Diabetes / Insulin Resistance / Metabolic Syndrome For discussion of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.


advertisement
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-19-2015, 02:27 PM #1
LMPinkereton LMPinkereton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 30
8 yr Member
LMPinkereton LMPinkereton is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 30
8 yr Member
Default Pre diabetic time-line

Without going into a lot of detail at this point, my doctor tells me that I am pre diabetic.
He says that if I don't do anything about this, I will have full-blown diabetes in 6 months to a year. No doubt. Is this typically the case?

If so, what would cause me to be considered pre diabeteic for over 17 years, but not diabetic? No family history of diabetes either.
I just want to find answers. Seems like there is something more going on here, but my doctor won't even consider that there might be something else here.

Thanks.
LMPinkereton is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
Hopeless (10-19-2015), Lara (10-19-2015)

advertisement
Old 10-19-2015, 03:02 PM #2
Lara Lara is offline
Legendary
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,984
15 yr Member
Lara Lara is offline
Legendary
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,984
15 yr Member
Default

Good question.
I'll be interested in any answers you may get.

My daughter has an hormonal condition that involves insulin resistance but she's thinking that despite all the things she's done correctly over the years, that she's crossed into diabetic territory. She actually went to the doctor yesterday about this and is to have some more blood tests this morning.

I'm still confused by the Insulin Resistant and Pre Diabetic labels. She was told originally that she could keep Diabetes at bay, but because this is connected to her hormone problems it all seems extremely complicated to keep under control.
Lara is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
Hopeless (10-19-2015), LMPinkereton (10-19-2015)
Old 10-19-2015, 07:02 PM #3
caroline2 caroline2 is offline
N/A
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 3,313
8 yr Member
caroline2 caroline2 is offline
N/A
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 3,313
8 yr Member
Default

I watch my labs like crazy as I get older and things come up ok each year. Do you know your A1c number from the lab work, mine came in at 5.4 last year and hope it's still low.

I've really cut way back on sugars/carbs in the last 5 yrs or so, but didn't pay attention my earlier life and ate everything. I know I can do better as I do weaken for some sweets. But I've chosen not to bring bread into my house now for over 5 yrs. So I'm happy about that accomplishment.

I have a bridge friend who says her doctor tells her she is borderline diabetic and if a doctor told me that I would work very hard on controlling my foods. She does not and eats a lot of carbs/sugars. My gut tells me she is diabetic and wonder just when a person get the doctor's attention to this epidemic from so much I read and hear. She also deals with neuropathy and was on statins for 30 yrs, she still is but says she's cut back.

I hear an MD on the radio and when people call in and say they are told they are borderline diabetic, the MD says "you are diabetic". I don't know if that's true and all lab numbers need to be considered. Diet is major as I see it. I'd ask more questions of the doctor if it were me and work on getting into a better range. From all I've heard over the years, type 2 can be just about reversed. I'm rambling. Good wishes.
caroline2 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Old 10-19-2015, 11:57 PM #4
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Default Do not like labels

Quote:
Originally Posted by LMPinkereton View Post
Without going into a lot of detail at this point, my doctor tells me that I am pre diabetic.
He says that if I don't do anything about this, I will have full-blown diabetes in 6 months to a year. No doubt. Is this typically the case?

If so, what would cause me to be considered pre diabeteic for over 17 years, but not diabetic? No family history of diabetes either.
I just want to find answers. Seems like there is something more going on here, but my doctor won't even consider that there might be something else here.

Thanks.
I personally do not like the "labels" that are used regarding elevated blood sugar levels. To properly respond to your post, I would ramble for a long time but I will try to be brief.

To be considered "pre-diabetic" for over 17 years sounds like you manage to keep your levels under some control by your life style.

There is no single "magic" number that medical professionals agree that one IS labeled a diabetic. It is not like one is either pregnant or NOT.

Many people can have a slightly elevated blood sugar level for years before they cross that invisible line into what is referred to sometimes as "full blown diabetes".

It is a delicate balance between the amount of insulin and glucose flowing through the body which is controlled by the pancreas and the liver. When they are out of balance, for various reasons, lab tests may show an elevation in blood sugar levels.

Much controversy exits over the point when one is classified as a "diabetic" and also controversy about "reversal" of type 2 diabetes.

