Comments on: Type I Diabetes ― a Viral Thing?

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:42:31 +0000

Appreciate this blog – was diagnosed with LADA a few months ago with the typical symptoms (blurry vision, excessive urination, etc.). After several stressful years in business, and right before the typical symptoms and disease onset, I went through 2 months of intense stress- like I’ve never known before. Within a week, the symptoms appeared and I was diagnosed. Virus is a potential. Can just the right mix of viral infection and acute stress be the cause?

By: Mackenna

Mackenna — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 07:44:25 +0000

My boyfriend was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 7, which I understand is relatively late for “juvenile diabetes”. He told me that he was always getting sick with colds and other things, and he still does get sick quite often. I’m thinking his immune system may have been compromised when he was younger and that lead to type 1 diabetes.
There is no history of diabetes in his family, although his mother had dangerously high blood pressure during all three of her pregnancies, including his (he was the last born), and he was born prematurely.
It’s nice to know that a virus may be the cause, not genetic predispositions!

By: Katy

Katy — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:54:53 +0000

Hi, I was diagnosed with diabetes type 1 a year ago. I was 20 years old at the time. There is no history of diabetes type 1 in my family, although my grandad did have type 2. I can also relate to some occurences mentioned by people with type 1. I had gum disease and an extremely painful toothache a few months before being diagnosed. I was also suffering from stress and anxiety being in a long distant relationship and stressing about deadlines and exams for uni.

It may be worth mentioning a few background details too. I am a student. I was at an average weight previous to being diagnosed with diabetes type 1. I believe I led a relatively healthy lifestyle but not completely. I always enjoy exercising whether it be running or going for a walk. I did not go on a sugar binge diet previous to being diagnosed. However, I did lack my 5 a day and my diet would have principally involved eating pasta but not in large amounts. My sleeping patterns were very abnormal. I would either sleep too much or too little, mainly because of stress or sadness.

It seems to me that two things were salient previous to becoming diabetic: the gum infection and the psycgological issues involving stress and anxiety.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:33:21 +0000

I was diagnosed with Type 1 about 2 months ago after initially being diagnosed Type 2 a month before that. GAD came back at 70 and low C-peptide confirmed the bad news. I’m on Metformin alone but know insulin is coming some day. I’m very healthy overall, eating fairly well with plenty of exercise. That has been my routine for a long time. The only symptom I had other than a high blood sugar reading (taken at a routine physical) was and still is frequent urination. I didn’t see this coming.

The only reason I’m typing this up is because I’m shocked to see how many people had a virus or illness before their diagnosis. I’ve read about the virus connection but this is the first time I’ve heard so many people seemingly confirm it.

Add me to the list. I went years without getting any kind of serious illness. I own a business I run from home so I don’t come in contact with that many people. In March of 2010 I came down with the worst case of cold/flu I can remember in my adult life (I’m 38 now). It started with a scratchy throat and then came the head cold. I couldn’t stop sneezing. I sneezed at least 100 times on my worst day. I have a hard time sleeping more than 8 hours a night but that night I slept for 15 hours. The worst of it last only 2 days but it made such an impact on me then I’ve been a germophobe ever since, some 11 months later. Now I realize that bout with the flu bug might have triggered my diabetes. I had tested normal for blood sugar readings just 6 months prior.

The only person in my family to have type 1 is my grandma on my mom’s side, so there is a genetic link with me. Yet, it certainly seems the virus is what did me in.

By: BradS

BradS — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:41:21 +0000

After doing some research on this subject for an English paper, I was surprised to find the frequency rising in cases where a viral trigger was suspected as activating type 1 diabetes. Even babies who were exposed to the rubella virus in the womb had a much higher chance of contracting type 1 diabetes as children. The other major concern related to a virus’ triggering the disease, is the possible influence of childhood vaccinations. Studies with lab animals have shown certain childhood vaccinations are inhibiting the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin. The rate of type 1 diabetes incidence is increasing world-wide at an alarming rate. Genetics don’t normally change fast enough to cause such a sharp increase in the rates. Something else in the environment, must be behind the increased number of cases, and very likely could be the spread of viral infections and more childhood vaccinations.

