Still producing insulin?

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on June 19, 2009 at 3:18pm

Hi Janet!

It's highly likely that you are still producing insulin.

Actually some research by Dr. Bernstein (author of the Diabetes Solution) shows that some people with type 1 for over 50 years still produce small amounts of insulin. So it's very possible that as a LADA you produce some insulin still.

I don't know if I have ever had a c-peptide test, but I was diagnosed in ketoacidosis at the age of 21. And I seem to get ketones too often to actually have some insulin production, but I would be interested to know mine as well!

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Permalink Reply by Janet on June 19, 2009 at 7:33pm

A nurse called me today with the test results: abnormal, confirming diagnosis of Type 1. When I asked what the value was, she said that the report said only "abnormal." She paused for a moment and said, "Abbie Normal." I replied that I certainly am -- and we both cracked up. (A reference from the movie "Young Frankenstein.")

My diabetes educator will go over the results with me next week and I'm eager to know more.

In a funny way, the "confirming Type 1" part was validating for me. I'm the one who did the research and pushed to be tested for Type 1 and the GAD test was at the low end of normal but the endo said that I was in the early stages of Type 1. This test absolutely confirms the diagnosis and makes me feel proud of myself that I pushed to get the right diagnosis.

Your situation with ketones is interesting because I've never had them -- even when I was over 400! I didn't realize that ketones were related to actual insulin production. It's a good day. I learned something new. :)

Janet

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on June 20, 2009 at 3:33pm

Good for you for pushing for an accurate diagnosis! Let us know when you know the results... I'm curious about how much insulin you are producing. They probably did the c-peptide test, which will tell you that!

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Permalink Reply by Dale Van Valkenburg on June 22, 2009 at 11:30am

Hey Janet -

I just got diagnosed as LADA in February, just before my 42nd birthday. My GAD tests were higly positive with results in the 40 range, but my C-peptides were down at the very bottom of the normal range, so I'm still producing a fair amount of insulin on my own. I'm currently taking 18 units of Lantus once a day, and that (along with diet and exercise) was enough to lower my last A1c down from 7.6 at diagnosis to 6.3 last month.

My fasting bgl is pretty erratic, ranging from 70 to 120 on a regular but random basis that I can't pin on anything in particular. Like you, however, my post meal test at around 10am is remarkably stable, usually right around 100 (I usually eat the same breakfast - egg whites and oatmeal). It must be my remaining beta cells kicking in.

I did a test drive on a cgm a couple of weeks ago, and it didn't turn up anything too erratic for me. Overnights were stable, post meals were pretty moderate rises, and overall I was within target ranges most of the time. For me, though, just knowing I was on the cgm and that my every move was being watched caused me to be more dilligent in my diet than usual, so I didn't get the "real world" results I was hoping to see from my typical far-from-perfect food choices.

I too was originally diagnosed by my GP as type 2. He referred me to an endocrinologist, and in the two months it took to get in to see him I did a lot of research and strongly suspected I was LADA. I was very relieved when my endo agreed with my suspicions and ordered the GAD and c-peptides, the results of which (above) were definitive. I would have kept shopping for another endo if he hadn't ordered those tests.

Congratulations on your persistence and getting the right diagnosis!

Dale

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