When a person is a diabetic, they will ALWAYS be a diabetic. Where the statements of "reversal" come into play is when a person is able to manage to control their levels without medication. Some call that a reversal, but the person still HAS diabetes, it is just being controlled through diet and exercise and without medication.

The body is a miraculous machine and will work very hard to stay in balance. When the cells do not allow insulin IN, it is called insulin resistance. The body starts making more and more insulin to compensate. After a while, the beta cells get tired of all the overwork and begin to wear out. At this point, one goes from what is called "insulin resistance" to diabetes.

In a type ONE diabetic, the body does not make insulin, and it must be provided by insulin injections or pumps. That is why it is called "insulin dependent" diabetes.

You did not state any of your specific "numbers" but it sounds like you are continuing to creep upward and that is why you were told that you would soon be classified as a diabetic.

Diabetes (type 2) is not something you don't have one day and you do the next. It is a process that goes on within the body until one day a physician declares someone as diabetic but they were on the road for some time. Different doctors make this declaration at different stages of the disease. It is also a progressive disease, and unless properly managed, it can be very damaging to the entire body.

Without knowing your numbers, I would highly recommend changes to your lifestyle (diet and exercise) if appropriate, and if that alone does not control your levels, you may need medication.

Some physicians take a more pro-active approach and start a patient on medication before the beta cells get over worked. (During the period sometimes called "pre-diabetes".)

The more one reads regarding type 2 diabetes, the various contradictions and controversy they will encounter. Some is FACT and some is OPINION.

The above is my opinion from personal experience and much research.

Wishing you the best and hoping you don't cross that line. Not everyone can control when or if the threshold is crossed, but sometimes changes made help the body to get the required balance that is missing when diabetes is declared.

The reason they have a "pre-diabetic" classification is for those for whom it is a window of opportunity to aid the body back into its own balance by adopting a better diet that will not overly tax the body, an exercise routine that helps the cells use glucose, and helps the body regain the delicate balance.

OK, this was not brief, but for me to add all the other things I should say, it would be much longer.
Hopeless is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
bddouglas (11-01-2015), bluesfan (10-20-2015), glenntaj (10-20-2015), LMPinkereton (10-20-2015)
Old 10-20-2015, 12:20 AM #5
kiwi33's Avatar
kiwi33 kiwi33 is offline
Grand Magnate
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Posts: 3,093
8 yr Member
kiwi33 kiwi33 is offline
Grand Magnate
kiwi33's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Posts: 3,093
8 yr Member
Default

Hi LMPinkereton

I think that the time-line for progression (if any) from pre-diabetes to Type 2 diabetes can vary a lot from person to person.

You might find the information here helpful when talking with your doctor; http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/ .

All the best.
__________________
Knowledge is power.
kiwi33 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
bluesfan (10-20-2015), Hopeless (10-20-2015)
Old 10-20-2015, 06:02 AM #6
glenntaj glenntaj is offline
Magnate
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 2,855
15 yr Member
glenntaj glenntaj is offline
Magnate
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 2,855
15 yr Member
Default Although I am very much in sympathy with what Hopeless posted--

--i do know that a lot of doctors, even endocrinologists, tend to make their "pre-diabetes" and "diabetes" designations based almost exclusively on blood sugar lab results, without looking at progression as more of a process.

Part of the problem with this is, over time, the lab levels generally considered "pre-diabetic" and "diabetic" have shifted downward to lower numbers, in much the same way as healthy levels of cholesterol have been redefined. I would be more sanguine about this if I felt that these numbers are adjusted as a result of meta-analysis of the best available research, but I am well aware that large pharmacuetical concerns often have an influence over "condition definition" in order that more demand for certain medications is generated. And I know that the ranges are not generally adjusted for age or gender--there is certainly evidence of "normative" blood sugar level rise as people get older, and using the same definitional levels for people much younger may get older people defined as diabetic/pre-diabetic when perhaps they should not be.

