Wondering if I am type 1 or 1.5

New to all this so excuse the intrusion. I was diagnosed officially as late onset type-1 2 weeks ago. I am 36 well passed the standard onset of type-1. I have alway been slightly over weight and never one to go to the doctor unless I was dying, The last time it ended up being for real, I’m just wondering if there is a chance I was 1.5 for awhile and didn’t know it my sugars as a youth tended to be border line but I wasn’t one for watching what I ate and I drank like a fish for many years. Just wondering anyone have any insight or should(and I will any ways) just take it up with my endo.

Well, the good news is that you’ve gotten the correct diagnosis. Type 1 and Type 1.5 are really the same thing - autoimmune diabetes. In fact, Type 1.5 isn’t a recognized medical term, so regardless of the age at diagnosis, any autoimmune diabetes is Type 1.

Type 1 diabetes is not preventable. Your weight, food intake, drinking, etc. had nothing to do with getting diabetes. Type 1 has no link to lifestyle.

Sorry to have to welcome you to the club, but I hope your endo is on top of things and treating you accordingly.

Hi Lewis: Shannon is correct, you have Type 1 diabetes. 36 is a typical age to be diagnosed with Type 1–you’ll find that many of us here on TuD were diagnosed in our 30s. I was diagnosed with Type 1 at 35, Amy Tenderich (diabetesmine.com) was diagnosed at 37, Mary Tyler Moore (now international chair of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) was diagnosed at 33. Sorry you are in the club, but now that you are here use TuD to get support and take the best care of yourself that you can.

Thank you all

As Shannon says 1.5 is type 1. 1.5 really only denotes latent onset (after age 30). LADA is often is also indicative of other autoimmune issues - like hashimotos, D3 deficiency, etc. But really there is no meaningful difference - it is type 1.

Everyone is right in saying T 1.5 and T1 's are basiclly the same .The only difference is the onset . for me I was 50 yr. old. This is an autoimmune disease and unlike T2 ,life style had little in controlling its start. Watching your diet ,losing weight ,ect will not reverse T1 or LADA like it may with T2 . However , You need to watch your diet and exercise and lose the belly if you want to gain control of your disease and avoid complacations .

I was 29 when I was diagnosed, my two aunts were in their fifties (although one of them thought she was a T2 until about 2 weeks ago). Welcome aboard.

You raised an interesting question.

I had a problem at age 14, they thought I would end up on shots, but got better.

Again while in the Navy, age 22 same thing, got better again.

One thing I learned in recent years is drinking can LOWER your blood sugars 8 hrs afterwards. The first time I drank anything, underage at a party, I was sure I would feel miserable and my foster parents would ask the next morning. Instead of even a slight hang-over, I felt better, much better than usual. Later in the Navy I used this to my advantage. While in A-school, wee had big test pass or fail and get set back ever week or 2 weeks, depending on phase. I would go out and have just one or two drinks the night before, so I would be at my best. I was what worked best for me and I got great grades.

I wonder the same as you, was I simply a slow onset (despite age) that impacted my natural insulin capacity.

What eld to a formal DIABETIC label was when I was 34 and was hospitalized for diabetes, rude crude and yelled at by the doc for not ahving my blood sugars in control, even tho I did NOT KNOW I was in fact a diabetic.

An interesting questing and issue Anon Jim, too bad no one else has raised or responed to this issue before.


GOMER

I APPOLOGIZE FOR TYPOS...THE DANG ADS KEEP MESSING WITH MY PAGE FOR TYPING. i AM USING THE ZOOM FEATURE AND EVERY TIME AN AD PSOTS OR CHANGES IT CAUSES ME TO LOOSE CHARACTER AND PLACE.

I'm 57yo and just got dxed last year! I hate explaining this to people. I exercised and cooked everything from scratch almost my whole adult life. The fridge was full of organic vegetables. I made my Endo test me for LADA, and the GAD antibodies were high. Someone on another forum had sent me the link to www.diabetes101.com. It was there that I learned enough about LADA to advocate for myself.