Re: Intro and some questions

[Guest guest]

Jen, as I have often remarked, you're knowledge is a real blessing to me, and

all of us. As is all the knowledge that comes from so many folks on the list. I

wonder if type 2 diabetics who need to start using insulin are in that category

known as type 1.5?

Thanks for the clarification once again!

Dave

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Re: Intro and some questions

Hi Dave and all,

Sorry to point this out, but I have to correct something you said. A type 2

who switches from diet and oral medication to insulin doesn't become a type

1. You cannot " change " from a type 2 to a type 1 unless you have been

misdiagnosed in the first place. A type 1 has lost all (or virtually all)

their insulin production due to an autoimmune attack in which their immune

system gets mixed up and turns on harmless cells, in this case the beta

cells. A type 2 who uses insulin has reached a point that their insulin

production is no longer sufficient to overcome their insulin resistance, and

their pancreas has " burned out " from years of pumping out large amounts of

insulin in order to control blood sugars despite insulin resistance. A vast

majority of type 2s who call themselves " insulin dependent " are not, in

fact, truly insulin dependent, because they still produce enough insulin of

their own to keep them alive if they were to stop taking it (even though

their diabetes control and quality of life might suffer). A type 1 (or a

minority of type 2s who really have virtually no insulin production left)

would die within a few days if they were to discontinue insulin.

Just had to correct that small point. The general public gets very mixed up

between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, even though the two are different

diseases in terms of their cause (that just result in the same symptoms and

complications). Type 1 and type 2 refer more to the cause behind diabetes

(autoimmune versus insulin resistance) and not the type of treatment being

used, and the treatment is often quite different even if both use insulin. A

type 2 may need to take 100 or more units a day while a type 1 may take well

under 50. A type 2 may be able to get off insulin at some point (I've heard

of type 2s who take 400 units a day and then lose a lot of weight and are

able to stop taking insulin completely), while a type 1 will never be able

to stop taking insulin unless there is a cure. Type 2s who take insulin

often don't have the types of problems with severe or frequent low blood

sugar that type 1s do (due to a bit of remaining insulin production and a

properly-functioning counter-regulatory system, neither of which type 1s

have). Type 2s have the problem of insulin resistance which responds well to

weight loss and exercise, while type 1s usually don't have this problem.

I am probably rambling now (and on my lunch break at work so should go

eat!), but just thought I'd point out that type 1 and type 2 are distinct

types of diabetes that don't morph into one another, and also that even when

similar treatment is used the two are often quite different from one

another. A while ago I posted a link to a great article about the various

types of diabetes and their similarities and differences, which I can repost

if anyone is interested.

Jen

>

>

> Perhaps one thing that hasn't been mentioned is diet. As a type 2, Rick,

> you have the advantage over a type 1 in that you can, in some cases, reverse

> your diabetes or minimize the medication dosages. As harry said, many type

> 2's eventually end up using insulin (become a type 1), but it's my belief

> that type 2's who lose weight and exercise and eat properly, stand a decent

> chance of reversing their diabetes. Not necessarily that it will go away,

> but in minimizing it.

>