I can even see this on my lab results going back twenty years (I keep copies of everything). In the early 2000's, a normal 12-hour fasting blood glucose level range was 65-109; 110-126 was defined as "pre-diabetic" and over 126 as frankly diabetic. Now, the normal fasting blood glucose level has been truncated to 65-99, with 100-126 being pre-diabetic. I have also now started to see frank diabetes classified as anything above 120 for some labs. Similarly with hemoglobin A1C readings; labs I have from years ago list anything below 6 as normal, with 6.1-7 being "impaired" and above 7 diabetic. Now most labs list 5.7-6.4 as "impaired" and 6.5 or greater as frankly diabetic. So I have progressed from "normal" to "impaired" over the years (I've been running 5.7-5.9 mostly for a decade or more) merely due to lab range changes (not that I don't want to get the numbers down more, but that's been getting tougher as I age).

It remains to be seen if more labs will start to go with age adjusted numbers. This is done with certain lab tests, and is being discussed for others (such as TSH/thryoid hormone levels).
glenntaj is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
bluesfan (10-20-2015), Hopeless (10-20-2015), KnowNothingJon (10-20-2015)
Old 10-20-2015, 11:49 AM #7
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Default

Dear Glenntaj,

LOVED your post. Totally agree with everything you said, too.

Even the ADA keeps changing their "cut-offs".

Every now and then, my doc may say, "Well, the ADA has changed their levels to be ....." and I just want to scream.

I really don't care what the magic numbers are according to the ADA. The only thing I care about is controlling and limiting the damage to my body organs from living with elevations in my blood sugar.

It is NOT the ADA that is going to suffer the consequences of diabetic complications. It is not their eyesight, kidneys, limbs, heart, etc. at risk. It is mine, so I don't try to stay below THEIR somewhat arbitrary numbers. I try to stay within numbers that will limit my complications.

REALLY glad to read your post. So very well stated as you always do.

I would add the little icon "GOOD POST" if only I knew how to do that. I can put it in a PM but don't know how to access it from a post within a thread.

Thanks again. You are so spot on as usual.
Hopeless is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
bluesfan (10-20-2015), glenntaj (10-21-2015), KnowNothingJon (10-20-2015)
Old 10-20-2015, 02:24 PM #8
KnowNothingJon KnowNothingJon is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 543
8 yr Member
KnowNothingJon KnowNothingJon is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 543
8 yr Member
Default

Despite my control I know I am still diabetic, just not testing in that range. Give me a loaf of white bread and I'll prove it to you, hah. .

Kidding aside, finding your best combination of dietary, lifestyle changes plus medication makes the most sense, from personal experience.

Best of luck!
__________________
I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is." - Kurt Vonnegut
"It's an art to live with pain, mix the light into grey"- Eddie Vedder
Just because I cannot see it, doesn't mean I can't believe it! - Jack Skellington
KnowNothingJon is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
"Thanks for this!" says:
bluesfan (10-20-2015), glenntaj (10-21-2015), Hopeless (10-20-2015)
Old 10-20-2015, 02:47 PM #9
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by KnowNothingJon View Post
Despite my control I know I am still diabetic, just not testing in that range. Give me a loaf of white bread and I'll prove it to you, hah. .
Kidding aside, finding your best combination of dietary, lifestyle changes plus medication makes the most sense, from personal experience.

Best of luck!
I colored a part of your post for emphasis. That was too cute and gave me a real good laugh. That is so true and I can totally relate.

Hopeless is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Old 10-20-2015, 02:51 PM #10
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Hopeless Hopeless is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: USA
Posts: 1,232
10 yr Member
Default

I just realized you have the additional icons available if you use REPLY, but not if you use the quick reply button.

See the end of my post #7 in this thread to make sense of THIS post.
Hopeless is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Diabetic jcarr Classifieds 0 09-29-2011 01:56 PM
I met a VERY intesting diabetic the other day MelodyL Diabetes / Insulin Resistance / Metabolic Syndrome 10 09-26-2011 08:20 AM
Diabetic dreambeliever128 Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD and CRPS) 8 04-15-2011 05:25 AM
God is not diabetic dtyree Diabetes / Insulin Resistance / Metabolic Syndrome 2 06-26-2009 04:17 PM
Keeping a Time Line - i.e. notes ConsiderThis Vitamins, Nutrients, Herbs and Supplements 26 08-12-2007 08:58 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:34 PM.

Powered by vBulletin • Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

vBulletin Optimisation provided by vB Optimise v2.7.1 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
 

NeuroTalk Forums

Helping support those with neurological and related conditions.

 

The material on this site is for informational purposes only,
and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment
provided by a qualified health care provider.


Always consult your doctor before trying anything you read here.