OK I read this thread. Here is my point of view!! I was dx;'ed Type 1 21/2 years ago at 52 in DKA, bs 673 and a2c 13.2. My points come from being on MDI and having my last 2 a1c of 5.7 & 6.0. Forget what the dx. is and start getting control!!! For me my next a1c after dx. was 7. something!! Diabetes is just blood sugar problem!!! Stop the damage, if I was you knowing now what I know. I would start insulin and see if the bs comes under control and then let the Dr’s figure it out. Take care of yourself!!! I have a Dr. that has pretty much decided my treatment is my control and just let them know if I change anything. LOL
The following is just my thought’s I am NOT!!! a Dr.!!! Always check with the DR’s!!!
Start insulin with a long(Lantus/Levemir) and short)Novolog/humalog) and see if that works!! If your bs gets better go from there. Don’t think it could hurt.
Hope this helped.
I am too in your similar situation. Diagnosed T2 in 2009 after bilateral pneumonia and a 2 week stay in the hospital. Started on metformin, didn’t help, then within a week on insulin. Lost lots of weight over an 8 month period (I am overweight but not obese), last lab set not insulin resistant (insulin level 6 on insulin), with low c-pep (but still making some), + insulin auto antibodies, but negative GAD. I am currrently on a pump (very insulin sensitive with a TDD of 17-25 units depending on carb intake as I try to eat carbs in moderation) , A1C very good, as we are trying to conceive (and my endo wouldn’t let me use any other oral meds). Last endo appt I asked again what she though about my recent labs, and said you are def T1 “ish” but your GAD is negative, But you are on insulin, so that is the treatment anyway. Wouldn’t officially re-type me.
If any one of the full suite of antibodies is positive, then by definition you have Type 1 autoimmune diabetes. GAD positive is not necessary, any of the antibodies will do. One study I saw showed that some people with adult-onset Type 1 diabetes are ICA positive but not GAD. IA-2 seems uncommon in people with adult-onset T1.
I was ICA negative but IAA positive which they say can happen if you are already on insulin.
Have sought a 2nd or 3rd opinion?
Let me say this to you. At some point in time, the kid gloves have to come off and you have be super brassy with doctors or they will not take you or your condition seriously. Be your own advocate. Are you doing any education on your own so you can ask doctors questions? Drs. will jack you around if they know you will not complain. They go to school for too many years to not be able to give you an idea of something.
When you are in a questionable state of affairs as yourself it is perfectly normal to go to a separate Endocrinologist and have another opinion…Do you have any diabetic clinics in your city? For an unrelated issue I had to go to several GYN’s before I receive a satisfactory diagnosis and treatment recommendation. the care for a Type 2 to a Type 1 or LADA is different. So it does matter which way your body is leaning towards.
I’m with Gerry on this. My medical team told me the exact same thing: "It doesn’t really matter what type you are. The solution is insulin."
I would say it really doesn’t matter what type as long as you’re getting the right medical treatment and tools to manage your BGs. I appreciate that that might have very different ramifications depending on your country’s health system. Of course, that’s setting aside the psychological ramifications, which is a different issue entirely!
For the record my endo describes me as Type ‘as yet undefined’ so maybe someday someone will write an academic paper about me lol
I have been to two endos and a good PCP. None are ready to type me because of the conflicting test results. As far as diabetic clinics, I don’t know. I will need to look.
I think my current endo would type me if the tests weren’t so odd. I am not positive for LADA, but I am not insulin resistant either.
We have tested and retested my thyroid levels. If I were close to being out of range, then I would consider the thyroid to be the culprit. My levels are good. I’ve seen the tests myself and agree.
Nothing to test for the MVP and Fibro, but I can tell those are under control. Thank goodness.
Agree with Lila and Gerri. Even though we would like doctors to know everything, there is still much about unusual forms of diabetes that they don’t know. You may have some unusual form that simply hasn’t been described, and the doc sounds like he’s not willing to simply stick you in a box where you don’t belong – to me he sounds like a conscientious doc who wants to do the right thing. Unfortunately, that may take some time.
I know it’s hard to have patience (unless you’re a doc, when you have lots of patients), but right now, that’s about all you’ve got. At least you’ve got a doc who’s looking out for individual YOU, and not just lumping you in a box with a lot of dissimilar toys.
Hang in there – you may never be a classic Type 1 or a classic Type 2 – you may just have to hang out with us Type Weirds – but the issue is that you get proper treatment, and live a long and healthy life, no matter what!