what is 1.5

[beau91]

:o Hi i'm from montreal canada and the first time i heard about 1.5 was on this site.Would somebody explain what is 1.5.I am now on insulin since 1996.I take Humalog(FAST)and Humalin at night.i am a member of a site in montreal call "Les diabétiques" and i asked the question but nobody could give me an answer.Hope i will get a response.Bye RICKY.:cool:

[Emm]

Type 1.5 is an unofficial name, and vaguely open to definition.

According to *most* people it's slow onset Type 1 - otherwise known as LADA (latent Auto-Immune Diabetes in Adults). For a few, Type 1.5 seems to be the name for 'double diabetes' - someone who has T1 AND T2.

More info: LADA (http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/lada.htm)

[Dawn]

I was just going to ask that same question and see that there was already a thread started. T1 & T2...oh my. So does that mean that there is some insulin but eventually you will no longer produce any insulin? Do most people with 1.5 need to be on insulin right away?

[Emm]

For a LADA diabetic, there is generally some insulin production still happening at the time of diagnosis, and this can last anywhere from weeks to years depending on the individual situation. From the point where the cells have burnt out, that person is totally insulin dependent. But there's generally a 'honeymoon period' where your pancreas plays along as much as it's capable, and you may not need insulin during that time.

Some people prefer to go on insulin straight away to give the pancreas a break and keep the remaining insulin production going for as long as possible. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not. At least when the pancreas has stopped and we're in charge with injections, things are simpler. It's got to be good to keep some natural insulin going, but it's tricky because it never seems to be a reliable amount of insulin produced, so a person in the honeymoon phase can have different insulin needs day to day - even meal to meal, and never quite know where they stand. It's generally not quite that tricky but it IS hard to balance things out using both natural insulin and injected insulin.


If we're talking about a T1 who also develops T2, they already have no insulin production but start to get insulin resisitant. I think this is a natural progression of a T1 anyway, so I'm not sure if it's really possible to have T1 and T2 at the same time! It's not something I know a lot about...

[Alice]

I've never read any scientific info that states that taking insulin depletes existing insulin production. This sounds like an urban/internet myth to me...IMHO.

Most important is to keep your blood glucose at a healthy level and often, that means taking insulin.

[Emm]

Oh no, quite the opposite!
Taking insulin gives your pancreas a break and helps your own insulin production to last longer.

[momtomadison]

My understanding of type 1.5 aka LADA (Late Autoimmune diabetes in adults) is the same process is happening that takes place in type 1 diabetes regarding the immune response and attack, except the attack is much slower.

[Catcount]

This what Ive been told as I am "T1.5". Type 1.5 is one of several names now being applied to those who are diagnosed with diabetes as adults, but who do not immediatly require insulin for treatment, are often not overweight,and have little or no resistance to insulin. When special lab tests are done, they are found to have antibodies that attack their beta cells. Statistics say that between 15 and 20 % of those diagnosed as T2 are actually this type. They tend to be older adults, who at first are put on standard T2 advise and medication but after a period of time find it more difficult to control their BS. This is the time when Insulin medication may be appropriate.

In my case, not especially overweight and not insulin resistant, I was initialy put on a range of oral medications to stop liver dumps, stimulate the pancrase, etc etc. After about 4 years of this treatment I came off the tabs and was put on an insulin regime. I guess as a T1.5 I will be insulin for the rest of my life

Say Hi to Mississaga Toronto. I used to live there many years ago

Catcount