honeymoon / limited pancreatic function ?

[durwyn]

I was diagnosed type I a little less than a year ago. I'm not taking much insulin (usually 9 or 10 clicks of Apidra in total spread over the day, and 4 clicks of lantus before bed). Over the past 9 months or so I have reduced the amount of insulin I'm taking slightly. When I was diagnosed I was told there was a honeymoon period and it would last just a few months and that I would then need to start taking lots more insulin. This hasn't happened yet.

I had a check up this week and my long term (8 week average) reading was 6.2, and the consultant suggested that I simply stopped taking the Apidra and simply took the lantus once a day, possibly increasing the amount I was taking if necessary. He suggested that some people do have limited pancreatic function and that this can last for many year. Anyone else have any experience of this? Would love to hear if anyone else has tried relying solely on slow release.

Thanks

Durwyn

 

[jopar]

Hi durwyn

I've copied this thread here as well might get a better response...

As do your question yes the pancreas can produce some insulin, as T1 is a Autoimmune disease, which is the immune system is attacking the pancreas islet cells, this happens over time (the time scale was thought to be very quick, but now common thought is changing that this process might actually happen over a longer period of time than once thought) This it self play a part in the honey period, which again theroy is changing slightly to how long a individual might experience the honeymoon period!

The pancreas functions in two phases when it comes to producing insulin, a first phase normally kicks in when we start to eat, and then the main phase this insulin sorts the glucose so that it limits the spike and returns the blood glucose levels back to noramal very quickly... This is a very simple and basic explination....

One or both of these phases might still be working for you, and that by giving you Lantus your background insulin as this deals with the glucose that is coming from the liver into your blood, this would free up the small amount of insulin you are still producing to deal with the needs when you eat... Which in theory sounds practical as it would this a lot better than injected insulin can, giving a more stable control...

I assume that if you and the medical team decide that this is the best option to follow that they will ensure that you are monitored well, so that when the pancreas starts to lose it production ability, that this will be picked up quickly so that you can return if necessary to whats percieved to be a normal insulin regieme..

I'm sure that someone else can either expand, explain better than I, and give a personal experince of using this method to control there diabetes.

 

[Geoff]

Hi Durwyn, I was diagnosed as type 1 in June 2005 and soon found that the amount of insulin I was started on was too much and causing me to be erratic in my control. I am using more insulin per day than you are around 10-12 units rapid and 14 units of basal, but I use no rapid insulin at breakfast, which is a meal consisting of around 30 grms of carbs, if I bolus for this with even 1unit of rapid insulin, I will be in danger of going down to a bg of around 4.0mmol/lt within two hours of eating.

By cutting out this insulin I depend only on my basal insulin in the morning up to lunch time to keep my bg rising. I can not do this at any other time of the day, and must take rapid insulin even for a meal of 30 gr of carbs by lunch time. I have had several conversions about this with my diabetic team concerning this, who all think that I still have some pancreas function left and am still in a sort of honeymoon period.

 

[Trinkwasser]

Childhood onset Type 1s can go from normal to "die without insulin" in a matter of days.

Adult onset "LADA" is often but not always a slower process, some Type 1s may still have measurable insulin output after some years, and some Type 2s may progress faster. Can be confusing.

 

[shedges]

Diagnosed just over three years ago, I saw a major adjusment in my insulin needs at about 15 months. Guess that was my 'honeymoon', as my insulin requirements have been pretty much stable for 2 years.

Sam.

 

[hugogj]

Hi
I'm in the same boat. diagnosed in march 2008 after a bad "cold" started on 16 units of lantus and 1 unit novarapid to 10 carbs. started using less and less novarapid because of having to constantly eat to prevent hypos. i now inject 20 units of lantus in the morning levels very rearly get above 7. Hba1c has been 5.8 last two tests at the doctors. I eat pretty much anything but stay away from sugars and too much carbs. so it does not feel like diabetes has changed my life much, if anything i'm more healthy.
but i am dreading the day that it starts to change.

i am also glad to see i am not alone.

 

[seabill]

HI All

Diagnosed on 04/07/08 told to take 24 units Novomix 30 in morning and 16 units in evening.

Over a month cut back to 8 units with my porridge in the morning and 6 units with my evening meal.
Saw my Diabetes Specialist last week HbA1c is down from 13.3 to 6.8.

I have no doubt the artifical insulin triggers the pancreas, into functioning. And will do for
a very long time.

Seabill