SSRI/SNRI causes T1D?

how many people who are age 50, are getting T1D?

:raised_hands:

LADA isn’t the most common T1D diagnosis, but it happened to me. Unquestionably T1 and undeniably at age 50. I can’t speak to the SSRI/SNRI issue.
I’m actually grateful in the sense that so much has improved in terms of med-tech, insulins, bg management etc, from the time I was young (which would have been a more typical time for T1 to develop) until I was 50. I have the greatest respect for all you T1’s who managed all those years before the advantages available now.

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SSRI/SNRI are associated with an increased occurrence of Type 2 diabetes. Most research focusing on the etiology of Type 1 diabetes looks at genetic and auto-immune factors. Typically, Type 1 takes several years to develop, as beta cells gradually die off. When 70% or more of the cells are dead, Type 1 starts becoming evident. Do you have any logical reason to think that these drugs could cause an auto-immune response or increase toxicity that would destroy your beta cells, as opposed to harming your liver?

I suggest you find a study from a legitimate journal and investigate that way, to see if there is any association between SSRI/SNRI and autoimmunity. My cursory search could not find any.

[removed paragraph that was later found to be possibly incorrect]

I am not doubting LADA as a form of diabetes. What I am saying is that between 14% and 22% of people over age 40 use SSRI/SNRI medications. We are not seeing 14-22% of the population being Dx’d or even having T1.

My point being that if these medications caused T1, we would be seeing an enormous surge in LADA.

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Since I didn’t want to pass this off, I decided to investigate further, to see - from a lay perspective - whether I could find anything on autoimmunity or toxicity related to SSRI/SNRI. While I did find some articles related to toxicity, most were short-term effects, seizures, and cardiac disturbances, nothing indicating damage to other organs. As for immune disturbance, I didn’t find anything, but when I searched for SSRI and pancreas, looking for organ damage, I found this:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of acute pancreatitis: a population-based case-control study - PubMed (nih.gov)

Looking further, I found discussions of Type 3c diabetes and pancreatitis:

Pancreatogenic Type 3c Diabetes: Underestimated, Underappreciated and Poorly Managed

This other source provides measures for differentiating between the type:

When suspected, the presence of islet autoantibodies (e.g. against glutamic acid decarboxylase, islet cell antigen, or insulin) may confirm T1DM, and the presence of clinical or biochemical evidence of insulin resistance (e.g. acanthosis nigricans or hyperinsulinemia) can confirm T2DM. However, if uncertainty remains, T3cDM can be established by measurement of the PP response to mixed-nutrient ingestion.

Pancreatogenic (Type 3c) Diabetes | Pancreapedia

In the end, if the SSRI/SNRI use triggered pancreatitis, you might be able to confirm/refute that with the right tests.

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What did you mean about harming liver? What does that have to do with T1D? Effexor is associated with harming liver

I think the post after it was the most important, but I was wondering about the causes of Type 1 diabetes. The primary one we think about is genetics and autoimmunity but I wondered if there could have been toxicity affecting your organs. Nowadays, the liver seems to be the biggest concern, requiring tests before taking some medications, as well as during, but liver damage is not a cause of Type 1 diabetes.

As to my second post, there are cases where SSRI can lead to pancreatitis, and that can lead to diabetes. Was that ruled out in your case? Have you ever investigated that as a cause?

I can only speak for myself. I had rapid onset type 1. I had an upper respiratory infection that I couldn’t get rid of for a month. It turned out to be Coxsackie B virus. A virus known to cause type1 immune response from some people.

I still had the virus when I was admitted to the hospital for DKA. That’s the only way I knew what it was.
There was no one that I could find in my family with type 1.
I definitely think we have some genetic profile that makes us have an overactive immune system capable of attacking our own organs.

I read about it years ago, apparently the coxsackie virus has a protein on its surface that is similar to islet cells.

It doesn’t take much of an error to think they are infectious invaders.

