My husband was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 months ago. At first the doctor said it was type 2, but after my husband went to a dietitian, she suggested he be tested for type 1. The doctor ran another blood test then told my husband the results point towards type 1. I read that type 1 means insulin dependent, but my husband is taking medication--Metformin, 500 mg twice daily.
For those of you with type 1, did you start taking medicine, then insulin later, or was my husband simply misdiagnosed?

Thanks in advance for your responses. I'm just trying to understand how diabetes works.

A c-peptide (which shows insulin production) and an antibody test are used to determine type 1. Often people who acquire T1 in adulthood are able to do well for a while on oral medications. This version of T1 is often referred to as LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adulthood). Eventually the person islet producing cells fail and then insulin is required on a permanent basis.

In a way, being on insulin is easier than having diet controlled type 2. If you have T1 and eat more carbs than normal, you simply take more insulin to keep your sugars stable. Or take an extra shot if your sugar happens to be high. T2s don't have that luxury and have to live much more strictly.

From what you described it is more than likely that your husband does indeed have T1 and will be on insulin eventually.

Good luck and keep us posted on how things are going.

Cora

I was diagnosed with type 1 at 19. I never did oral medications- I was on insulin the whole time.

Antibodies are a good way to determine what type of diabetes a person has. 60-80% of type 1s have antibodies. So, you can have type 1 and not have the antibodies, but if you have the antibodies, you almost always have type 1.

C-peptide can be low-normal during the honeymoon, but is usually low in type 1, and always low later on in type 1. It is normal to high in early type 2 and lower in late type 2.

If the "results point toward type 1" your husband is better off starting insulin sooner than later. Some people feel this slows disease progression.

Got diagnosed at the age of 14 and have been on insulin the whole time.
I got rushed to the hospital with acute ketoacedosis which is quite typical with type 1 diabetes.
From what I understand is that doctors quite "often" misdiagnose adults with type 1 for type 2, because type 1 usually sets in at puberty, and is more unusual to set in when you are an adult.