Sorry, Kady,

But you can have Type 2 *without* IR (fairly rare, but I have friends who
control with diet and exercise alone), and you can have IR for years before you
become diabetic (as was the case with me).

My pancreas was able to produce enough insulin to control my bgs for 20+ years
(it "sputtered" at times, but it managed), before I reached the tip-over point
at age 49 and was dx’ed.

It’s unfortunate, but I have heard much incorrect information from doctors in
the last 13 years. One even told me that I needed to eat *more* sugar.

Dianne

Not true. However before the function of the pancreas was well
understood (as explained well by Bernstein in his book) this was the
thinking in some circles.
Diabetes has to do with pancreas damage. A healthy pancreas will
manufacture insulin in its beta cells and will also STORE insulin to
have it ready to use at a meal.
In a diabetic, there is no insulin storage, and the function of beta
cells is compromised as well to a larger or lesser extent (totally
compromised in type 1, partly compromised in type 2).
MOST but not all type 2 diabetics ALSO have insulin resistance and
the IR may have triggered the pancreas damage.
One can overcome the IR with a super low carb diet but that will not fix

the diabetes if it is present.

> My doctor uses the
> words interchangeaby as if they are the same thing as well.

:-))
He probably learned that in medical school which is probably some years
ago? Maybe he needs to get a copy of Bernstein’s book or read up on
pancreas issues in diabetes :-))

> So is there a
> way to tell which one you are?

Yes.

IR:
Overweight people are *usually* IR, as the fat tissue is not inert, it
produces cortisol and unless you are VERY low carb diet, there will be
too much sugar in the blood due to carbs eaten added to cortisol making
more sugar. So this constant sugar in the blood causes IR.
There are various tests to measure it. For example your fasting insulin
will be high if you are IR. Mine used to be high (48) but is now near
the bottom of normal range (7).

Diabetic people (IR or not) will have high blood sugar after meals as
they can not store insulin to help bring it down, and will have a high
fasting glucose. Glucose tests can show this.
Type 1 diabetics will have that high glucose after meals stay high as
they make no insulin at all. Type 2 diabetics will have that high
glucose reduce itself at least somewhat after an hour or two as they
usually can still make at least some insulin.
A glucometer used after meals can show what is going on with this.

It is common to be type 1 diabetic and not IR. But it is unusual to be
type 2 diabetic and not IR, as in my case. That’s because it requires a
very low carb diet and/or insulin - and I used both - to keep the blood
sugar low enough long enough to get rid of the IR and for the muscles
not to feel like they are drowning in sugar.
But diabetes is still with me. My pancreas still does not store insulin
as a normal non-diabetic does, so my glucose goes up after meals and my
pancreas also still does not make as much insulin as I’d like after a
meal. So I either have to still eat low carb or use insulin or both.

Does that help?

Namaste,
Irene

Irene…. I asked about this a very long time ago on this list (before you
were on it), and was told that IR and T2 are the same thing. My doctor uses the
words interchangeaby as if they are the same thing as well. So is there a
way to tell which one you are?
Kady

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