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October 18, 2022

Diagnosis and Symptoms

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Question from United Kingdom:

Today, we went to see our consultant with our 15-year-old son, who has had type 1 since December 2021. The consultant has been saying that he could have type 2 now; we were very shocked to hear this. The consultant wants to do an antibodies test in December. Is this sometimes what happens? We asked for some things to read but she was unable to give us anything. so now I am searching the Internet for something to tell me that this is normal. My son’s blood sugars are very good; his weight and height are fine, too.

Answer:

From: Marissa Town, BSN, RN, CDCES

Sometimes doctors or other healthcare providers may consider that someone who perhaps has insulin resistance may have some characteristics of type 2 diabetes. However, if he is 15, he could be growing and going through normal pubertal insulin resistance. The only way to tell is to get the antibodies measured. There is a test they can do called C-Peptide which will give an indication of how much insulin his pancreas is making. Please read our, “You’re Just My Type (of Diabetes)” page about different types of diabetes and it has a link with more resources on antibody testing.

It’s good to know whether or not the body is producing its own insulin, because if it is, you may be able to manage his blood sugar levels better with other non-insulin medications. If he’s not making insulin, and he’s having a lot of insulin resistance, you should ask your doctor about other medications to help him with insulin resistance. You can also do things like increase his exercise – which can be easier said than done in some cases.