Hi everyone,
I'm a 29 (F) and was recently diagnosed with LADA.
Want to preface with I am not asking for medical advice, just want to hear other people's experiences.
I had bloodwork done this year a few times because I've been trying to do a deep dive into my health. About 5 years ago I was diag
LADA is the same as those of us who experienced Juvenile Onset Diabetes had. It starts, we start to pee, it gets worse, we go to the doc and, yeah! We're diabetic. Something of an own goal. The only difference is the rate of onset and some young people (maybe many young people) see a slow onset (LADA) rather than a fast onset (JOD).
It's a roller coaster until our pancreta settle down; when all the beta cells have died.
I started on insulin when I was 12, but the onset was pure hell. First I couldn't get home without becoming desperate for relief, then I could barely get between classes (40 minutes a piece) without a visit to the, as we quaintly say, "bathroom". Then I gave up and told my mother. That's JOD with an onset of several months.
I'm still alive and I've done a lot more
I was diagnosed at 54 and went on insulin right away. I had a daughter diagnosed at 4, she 34 now. My son was diagnosed at 27, full DKA. I've been on a pump for 6 months. I road cycle about 8k miles a year. I probably kept it at bay for a long time and that's why I went on insulin so quickly. My A1C was 6.8.
Why did the doc go to insulin? Did he get one (or more) of the antibody tests for you? I'm asking because there are lots of cases where LADA isn't diagnosed for years because the docs simply don't do the autoimmune test. Is that changing; I hope so!
I had the autoimmune test very quickly because of the t1's in my family.
What did the doc say; i.e. how did he explain he was asking you for this test?
Diagnosed at 40, now 43m.
Went on insulin day 1 of diagnosis with a 10.7 a1c.
Very active runner back then - likely masked great symptoms from showing up. So it’s possible that I was preventing insulin dependence with how active I was as onset was beginning to
However being active and running 20-30 miles per week have never lead me off insulin after original diagnosis.
I have read that good control helps improve remaining function but I’m not sure if it’s substantiated.
Ask away ! I’m sure you have other questions!
I remember being diagnosed with LADA and feeling shocked, like my body changed overnight. I also have autoimmune issues, so the diagnosis made me reflect on how connected everything is. Wearing a CGM helped me understand my patterns and feel some control. For now I focus on diet, stress, and sleep while accepting that insulin may come later. Hearing others stories helped me feel less alone.
I was diagnosed about 15 months ago with LADA after going into DKA. I was on insulin for a couple months, but went off it as pancreatic function returned. I've been managing being treated as a type 2 diabetic since then (metformin, diet, movement) and I'm probably the healthiest I've been as an adult (40s female).
I accept that I'll most likely be on insulin again sometime, but for now my stuff is looking good, and the more balanced and controlled I can be now, the healthier I'll be in the long run. I do have some fear that I'll quickly go into dka again, but I feel like I'm much more knowledgeable now about what to look for and when to be concerned, and I have resources like a glucometer and regular endocrinologist appts to check things out.
I've been diagnosed for a almost 2 years now. Found out after going into dka. I left the hospital thinking I was type 2, but my endo ran the tests and found that I was LADA. They had me on insulin the whole time. Mostly I've been managing well with just long acting and watching my diet. But recently my sugars have been getting less stable. My endo said that most LADA patients she's had have about 5 years before their pancreas gives up the ghost.
My recent slip would likely get better if I started working out again (I was going 6 days a week for almost a whole year) and making different food choices. Also my bg is heavily impacted by my menstrual cycle. Whenever my period ends there is about a week when the low carb food, that is fine every other time, sends me out of range
So I guess w
Diagnosed 15 months ago, honeymoon ended this month with a cold/flu combo
There is some evidence that taking exogenous insulin can help preserve your remaining beta cells, so that's also something to take into account. I was diagnosed 3 years ago at 67 and managed for over two years on just one shot of Lantus per day and a very strict low carb diet. But while I know eating that way works great for many people, I just got tired of feeling all faintified every time I stood up and so in June they put me on a pump. I still mostly use less than 20 units a day, for now.
Some studies also suggest that GLP-1s can help preserve beta cell function. Avoid sulfonylureas. Have your endo continue to monitor your C-peptide, as that's the direct proxy marker for how much insulin you're making.
LADA can be confusing as heck. I had none of the classic markers, negative for antibodies except for a weakly positive IA-2, negative for autoimmune conditions (thyroid, celiac), no family history of autoimmune conditions, had a grandfather who developed T2 later in his life. Based on this one weak positive IA-2 my endo said I had LADA, but everything else about my phenotype screams Type 2.
Not sure what they said for insurance purposes. I demanded the test and c-peptide because of my two children being T1. Also, my A1C was increasing from 5.9 to 6.8 in 6 months.