Pretty much any virus can cause it, I read an article about Covid being the trigger.

No one knows the specific mechanism yet, or there might be many different ones.

According to my consultant it takes years and years (like 7 years) to develop. How then can a virus cause it prior to diagnosis?

I am talking about type1 diabetes which can develop in weeks or months.
In older adults it can take years for the islets to die off enough to warrant a diagnosis. That’s partially why they named it LADA. It’s onset presets differently and slower.( Latent Autoimmune diabetes)

In children and young adults it usually happens quite fast.

If it took 7 years you wouldn’t see any children under 7 with it, yet we see infants under a year old with type1.

As to the second part of your question,
I caught the virus, my immune system was fighting it off and then also triggered an immune response and my body killed off my islet cells because my islet cells were mistaken for the invading virus.
So my body killed off the islet cells and it did so very fast.
So yes the virus comes first then the autoimmune response then the cell death 5 or 6 weeks later in my case

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Although I think it is correct to question the idea that a short-term infection can lead to Type 1 Diabetes, beta cell destruction in autoimmunity typically takes 2 to 3 years, where about >75% is lost, not 7 years, although I imagine it varies, and longer time frames are possible. That said, there are numerous pathways and timelines…

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I was 8 when diagnosed. I had not been ill previously, nor was anyone in my family diabetic. I have never tried to figure out why I am a type 1 diabetic. Sometimes bad things happen and it is best to just to accept it and get on with your life. I am now almost 71, and I still don’t know of a family member who was or is a type 1.

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Wow that’s very encouraging. What’s the secret??

Because I was 32 at diagnosis I am seeing if I can blame myself for this devastation. If I was a child I probably wouldn’t.

I always wonder if SNRI caused it because the side effects where terrible beyond comprehension was feeling pain and flu symptoms throughout etc and then when I finally got off them I had a blood glucose of 18 (330 for our american friends).

Nevertheless, people like you put a smile on face and keep me hopeful.

I was 16 and healthy as a, broken down horse with a saddle on backward.

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Martin what do you think blaming yourself is accomplishing? Is it making you happier? Is it helping you cope with your new situation? How can you make any progress in your life, if you are living in the land of what ifs? Can you tell me how it is helpful to blame yourself?

I am sure being diagnosed at your age was extremely disappointing, but by trying to blame yourself you are making everything worse for yourself. I hope that you can soon begin to let go of the blame and start moving forward.

Marilyn

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Perhaps it is similar to the 5 stages of grief.
I was definitely in denial at first and I kept thinking I would get better on my own.

Then I accepted it but I also blamed myself for eating like crap, I was a college student after all.

However all my friends ate the same way and didn’t develop T1
I was also very fit and active.

It just goes to show you that there is no sense in blaming your self except that it might be part of the process.

I hope you can find the point of the process where you look forward and enjoy life as best as you can.

There is a bright side to everything. I’m a quasi expert on my own condition. I read everything I can find. I have a great interest in nutrition and overall health.
Not sure I would eat as healthy if I wasn’t diabetic.

My focus is that I got 34 years extra that my body didn’t want give me, and I intend to get 34 more, at least

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Hello All. I, too, developed T1D from Keytruda. Also, I have friend in NYC that developed T1D from OPDIVO.

I fear MS or Lupus next.

Deborah Jo Cunningham
Queenstown, Maryland

Pains me to hear that. Are these drugs know to be associated with T1D?

The drug I took is not know to cause T1D but I just had a feeling it had to do with it because it was the same time and also bc the drug made me feel horrible.

True. Checkpoint Inhibitors are known to mistake healthy beta cells, particularly beta cells in pancreas. In my case, all my beta cells that make insulin are dead and I must inject insulin everyday for the rest of my life.

I am predisposed to various autoimmune diseases, first papillary thyroid cancer, now T1D. I fear getting other autoimmune illnesses, such as RA, lupus and MS … the side effects of checkpoint inhibitors are worst than cancer.