|
I would buy an OTC CGM - you just go on online and order it and it will come in the mail in a few days. It will give you a reading every five minutes for 10 days. That will keep you a full picture of what you’re dealing with.
My daughter is a stage two type 1 diabetic - her A1c is around a 6, she is not yet insulin dependent and she recovers pretty well from meals on her own. She does struggle with high carb meals, particularly at dinner time when she is less active. She does consistently wake up around 120 which is not at all normal. That was one of her first symptoms. You should read about MODY and LADA and also be aware of that type one can start at any age, so you are not too old for just regular type one diabetes either. As an FYI there are drug trials and one approved drug to help delay onset for type diabetics in stages 2 and 3, but they only for for type 1 diabetes, not MODY or LADA. Google Tzield for the drug and if you figure anything out and need advice or are looking for my T1D info, check out the breakthrough T1D website and also the Juicebox podcast (there is a related Facebook group that is very helpful) |
|
To clarify, you may not have T1D, but it IS really important to actually get bloodwork done to rule it out. I’m not a doctor (and not a scientist) so i don’t know what else might cause an elevating fasting blood sugar, but it’s definitely abnormal, particularly at your age.
My guess would be that all the posters saying you have anxiety or that diabetics have “much higher numbers than low 100s” don’t actually know much about type 1 diabetes. I’d suggest that you follow the advice of the two people on here WHO HAVE DIABETIC CHILDREN and ignore the rest. You need a diagnosis and hopefully you’ll be able to rule out T1D. And to the poster doling out erroneous medical information, yes, diabetics CAN have blood sugars in the low 100s. Logically, if there are people diagnosed in their teens and 20s and even sometimes in their 60s and 70s, how do you think that is happening? Do you think they wake up on Monday with a fasting blood sugar of 98 and then Tuesday it’s 600? It’s a progression and there ARE delaying treatments available if you catch it early. So what I am telling you is that an untreated insulin dependent diabetic will have blood sugars rapidly climbing into the 400++ territory, an early stage diabetic might frequently wake around 115-130 every day. That is the stage that one of my children is in currently. |
This person already got lab work and is doing a bunch of unprescribed testing listing symptoms and things they think they have, so while they might have something they also definitely have health anxiety. I feel confident saying that as somebody who does have health anxiety. A better time to source this type of information is after they have the lab work. |
OP has given exactly zero data as to having type I diabetes. What she obv has is health anxiety- and should absolutely stop checking her blood sugar and getting a CGM is a terrible idea. What she should do is see an actual doctor and be evaluated |
Thank you for being understanding. I didn’t realize that Type 1 Diabetes can develop in stages, which is why I initially thought it might be Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) instead, which know is type 1 but slower developing.My dad has an overactive thyroid, and I know that can sometimes be linked to autoimmune conditions, so I wasn’t sure if that pointed more toward type 1 or LADA. When I had my thyroid levels checked in 2021, they were normal, but I’m not sure if that could have changed since then. When I was 14, I went to the doctor for chest pain and was told I had a heart murmur. I followed up with a cardiologist, but at the next appointment they didn’t hear it anymore, so I’m not sure what caused that. Recently, I started checking my blood sugar. My fasting levels have been between about 109 (today,) 88 (yesterday), 118, then 108. My post-meal numbers are always normal, even an hour after eating. I’ve had symptoms like increased thirst since December 2022, and they’ve stayed pretty consistent over the past few years without getting significantly worse. Because of how long the symptoms have been going on and the relatively mild fasting numbers now (though this is my first time checking). I was wondering if this could be LADA rather than typical type 1 diabetes. I’ve read that early-stage type 1 often doesn’t have many symptoms, while LADA can progress more slowly, though LADA is said to not have symptoms in the beginning too, so I’m not sure what explains symptoms with these fasting levels this many years in. I also came across Teplizumab and saw that it might delay progression in LADA cases, but that doesn’t seem accurate. I won’t be able to see my doctor until May. I did get my A1C results back but haven’t looked at them yet because I’d prefer to go over them with my doctor, and don’t believe they are really helpful in this case, if it’s type 1 or type 1.5. In the meantime. I’m also wondering if something like hyperthyroidism or PCOS could be contributing to these symptoms. Overall, would you think this pattern is leans more towards, early type 1 diabetes, LADA, or something else. |
| Lose weight and exercise. Eat a Mediterranean diet. Go see a nutritionist who will tell you how to eat. |
OP. You have nothing. I mean that kindly. Stop trying to diagnose yourself |