By: greg

greg — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:27:28 +0000

great to find a blog dedicated to type one. I am also a late bloomer(diag. at 41) got a head cold, moved to my chest, stayed a week and was gone. or so i thought. was always a sensible eater and took care of myself. so i reacted when my body was not acting in it’s normal fashion(rapid weight loss-17lbs in 2 weeks) extreme thirst and urination.suspected diabetes but with no family history(type 1 or 2) assumed something else.WRONG.had blood woork done and had a fasting bgl of 400. admitted to hosp. with a bgl of 660. peptide at .1(no production) I was pretty lucky to walk into the hospital. my endo and i agree, my onset was assuredly viral. but as i said with no family history it was quite a shock! have learned a great deal on the subject but can always use more insight. thanks for affording us this chance to chat about it!!

By: MRibb

MRibb — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:02:35 +0000

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost a month ago. Over the summer I lost nearly 40 lbs. Around the time of the on-set, I was in the middle of law school finals, was very run down, and in the first week of summer I was rather ill. After reading all of the blogs above and speaking with the endo, the viral theory makes sense to me. Also, the only genetic link I have found in my family is a great Aunt who had rhumatoid arthritis which is an auto-immune disease. So I may have a slight disposition to type 1 diabetes, which the viral infection could have activated, if you will.

By: Rex

Rex — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:40:07 +0000

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 31 years of age. I remember that immediately prior to the development of symptoms (perpetual thirst and urination, rapid weight loss, lethargy, and general malaise) I had a week long battle with the flu. I have an uncle who was diagnosed with type 1 30 years ago and his story is almost exactly the same. Contracted the flu, and immediately after getting over it he began to show the symptoms.

By: Sue Muller

Sue Muller — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:43:27 +0000

I was diagnosed in 1977 at almost 14 years of age, type 1. Have been on a pump for about 12 years now. I was told also my diabetes may have been caused by a virus, as a child (Dr. mentioned chicken pox and other childhood diseases also) Three years ago, I was about to start dialysis, but had a Kidney transplant instead. The Kidney failure was caused by all the years of High BP, and high blood sugars. Six months later, I had a pancreas transplant. I was Diabetes free for the 1st time in 28 years and so happy. Several months later I started not feeling well, and in Oct 2006 I was taken to our local ER in severe pain. Turns out I had a large abdominal abscess (still don’t knnow if that is what what caused my acute rejection, or even what caused the abscess/infection) My Surgeon had to remove my new pancreas because it was necrotic. Talk about being devestated!! The good new is, I still have my new Kidney (donated by my wonderful husband) and it is working great. But several months after losing the new pancreas I really went into a severe depression, which I am still struggling to overcome, almost 2 years later. Of course, I’m now back on the insulin pump, and trying to lose the weight that I gained after I lost the pancreas!! I need to lose some if I want to get back on the list for another Pancreas transplant…very frustrating…to say the least. I AM HOPING TO FIND AND TALK TO OTHER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS, WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE KIDNEY/PANCREAS THING. SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO TALK, OR EVEN VENT ABOUT IT, PLEASE CONTACT ME HERE OR ON MY BLOG, THANKS!

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:46:06 +0000

I’m 49 now and was diagnosed with LADA 3years ago this month. I was under extreme stress at work in a high school working with developmentally challenged students. originally they tried all the type II meds, But I continued to be very unstable. Finally they put me on nova rapid with meals and 2 shots daily of lantus. I’m a very brittle diabetic and have been on a great insulin pump now for a year. Since I am so brittle the pump has not been able to give me complete stability yet, but I can do more because I can control the insulin. At the same time that I got the diabetes, I went into menopause. I have read that it can also be caused by an immune system attack. I’m very curious about one of the other posts I just read, the person mentioned that they have terrible muscle and joint pain. I also do, and it is not every day but most and it is debilitating. I’m wondering if there is anymore info out there about a connection. I’m currently seeking help with this, with physio and a rhuematoligist.