Diabetes Type 1 Support Group

If your Insulin dep then you are a type 1!

I was told if I was type two before and even though I am now insulin dependent, I am still type 2

Type one diabetes is where your pancreas makes little to no insulin and caused by an autoimmune attack on the islet cells of your pancreas. Because you make basically no insulin you are indeed insulin dependent.

In type two diabetics the pancreas produces insulin, but it's inadequate for the body's needs and its effectiveness is reduced. As far as I know it's not labeled as an autoimmune disease when you have this type of diabetes.

Today many type twos do require and use insulin to control their diabetes. Two of my friends are type twos and they do proclaim to be insulin dependent and so do their doctors!

The line is becoming once again blurred as it was when we use to call type ones juvenile diabetes and people who were not children got it.

Could your drinking issues caused your immune system to kill off your insulin producing capability - possibly. I haven't heard it as being one of the triggers yet but it could very well be. Could you be producing insulin but it's simply not effective enough for your body that could be as well.

There are tests that allow you to know if you are producing any insulin and if you have insulin resistance. Is it worth paying the money to find out - only if you need to know.

Otherwise I think you are best off for general public just to call yourself a type one as the general public sees this as insulin dependent and not oh it was caused by an autoimmune attack.

Sorry I couldn't give you a more direct answer, but I am indeed happy to hear of your success in not drinking! Good luck!

It is a very fine line in some cases. How were you diagnosed? Type 1s generally end up in hospital as our pancreases totally pack up. We lose a lot of weight and get VERY thirsty.

It is confusing as type 2s can take insulin but if their body is still producing some, they are still type 2. They take insulin to supplement their own production. Type 1s take it because they do not make any.

I think there is a test you can take to find out whether your body is making any insulin. I would ask your doctor.

A c-peptide test would tell you for sure what type you are.

thanks everyone!