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Can insulin needs DROP during honeymoon period?

P

pinewood

Well-Known Member
Messages
792
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I was diagnosed in December 2014 and for the last week have been having lots more hypos than before and think I need to try reducing my basal.

I was under the impression that my pancreas would be winding down during honeymoon and that my insulin needs would gradually increase, not decrease. Is it common for this to be happening? I'm currently on 8 units of Lantus. I was on 12 units for first 2 weeks of diagnosis, dropped to 6 units temporarily for a few days and then settled on 8 ever since and it was working perfectly - flat line during the night and steady during the day. For the last week my levels seem to be free-falling when I'm not eating and are dropping at night too. I've barely needed any NovoRapid. Thought maybe it could be a sign of a cold and/or stress but don't they always lead to elevated levels?

I'm 65kg and pretty active (walk 5-10km a day, do weights 3-4 x a week and intensive carido (running 5-10km at 12-14kmph) 3-4 x a week).

Thanks for any advice.
 
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Its quite normal that insulin needs fluctuate during the Honeymoon Period, if your dropping low all the time just reduce your basal insulin again to see if that stops them, although its a long time ago I do remember that I was constantly adjusting my insulin doses in the months that followed diagnosis.
 
I think it can. I was mis-diagnosed at first as type 2 (with a BG of 29). I started on oral meds, which were gradually increased until I got a good level of control (NO INSULIN). After a few month I had to drastically reduce the dose of the oral meds, almost completely stopping, because I was going hypo. After a year and half and the end of the honeymoon, things declined rapidly and I moved onto the basal bolus insulin regime. I was told that medication (insulin or oral meds) and diet improvements can take some of the stress off an overworking pancreas and prolong the life of your failing pancreas and improve BG control, for a short time anyway, until your pancreas function declines. I have also heard people saying that the pancreas can function erratically in the honeymoon period resulting in yo-yo blood sugars.
Things settle down for most people, you just have to hang on in there and react to swings. I personally find diabetes control like shifting sands. Best of luck.
 
Yes Pinewood, my TDD dropped this spring as a result (I think) of having sustained good BG levels. Challenge to keep it there though!

Naturally something else happened to screw that up ...
 
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Certainly! insulin needs are usually all over the place during the honeymoon period. Sometimes you will feel like you don't need any, other times you will need much more then you expected.

Its a very random time, whenever you think you have something locked in - that probably means its about to change lol
 
I too am honeymooning and my own insulin production is all over the place. I can drop from 15 to 5 in 30 minutes then back up to 20+ two hours later! Must admit it was scarey at first because Id never heard of it happening to anyone else (til I read this forum!) Only just been started on insulin, but only injecting during the day as I'm a high hypo risk at night. (Have to take a low GI snack at midnight to get me through the night at the mo - nut bars are the best thing I've found, and I eat them regardless of how high my bloods are). Of course that may all change next week!!
My only advice, I test regularly throughout the day as I can then deal with the sudden drops before they become a problem! Although Im getting pretty good at reading my bodys early warning signs. Good luck! Sue xxx
 
Haha, there I thought you were actually on honeymoon and making love several times a day - was just going to be clever and tell you about physical activity lowering BG. Silly me :-))
 
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