I wish that were the case, but I’m about 90% sure it’s not. I’ve already started grieving my old life and trying to accept that it might be over soon, and that my future wont look the same if this ends up being something like latent autoimmune diabetes or type 1. I really hope I’m wrong., but I don’t think I am, so I have to prepare myself. Being told to just go to the doctor like a normal person isn’t that helpful, because I’m worried I might not be a “ normal” person anymore. I’m not trying to diagnose myself, and this isn’t mental anxieties—I know my body and can tell when something feels off. When I went to the doctor before for chest pain, they actually did find a murmur, so my symptoms were real, even if the cause wasn’t fully explained. Also, for the previous poster—Can I ask how old was your daughter when she was diagnosed in the early stages of type 1, and how old is she now? What made you decide to get her tested, what were her fasting levels at the time, and how long has it been? Thanks. |
You had that murmur all your life most likely. Unless you were diagnosed with heart valve stenosis or regurgitation- you’ve likely had this “innocent” murmur all your life and it isn’t the cause of chest pain. Your chest pain, and your current symptoms are anxiety. Nothing you have posted indicates diabetes. Chill and let the doctors handle it. You obsessively testing your blood sugar is not helping you |
|
Can you get a referral to a pediatric endo, make an appointment now and also ask to be put on the cancellation waitlist? That’s your best bet for a proper diagnosis. Keep doing the first thing in the morning fasting blood sugars and keep a diary. Only worry if you see a steady progression.
The problem is, all these people who say “just see your doctor” are not diabetic. I’d agree that your anxiety is high and should be addressed separately. That’s never going to hurt you. But, maybe your anxiety is high because of undiagnosed health concerns, right? Having anxiety isn’t a “bad” or “wrong” thing, it’s just a fact. It’s like a headache and it may need to be addressed The real issue is that IF you have a form of typw 1 or 1.5, it’s a diagnosis that is commonly missed or can take years. It’s just not on the radar for a lot of general practitioners or adult endos. Even the nomenclature around type 1.5 is new. I hate giving out too many details because I’ll be really recognizable. Type 1 diabetes only affects about 1/2 of a percent of Americans and typically people who think they know about diabetes are usually thinking about type 2 I’ll be kind of identifying myself here, but I think anyone who knows about type one wall so recognize that even if you do not have any form of diabetes, a fasting blood sugar at your age that isn’t under 100 every day IS a concern and does need a diagnosis. I have one older teen who is a stage two diabetic. They had been screened through Trialnet which is a free screening program for people under about 40 who have a first-° relative with type one diabetes. We knew they had an elevated risk already due to having a sibling with diabetes. Once we got the blood test results (google Trialnet and ASK to see if you qualify for free auto antibody testing) we knew that our teen was definitely an early stage diabetic. From there, it’s just a waiting game to watch symptoms and blood sugars to see when they will need daily insulin, but they are not insulin dependent yet. If you wanted to discuss this further with a more informed group of people I would highly recommend joining this group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EQjx9D72h/?mibextid=wwXIfr It’s a group of about 90,000 all of whom are either type one diabetics or family members of type ones and they will be a knowledgeable and helpful group. Including that you may find people in the group who had similar issues and can tell you if it was thyroid or diabetes or something else entirely. |
She is 19. Why would she need to see a pediatric endo? She doesn’t need an endo at all. Any doctor can run an a1c, thyroid panel and metabolic panel. If they are normal (which I suspect they will be) nothing further to investigate. Do that yearly as everyone should as part of basic physical. No numbers listed here are conclusive for being diabetic or even pre-diabetic. She should not be testing herself daily except on advice from a doctor to do so |
| Op is not 19, Op is not a diabetic, Op is not real folks. |
Like suggested prior, I’ll order a CGM, and will join that Facebook group. I tried to ask Reddit, but they weren’t of any help. A question I still have about LADA —can the progression of LADA be delayed with immunotherapy? I will make sure to make an appointment. Unfortunately, coping with this is very hard, and I have a very strong feeling of dread, and can’t continue normal activities after realizing that I might have type 1.5 or type 1. I believe my life is over, how do you move past this stage? |
|
Don’t let the stress get to you, figure out a diagnosis first. And remember that there are plenty of highly successful people with T1D IF that’s what the diagnosis is - including plenty of pro athletes. It’s annoying, but fully manageable
LADA and MODY can not be treated with Tzield but there may be other studies and options |
| Has OP explained why she is trying to DIY this instead of seeing a physician? |