Help! Can't stop losing weight!!

[y2rooster]

I have been blessed with Diabetes for 2 years now. My Dr. says I'm type 2 but, I have my doubts. Before being diagnosed I had been losing weight and feeling tired and sluggish for 5 or so months. It wasn't until someone suggested that I have my blood sugars checked that I went and bought a meter. When I tested it was 595! I must have checked it 20 times that day. Anyway, my weight before starting to lose was around 175 - 180lbs. The day I was diagnosed I weighed 159. I have never been overweight. I was slim at 180! I was put on Metformin and Avandaryl and changed my diet which kept my BG perfect. I maintained my weight of 159 until my doctor changed me from the Avandaryl to Actos, then I started to lose again (151lbs.). I told my Dr. about this and he added Amaryl to the Metformin and Actos because that had been the only change in my meds. It has been a few months since this change and the weight has started to fall again. This morning I weighed 147! I cannot understand what is happening! My BG is always in range and not out of control. Why can't I gain weight? I've maintained but never gained! Could it be that I am type 1 or 1.5? Could I need insulin? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jerry

[gardenandcats]

My husband had the same problem he was told he was type 2 and even though the pills kept his sugar under control he kept losing weight. Over a 40 pound lose and I insisted his doctor refer him to a specialist in Diabeties..
He had type 1 and that was the cause of the weight lose. I suggest you insist your doctor send you to a specialist..

[Mark1e]

Sounds like T1.5 to me. Get them to do an antibody test. But be aware that T1s and T1.5s dont always test positive for those specific antibodies.

Mark

[SamQKitty]

Jerry,
Are you testing your blood sugar levels after meals? I'm wondering if you're losing weight because your blood sugars might be running high much of the time and you may be producing ketones, which would cause the kind of weight loss you're talking about.

Try this: For a week or two, test your blood sugar two hours after a meal (start the timing from when you BEGIN the meal, not when you finish.) Also, buy a bottle of Ketostix (available at any drugstore) to test your urine for ketones. If your post-prandial numbers are running high (140 is the target for post-prandial, but between 140-160 probably isn't a problem) AND you are producing ketones (test for this when your blood sugar IS high), then that's why you're losing weight.

And I agree with Mark...it sounds like you may be a 1.5 (slow onset adult T1), especially as you weren't overweight even before diagnosis. Or you could even be a T1 who had a honeymoon phase (body still producing some insulin, but beta cells in process of dying off), and now you may need insulin.

I would ask your doctor to do two tests: The GAD antibody test, and also a C-peptide test. The results of those two tests will help determine if, in fact, you're a T1 or even a T 1.5.

Ruth

[y2rooster]

Thank you, to all who replied! I called my Dr. today and have an appointment this coming Tues. to have the tests performed. I asked to be referred to a Endo. and he said he would do that for me. Ruth, I have been checking just as you suggested for a while now and everything is usually in check. Haven't had any ketones present since being diagnosed. I'll let everyone know what the tests reveal when I get the results. Thanks again, for the replies, you guys are great!

Jerry