telling me I do not have enough insulin to perform the job of eating well. Low carbs it is, and my numbers look reasonably good, but to what end? Beta cells are dying. I am now a bit underweight and cannot gain a thing. I eat 3 good meals of protein and vegetables a day with good fats and some seeds and nuts. No coffee because of heart palps. I must be insulin sensitive too as a 30 minute power walk can drop my BG by 40 points (US scale).
Like you, I am also very active and walk miles a week, and do weight training, eat organic foods, take care of myself. What a way to move into retirement! Not to mention the cost here in the US. I really fear that insulin will ruin my exercise life with low blood glucose. How are you adjusting your exercise? Does early insulin use spare beta cells? My endo would not give me an answer. Seeking a second opinion from another endo in mid-August.
Glad to hear you are doing better. Yes, the correct diagnosis is a boon. So adjusting to insulin is going well for you. Mandolin
Hi @Mando1, I can’t answer all your concerns here, but I can tell you we have plenty of members here who’ve been diagnosed w autoimmune type1 (aka type1.5 or LADA) who are in their 60s or older. we have a member here who is quite knowledgeable on the subject and she wrote this post, which is kind of a classic here
Sorry you are having to go through this. I struggled for 5 years to get a proper diagnosis and believe if I was properly diagnosed earlier the last couple of years would of been much better for me (0 carb meals are boring ). Wow, you suffer from palps with caffeine? I was diagnosed with SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia) when I was in my 20s and had heart pounding at 240 beats per minute. I would go to ER and given a shot of Adensine to revert. I learned that caffeine and alcohol were triggers and have been caffeine free for about 10 years now.
I hope you find an endo who is more knowledgeable than current Dr. When I was first diagnosed my family Dr also didn’t know what Type 1.5 and LADA were, I too had to educate her.
Thank you MarieB. I have followed Melitta at various postings here at Tu Diabetes and elsewhere. I am aware that LADA is not rare, but try telling my PCP that. I have Hashi’s autoimmune thyroiditis and gluten issues, so this all goes together. Still I am very sad as this will make for a very different retirement for me. I have had 30 years of health issues and this is the only one I feel I cannot change. I have enough trouble eating and now diabetes. My endo is ok, but I will be seeing another one soon, supposedly more humane. Meanwhile I am on a low carb diet to keep my numbers good, but for how long until I have no beta cells? My real fear is that us older adults will be left out of research trials. Only support is from my husband and mental health care professionals. Other family and friends not so great at support, but this does not surprise me as this has been my experience all along for those who have chronic health issues. So I signed up here to at Tu Diabetes. Thank you Mando1
With the FRIO cases, just be sure to not OVER saturate the gel capsule pouches (it says this in the instructions also). If you do, the pouch loses it’s effectiveness. Soak pouches only as long as the instructions dictate (I think it’s 5 min in cold water, but check to be sure.)
I do not get a lot of support from family or friends, either. You are here, though @Mando1 – THIS community will try and give you all the support you want/need!
