My endo first did an insulin antibody test that was negative, but a year later did a GAD Antibody  test that was positive.  He wrote, "Elevated antibody against the insulin secreting cells of pancreas confirms type 1 diabetes."  Of course until I started insulin I really had very little control over my blood sugar, as type 2 oral drugs didn't work for me. I had had a heart attack in 2007, and took byetta for 6 months.  Byetta made me lose 20+ pounds in 6 months as I felt too sick to eat much. By then my A1C was 8.2. 

I then started insulin before each meal + long acting in the evening.  This was much better,  but what really made the most difference was starting on Welchol 3750 mg with metamucil to prevent bowel obstruction.  It brought my LDL down from 151 to 103.  It also dropped my A1C from 7.8 to 6.3 in two months!!!!  I Won' take statins but Welchol does double duty.

I have read that 10% to 15% of people diagosed with type 2 are actually type !(late onset].  It seems to me that all new diagnosees should be tested for Gad antibodies.

Amaliza

4/17/09 4:48pm

I completely agree there are too many dr.s who assume that if you're older than 20 it must be type 2. I was told that i was "too old" and it had to be type 2. oops had to almost go into a coma to get a proper diagnosis. It seems to me that there are more and more people getting that diagnosis.

I'm glad that you finally got your straightened out too. don't you feel sooo much better? I know I do.

steph

4/17/09 6:49pm

HI,  Yes, I was 58 when diagnosed.  The nurses at the International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis  told me it wasn't possible to get type 1 at 50 years of age, so my "'mother couldn't have been a type1", they said.  MY endo, a PhD, MD,  told me "we don't know much about diabetes" at this time.  My pharmacist doesn,t know much about the short acting synthetic insulins either and doesn't know of the use of metformin for type 1 diabetics. It is best to look up and read all the latest research for yourself.  You will be safer that way.  Steph