Questions about Type 1 and 2.

[Rob43]

Hi, Can a type 2 person become a type 1 after the pills and diet stop working ? My mother was a diabetic for 25 years and I thought she was type 1 diabetic but now I'm wondering. She started out on a diet and pills and then when into insulin for 15 years. I have diabete's as you know and this was no shock because diabete's is on both sides of my parent's familys.



Thanks, Rob43

[Andrea]

Originally posted by Rob43
Hi, Can a type 2 person become a type 1 after the pills and diet stop working ? Thanks, Rob43

Nope. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are very different diseases. They have different causes and different ways of working. Type 2 never turns into type 1, but type 2 is a progressive disease and eventually pancreas function wears down and many many people with type 2 eventually need insulin to help manage their blood glcuose levels.

For a while diabetes was categorized by the treatment used (insulin dependant and non-insulin dependant). Now it is categorized by the pathology of the disease itself. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where the body mistakes the pancreatic beta cells for "foreign invaders" and attacks them, destroying their function. Type 2 is almost always caused by insulin resistance. The pancreas still makes insulin, but the insulin no longer works properly to get the glucose from the blood stream into the cells. For a while the pancreas may even try to make extra insulin to make up for the insulin being "ignored". But eventually this wears down and less and less insulin is produced.

Check out these pages from diabetes123.com for more info...


Andrea

[Belinda]

Great web site! Thanks for the info

[sand-not-oil]

Dear Andrea,
thanks for the info, it may finally clear up my type 1 or type 2 predicament, as I was never quite sure what I was as my diabetic clinic class me as type 2, and my doctor has me on the books as type 1 because I am on insulin. Because of what you said I figure I should officially be type 2, and proud of it.
Should I now have to stand up in a room full of strangers and announce that

"Hello, my name is Sand-not-oil and I'm a Type 2 Diabetic."

Ok I know that's being a bit soap opera, but thanks anyway.

:stupid:

[rzrbks]

http://diabetes.about.com/library/blbasics/blwhatsyourtype1.htm

is one of the places I went to find out what was happening to me before I found this site

also I found a site where they talked about Type 1.5 but I didn't save it to my favorites:mad: