Wrong diagnosis?

My brother is a diabetic. He says he was told he is a type 2 because he did not get this when he was kid. He was in his 40’s when he had to have a drug test for work. the nurse took one look at his urine and told him to see a doctor. He went to the doctor and that is when he was diagnosed as diabetic. He is frequently up over 500 and a couple of times he was hospitalized after he collapsed at work with a BG of over 700. He eats only pre-packaged meals such as Nutrisystem D. ( he lives alone and doesn’t cook) He is very thin and is losing weight. He is on Humalog 3x day. I told him I think he is type 1 because of the super highs. What do you all think?

Unfortunately, being misdiagnosed is common for adults. The only way to know for sure is to have the testing done to verify. He should have a c-peptide to know how much insulin he is producing and also a GAD-65. Regardless of what type he is, he needs to control his blood sugar. Most people on insulin take 2 different kinds – that would be the first step for him. I would suggest he read either Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner or Using Insulin by John Walsh.

It is possible to have high blood sugar and lose weight. According to Dr. Neal Barnard weight loss occurs because the cells are not getting the nutrients they need due to the high amount of glucose in the blood. Fatigue, frequent urination, thirst are all present as well. I have a friend who was diagnosed years ago and he lost weight rapidly in a matter of hours due to high blood sugar. he is type 2. I guess it depends on the person and how their body responds. High blood sugar damages internal organs, blood vessels, ateries, etc. processed food such as nutrisystem damages the body. frozen and processed foods should be avoided. once is ok, but if eaten daily its not good.I hope your brother gets better.

Hi Lisa: Sadly, there are many myths about Type 1 diabetes that persist, including the myth that it is childhood disease, yet according to the CDC the majority of new-onset Type 1 diabetes is seen in people over age 20. Adults are frequently misdiagnosed as having Type 2 diabetes strictly because of age, not etiology. It is quite possible that your brother has Type 1 diabetes, based on what you describe, and clearly he is struggling with control. Weight loss is common in people with T1 who have ongoing high blood sugars. Any chance you can get him to some diabetes education? A knowledgeable CDE could really help. At least he is on insulin, but he should be using a basal insulin as well as the Humalog, and with additional testing and corrections he could achieve better control. The books that Kelly WPA recommends (Think Like a Pancreas; Using Insulin) are really excellent and I highly recommend them. Check out my blogs “A Field Guide to Identifying the Misdiagnosed Type 1 Diabetic” and “Bill of Rights for People with Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: A Manifesto for the Misdiagnosed.” You have come to a good place for support, and ask away with any questions or concerns.

Thanks for your responses. They were very helpful. He goes back to his doctor later this week and will request to have these additional tests done. I will also send him those books you all recommend.

Lisa, please click on Groups and check out the LADA Group. Also, this discussion has many replies

https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/seeking-stories-of

and the subject is “misdiagnosis”