# Type 3 Diabetes



## gibsong44 (Mar 31, 2013)

Hi my boyfriend has type 3 diabetes and we cant figure out why all of the things we have read so far talk about bad diet and unhealthy weight. He weighs only 10 stone and does not eat unhealthily and I want to know why he has it in the first place? And if there is anything he can do to stop symptoms occuring or even get rid of it completely? He was told it is anxiety related and then there are other websites saying it can be linked to Alzheimers disease (which my grandfather suffers with currently and is very scary to think that this could happen to him). May I add hes is only 22.


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## Northerner (Mar 31, 2013)

I think you are a bit confused about the different types of diabetes. From what you say, it sounds like he has Type 1 diabetes, which is different in many ways to the more common Type 2. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to being overweight, whereas Type 1 is caused (it is thought) y the body's own immune system attacking the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. Although the causes are different, they do share many of the same issues, as uncontrolled blood sugar levels are common to both if left untreated.

There is no cure for Type 1 diabetes, only treatment with injections of insulin. There is no Type 3 diabetes, to my knowledge. How does he treat his diabetes? When and how was he diagnosed?


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## Mark T (Mar 31, 2013)

Welcome to the forum gibsong44 

What medication is he on? (if any)

Diabetes is unfortunately not curable but depending on your circumstance you can hope to at least make it manageable and live a normal ish life.


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## redrevis (Mar 31, 2013)

I'm pretty sure type 3 is insulin resistance in the brain, which would link it to Alzheimers. So at 22 I'm going to guess it is type 1 that he has got. What has he been told so far? Has he been put on insulin injections?


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## trophywench (Apr 1, 2013)

Now you mention that Redrevis, I recall that being in the news a little while ago.


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## cherrypie (Apr 1, 2013)

gibsong44 said:


> Hi my boyfriend has type 3 diabetes and we cant figure out why all of the things we have read so far talk about bad diet and unhealthy weight. He weighs only 10 stone and does not eat unhealthily and I want to know why he has it in the first place? And if there is anything he can do to stop symptoms occuring or even get rid of it completely? He was told it is anxiety related and then there are other websites saying it can be linked to Alzheimers disease (which my grandfather suffers with currently and is very scary to think that this could happen to him). May I add hes is only 22.



Hi gibsong and welcome to the forum.

Was your boyfriend diagnosed with Type3 by a Consultant?  If so, he needs to ask for another appointment so that you can ask more questions.  You need to know more about what is happening and how it is proposed to treat him.
Is anybody giving him treatment for his anxiety, i.e. medication or talking therapies?  

I did find this article that suggests Type3 is caused by impaired brain insulin sensitivity. 
http://www.timeforwellness.org/blog-view/type-3-diabetes-do-you-have-diabetes-on-the-brain-226

I have always thought that knowledge is power so you really do need some specialist input.  I would suggest you write a list of questions that you need answers for,

Take care,

Maisie.


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## HelenM (Apr 1, 2013)

First, I agree with the others that your b/f should check  what the doctor has said.  

All those articles suggesting that Alzheimers is a Type 3 diabetes are people using the term in a non official way so don't frighten yourself with those articles on the web which use this label.

 In 95% of cases people have one of either 2 types of diabetes. T1 or T2.


There are many other forms/causes of diabetes though and  I would disagree with the others about there being no T3 diabetes  but what is sometimes called T3 really doesn't seem to cover what you've said about your B/F
 People who  develop diabetes through a specific known cause are occasionally categorised as  having T3. Its not a term used often and it applies to diabetes caused by a variety of things such as  a known genetic cause or caused by the actions of  a particular drug, or  when another  disease has damaged the pancreas . There are many such causes but all are fairly rare and even when people have these causes  most doctors don't label them as  T3.   Stress is far more 'vague'  and  isn't one of  those listed


 Gibsong, don't read the next bit More info than I think you need or is relevant to your B/F  but some of the others may perhaps be interested as to why I disagree on there being no T3. 

_  In  official documents {WHO and ADA} there is a category3/ III which then has subsets a-h, each with several examples. This has led to these conditions sometimes being referred to as T3.
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/35/Supplement_1/S64/T1.expansion.html
 I've seen T3 listed on a few general websites (ie this wiki health one: http://www.wikihealth.com/Diabetes#Type_3_diabetes_mellitus 
Type 3c is quite often used for pancreatic diabetes indeed even the NHS info page on pancreatic diabetes  calls it type 3.  http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pancreatitis-chronic/Pages/Complications.aspx
MODY is a condtion with a specific genetic cause and thus  is type 3a . 
_


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## Northerner (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks for the clarification Helen


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