
March 10, 2006
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Page, Arizona, USA:
I have been told that I have type 1 and type 2 diabetes. I had Hepatitis C and took interferon/Rebetron treatments for over two years. My Hepatitis C is in remission, but I have contracted diabetes. I was told that the treatment killed my pancreas. In any case, my pancreas doesn’t work and my body does not absorb insulin like it is supposed to. Can this be possible?
Answer:
Usually, we refer to the type of diabetes associated with Hepatitis C as type 2 diabetes. Other specifics to differentiate type 1 from type 2 diabetes are not included in your description. Other things that make it more likely to be type 2 diabetes include a family history, being overweight, age over 40 (although it can happen at younger ages), ability to make and secrete insulin in response to an oral or intravenous glucose challenge, and a lack of history of diabetic ketoacidosis.
JTL