LADA Diabetics

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Comment by Dawn on April 22, 2009 at 1:42pm

Hi I think this is where I belong...not sure nor is the Endo. With all of your experience please help me determine any other tests or suggestions you have for me. I am on diet and exercise only after my third GDM pregnancy, I have a four month old. Here are my labs I am trying to understand...
GAD-65 AB is 1.7 (high) ??? Doc said positive.
Insulin Autoantibody <4 (in range)??
non-fasting c-peptide 2.2 ??means?
TNP- negative ??

Thanks for any help understanding, I don't get back to Endo until June 8. Is this my honeymoon?
Islet cell antibody-negative
IGA- 4 (in range) ??what is this

Comment by Sharon on April 3, 2009 at 5:49pm

I have a question I'm hoping to get some feedback on.
For the past few days I've come down with a cold. I was told illness can effect your blood sugar levels but I don't know to what extent.
It seems I really can't handle much in the way of carbs right now..veggies and limited fruit but bread of sweet potatoe for example which I could previously eat limited amounts of either put me over 10 or very close. (I'm in Canada)
I am on 7 units of Lantus, no fast acting as so far I can usually control my levels well by eating low glycemic.
Does having a cold really make that much of a difference?

Comment by Dale Van Valkenburg on April 2, 2009 at 1:18pm

Howdy Folks, I was just formally diagnosed as LADA about a month ago. I've been reading the forums on here since I came across this site and figured I should step out into the open rather than lurking.

After scouring the web through my diagnosis period, I was pretty certain that LADA would be the diagnosis, and the low c-peptide and high GAD results (40+) were the smoking gun that confirmed it. I was normal BMI and pretty active before diagnosis, but felt generally crappy and realized something was amiss with my blood glucose levels in December (150 fasting bgl, A1c of 7.5). Since then, I've been carefully monitoring my glucose levels, food/carb intake and increasing my activity level, and as a result I've dropped about 10 lbs in three months. The weight loss is due to shying away from the carbs after observing what they do to my glucose levels, and as a result I've been getting too few calories in general since I'm nervous about increasing fat and protein. I've been on Lantus once a day for just over a month, and have settled on 12 units as about right for now. My glucose levels now range from the 80s to mid 150s throughout the day on that dose, so I am obviously still producing a fair amount of insulin myself. I have not yet had a follow up A1c since starting treatment.

I have this sense of urgency that there should be something I can do to preserve the beta cell function by fighting the autoimmune response, but that doesn't seem to be part of the program. It is frustrating to me just to treat the symptoms of type 1 diabetes without any ability to get at the actual autoimmune cause of the disease. I am dreading the full beta cell shutdown that seems inevitable, as for now the diet, exercise, finger sticks and daily lantus are not much of a burden to deal with. I know my life is going to get a lot more challenging when the final beta cell gives up and I have to start the fast acting insulin boluses.

My wife has been suggesting that I see a naturopath to address the beta cell attack, so I am interested to see Sharon's comments on that topic. Has anyone else had experience with this approach, and has anyone seen any postive outcomes of decreased rate of decline or even stabilization?

Comment by Sharon on March 12, 2009 at 5:25pm

Here's my update. Went to an Endo - told him I wanted to get to the bottom of type 2 or 1.5. He told me we may never know , there's no way to tell for sure. Didn't know about the GAD test back then but managed to talk him into testing for insulin levels and c peptide. Both results came back low, 6 insulin and 197 c peptide, this is still with taking oral med Gliclazide 60mgs per day. I asked my family Dr about a GAD test, she's never heard of it. Forgot to ask at the Diabetes clinic but I don't think I can look forward to a better response. I'm in Canada..I don't know is it my Dr's or is this just the way things are here? Frusrating! I started on 15 units of Lantus Monday and levels have come way down - actually too down, so they have reduced to 13 units, will need to see how I do on that.

By the way, my Naturopath has me on Niacinamide (form of B3 vitamin) and vit E to slow down the beta cell process. Also a herb called Gynema which brought down my fasting levels from the 13 range into the 11 range.
I know, I still need to post a picture!

Comment by Sharon on February 16, 2009 at 5:27pm

I just joined this group as I believe I am LADA but have not yet formally been DX. I was DX with type 2 in early January but was absolutely shocked as I do not fit the standard profile..not obese, I eat well and it doesn't run in my family.
Oral meds have not been that effective, my Naturopath suggested I'm type 1.5 and asked asked my MD for additonal blood testing to confirm. She doesn't see the point and is simply saying now that I need insulin.
I don't quit fit the profile of 1.5 either..I did rapidly lose 25 lbs and I have high triglyerides and cholestrol
I'm so frustrated! I would like to know if I'm Type 2 insulin dependent or type 1.5! I thought at least if type 2 I could work on reversal..no hope for type 1.5.
Has anbody else had a similar experience? I would love to hear from you. I can't imagine giving myself a needle - I can't even wax my own legs!
Well, thanks for listening and I look forward to chatting with you all.
Excuse the typos!
Sharon

Comment by Rebecca on February 6, 2009 at 5:54pm

Yes I meant GAD....good grief! Complications are obviously setting in ... to my brain at least!

I was DX about 2.5 years ago as type 2, although I didn't have the high triglycerides, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. that one would expect with that dx. I was a bit overweight, although that had begun coming off already without much effort at all, and I achieved a normal BMI. That is being messed up a bit by the insulin I've begun taking within the last couple of weeks. This is hard to get the hang of!

I'm sure you're right about the lab where the tests were done ... I'm in Kansas, so I don't know how far away they flew, but I imagine it was in the US. My fasting C-peptides did come in low.

Comment by Krueger on February 6, 2009 at 3:15pm

Rebecca,
Did you mean GAD Antibodies? I was just DX type 2 than 1.5 than Type 1 In December. I did not have my islet antibodies tested however I did have my GAD tested. It seems by my labs that the normal range is 0-0.2 nmol/L. I tested well over that but i'm sure it all depends on the specific test/country/method which are used. When was your DX? This has been the best place to find information about LADA. I searched the web like crazy until I found Tudiabetes. If you have any other questions lets us know. I know someone will have input on here for you.

Comment by Rebecca on February 6, 2009 at 12:21pm

I had some antibody tests done. I was negative for islet antibodies, and the BAD antibodies number came back as 10.0. googling with all mymight and i cannot find a way to interpret that number. It seems low (meaning more of a type 2 than a LADA I guess), but I really don't know. Can anyone help?

Comment by Rebecca on May 27, 2008 at 11:43am

I have just been denied my first Minimed 522 from Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of South Carolina. I was really shocked. My doctor had written in my records (several times, I was told) that I have been non-compliant in my care of myself so BCBS took it is an out to not supply the pump for me at this time.

I was frustrated at first. Then MAD at being called "non-compliant". Now I'm ready to fight. I have so many mixed messages in my head about how I am supposed to care for myself as an insulin dependent LADA. I am swimming in diabetes right now. I don't want to drown in it, but something has got to give!

Comment by Manny Hernandez on May 8, 2008 at 5:02pm

Just so you guys know, you can now change your diabetes type in your profile, by following the instructions on this post.

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